Chrysalis

My minds are pushed to the breaking point once more. Containing this level of energy isn't easy, and it doesn't get easier. One might think that my increasing stats and levels would make this process more manageable, but in fact, all it does is allow me to push further and make a more destructive gravity bomb! What sort of moron would keep the power of the spell the same? That would be madness. Madness!

As I continue to squeeze and crush the mana together, squeezing my minds to the breaking point as I do so, Invidia floats forward, delighted to be finally let off the leash. Not just a little let off the leash either, totally free of my many restrictions.

He's a powerful monster in his own right, this little demon, I only managed to defeat him based on a superior knowledge of jumping. Now all of that power is directed towards the defensive line of the Legion as they await my spell.

It starts with explosions, as it usually does. The tunnel is suddenly rocked with detonations that shake the dust from the stone roof and pierce the oppressive dark with light for just a moment.

BOOM! BOOM!

The little ball flits gleefully in the air, his two long, stick-thin arms dangling down past the wide Cheshire-grin that appears beneath his body.

[Even if you want to keep it. I wantssss your life!] He purrs.

His eye flashes bright with green energy as mana begins to accumulate within the orb. Explosions continue to burst against the shield wall as the envy demon prepares his most powerful attack. The speed he pulls it together still puts me to shame, as his eye is filled to bursting with mana before I'm even close to completing my Gravity Bomb. One more evolution and I'll show you! Damn eyeball.

Ignorant of my own envy, Invidia grins widely before he darts forward and unleashes a terrifying ray energy. The eye beam of death lives again! Even focused on my own growing ball of doom, I take particular interest in watching the Legion deal with this situation. The mages brace hard, more barriers springing to life even as they reach out with their minds to break apart the magic. The beam travels so quickly, they don't get much time before it impacts their shields, shattering one after the other until it crashes into the front line of soldiers.

They brace hard, each one supporting the Legionaries around them, their defensive shields coalescing into one defensive line. The green ray hits home and tries to drill through, a piercing whine rises in the tunnel as the two forces contest each other. Finally, the beam scatters across the face of the shield wall and disperses having failed to break through.

His eye exhausted of its strength for the time being, Invidia returns to flinging detonations toward the Legion as their mages attempt to reinforce their barriers. The little demon doesn't give them time to gather themselves, working magic as quickly as only a hyper-specialised monster can.

"Bring the artillery!" I call to the ants around me, causing them to shift.

The Legion is still outside the range of most soldiers, but the scouts who've evolved for range will still reach with their acid at this point. Anything we can use to put the heat on them will help, even if only a little. In a few seconds time, the acid barrage begins to fly over my head, forcing the Legion to defend against the sizzling liquid as well as Invidia's magic.

I don't have the minds to pay attention to them anymore, all of my focus is invested in the slowly rotating sphere of gravity magic. It has darkened almost to pure black as I pour every last drop of mana I can get into it until I feel as if I'm trying to squeeze a brick inside another brick, or a thought into Tiny's mind.

All four brains are aching, screaming even, but I keep forcing. I need this one to be big, I've no doubt that the Legion will be more capable at repelling magic than even the Kaarmodo and its servants. Once I can't take anymore, I open my mandibles wide and unleash the beast.

I immediately get a surprise. Turns out even the second strata can get darker. When the ball of magic appears, that familiar, spine tingling shriek fills the air.

HOOOOOOOWLLLLLLLLLLLL!

All the air in the tunnel is pulled into the sphere as it travels, vanishing into the impenetrable depths as it goes. Drained as I am, I can see the wall of Legionaries concentrating as they tighten their defence to prepare for the storm.

Prepare all you like, if that thing hits home, you're going to be in trouble.

The moment I release the Gravity Bomb, I feel the tension rise in the enemy. They could feel the build up of the spell, they could tell what sort of thing I would be throwing their way. But I highly doubt they could have predicted just what the bomb can do!

I grip the floor tightly with my claws, making sure I'm not sucked forward and Tiny has to reach out a hand to snatch Invidia out of the air, lest the demon be dragged into the maw. The pull of the sphere is so strong, and it hasn't properly detonated yet!

I'm almost a little fearful of the effect.

Almost as if to allay my fears, I feel a host of minds reach out to break down the spell, ripping into the mana and dispersing it as best they can before it slams into their ranks. Good luck to you, I know as well as anyone how hard it is to break apart compressed mana. Still, they manage more than I expect in the short amount of time they have. They frantically tear away at the gravity bomb, reducing its power by half when it finally impacts.

There's a flicker in the darkness and the ball is gone, replaced with a large sphere of slowly rotating pure black that begins to try and drag in everything it can touch. It lasts for only ten seconds before the mages manage to break it down and disperse the spell, but the damage is done. When the bomb is gone and some light returns, we can see the Legionary line is in shambles. Heavily wounded soldiers are being picked up and dragged away as quickly as they can manage whilst others step forward to brace their shields towards our position.

I'm almost tempted to try and launch an offensive as they retreat, but I resist the urge. We aren't prepared for that, no need to snatch a defeat from this victory. The Legion pulls back to nurse their wounds and adjust their strategy as the Colony clack their mandibles. They won't be so bold as to advance right into my face without properly accounting for my spells now, which means a slower advance, which means more time for the Colony.

I'll take it.