"What a waste of effort. After everything, I ended up right back in this ant nest. I should've just waited for a rescue," Rin muttered, her body tightly wrapped in the sticky layers of the nest beside other victims.
Her eyes darted around. "Wow… how did all these ants manage to kidnap so many people without a single missing complaint? This is seriously weird."
She squirmed against the binds, trying to break free, when her gaze froze. The golden ant—larger than the others—was devouring a body completely while the worker ants watched, their mandibles twitching with hunger. Just as one dared to move closer, the queen made a sharp, commanding sound. Instantly, they backed away.
"Wow, selfish queen, huh?" Rin muttered bitterly.
Her eyes landed on the old man tied beside her. "Sir? Sir!" she whispered urgently, but there was no response. "Is he… dead?" she wondered.
With a grunt, she began sawing at the wrap. "Even spider webs aren't this strong… what is this stuff made of?" The sticky fibers burned against her skin as she fought. Finally, she pulled out her hidden twig. "Good thing I kept this."
The moment she cut through, she dropped straight to the ground with a thud.
"Ouch, that hurts," she hissed.
Her fall drew attention. The black ants hissed and swarmed as the queen's many eyes locked onto her. Rin bolted, but two ants slammed into her and flung her against the wall.
"Ouch! So much for being the weakest character," she muttered, staggering to her feet with the twig clutched tight. She tore a strip of her clothes, tying it over her nose.
"Come on, let's see what you've got," she growled, determination sparking in her eyes. She lunged, stabbing one ant—only for her twig to snap in half.
"Well… guess this is goodbye," she said flatly, tossing the broken piece aside. She clenched her fists, her body lowering into a fighting stance. "I've watched and read plenty of fight scenes. I'll punch and kick every last one of you to the grou—"
Her words cut short. Out of nowhere, the queen charged, her massive jaws snapping. Rin's right arm was ripped clean off in one brutal yank.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Rin's scream echoed through the nest as blood gushed, painting the ground red. She stared in horror as the golden ant greedily swallowed her severed arm in a single gulp.
Her body trembled, the blood pouring endlessly until—suddenly—it stopped. A strange sensation crawled through her shoulder. Slowly, before her wide eyes, her arm began to grow back.
"What the…" she whispered in shock.
The pain dulled, replaced by awe. "Wow… not only can I reincarnate, I can regenerate too. This is so freaking cool!" she exclaimed, a grin breaking through her pale face.
Then her gaze shifted to the towering golden queen ant. "Alright then, ant queen. Let's play hero. I don't know how many times you'll end up eating me, but I can keep coming back. If you release these people—your workers' food—and set them free, you can have me instead. I'll be your personal food regenerator."
The queen's mandibles clicked, and her antennae quivered in strange, deliberate motions. A deep vibration hummed through the chamber—low, resonant, unmistakably a voice in Rin's head.
"Foolish little morsel. These humans and ants are not food, they are my slaves. They live because I allow it. They bring me tribute, they fill my nest, and when they can no longer serve… they are devoured. That is the order of my kingdom. You are no different. Having you is simply an added luxury—an immortal feast."
Rin's eyes narrowed. "You selfish monster. I gave you an offer—as a good person would—and you just—"
The queen interrupted with a chilling vibration that oozed contempt.
"Good? Do not lie to me. I can feel what you hide. You are worse than me. At least I take what I want openly. You? You pretend to be righteous, yet blood follows you. You always get what you want, even if it costs lives. You are a bad person."
Rin flinched as though struck. Her voice cracked. "Heh… I'm not a bad person! What happened before—it was a mistake! Everyone said it was a mistake, I was just a child!" she shouted, but her words trembled.
The queen's laughter thundered in her mind.
"Are you certain? Or do you already know? Deep down, you carry the truth—you are the cause. Everything that happens around you, every death, every loss… it is always your fault."
"You—!" Rin's voice faltered, and her shoulders slumped. She lowered her head, trembling.
"…Even a mutant monster can see it. I'm the worst. Everyone I love dies because of me. My parents are gone because of my stupid choices. Maybe if you eat me whole, I'll finally stop regenerating… maybe I won't come back at all. I don't even deserve to exist in this manga."
The queen's mandibles twitched in amusement.
"Eat you? No. You will not be food. You will be useful. You will serve me—bring me food every day, just like the others. You will crawl for me, forever."
Before Rin could respond, a blazing fireball streaked through the chamber and smashed against the stone beside the queen, sending cracks spidering across the walls.
Both Rin and the queen turned.
"You!" a voice roared.
There stood Rie, fire blazing in her hands, her eyes furious. "Creatures—stay away from my dear friend!" She hurled another fireball, igniting the mandibles of one black ant.
The queen screeched, antennae slamming against the ground. "We are under attack!, kill them all!"
The cavern shook violently as dozens of black ants poured from the walls, their eyes glowing a sinister red. The nest itself seemed alive with rage.
"Rie!" Rin's face lit up as if she'd just spotted a celebrity. "Finally! Wow—the Main Character has arrived. Guess you're doomed now, selfish queen!" She threw her arms in the air, fangirl-style.
"Rin, are you okay?!" Rei shouted, fighting her way through the swarm of ants.
"Yes, but what took you so long? You're late for the rescue!" Rin called back.
Rei narrowed her eyes. "Late? Your brothers only told me minutes ago—I came as fast as I could!"
"Well, better late than never." Rin quipped.
The golden queen's voice rumbled like thunder. "So… another food comes crawling in. Delicious."
Rei's eyes widened at the towering insect. "What the hell is that thing?"
"Oh, that?" Rin said casually. "She's a queen ant. And these are her workers. Big difference."
"Workers?!" Rei's brows shot up.
"Yeah," Rin explained quickly. "They bring her food so she won't eat them. But if she gets hungry enough… she eats them too, blah blah blah. Oh, and by the way—" She pointed upward. "We also need to save those people."
Rei followed her gaze. Dozens of half-unconscious bodies were trapped in the resin walls of the nest. Her jaw clenched. "Are they alive and how many has she taken?"
"Too many," Rin muttered.
Rei's flames flared, burning hot. "Then this ends now."
She hurled fireballs at the golden queen—each strike exploding in sparks and smoke. But when the fire cleared, the queen stood unharmed. Not a scratch.
"Tch—what?!" Rei growled.
Then Rei started slashing through ants with her twin fire swords, carving a path.
"Rei! Don't kill the workers! We need them alive!"
"Sorry, but they're in my way!" Rei shot back, ducking and spinning with superhuman speed as she sliced down another swarm. She lunged for the queen, striking with her sharpest blow yet—straight at the thorax.
The blade screeched against the queen's armor… and stopped. Not even a dent.
Rei staggered back, panting. "Impossible…"
The queen let out a booming, mocking laugh. "Fools. Did you really think you could harm me? I am indestructible. No blade, no flame, no mortal hand can pierce my body!"
Rie sighed, lowering her swords slightly.
"Great. Just great." Rin glanced at Rei, then at the growing horde of ants closing in around them.
"This," she muttered, "is going to be a very, very long night."
"Well, I got plenty of flames for all of them," Rei said, her fire swords blazing even brighter as she prepared to strike.
But suddenly, before she could move, every single ant froze in place, their bodies turning solid ice—including the golden queen.
An icy sword came flying through the air, piercing the queen's chest. The frozen queen cracked, then shattered into countless glittering shards.
"Well," Selene said with a smirk, stepping forward, "this immortal ice queen can."
Rin and Rei stared at her in shock, their mouths slightly open.