"Seriously? I heard you call me baby!" Selene shouted as she clashed with the Golden Ant, her strikes shaking the ground.
Whack! Smack!
Selene's sword slammed the monster down, the impact cracking the floor beneath them.
"Selene, focus!" Rin called, slashing through the sticky resin bindings on the hostages one by one. "Your ears must have picked up the wrong thing. Stop rambling and keep fighting!"
Nearby, black ants scuttled under Rin's command, helping carry the weakened hostages to safety. Their antennae twitched as they silently relayed her orders. The rescued captives were conscious, though barely breathing.
Selene gritted her teeth, moving with blinding speed. "This is exhausting, Kisaragi! How do you expect me to fight her without striking the final blow?"
"Because if you kill her, she'll just come back stronger," Rin warned. Her tone was sharp, deadly serious. "And trust me—none of us want to see that upgrade."
The Golden Ant hissed, her mandibles clacking furiously. "Whatever you're scheming, it's useless! I will destroy you and become the only powerful being!"
With terrifying speed, she lunged, her massive hand glowing before she slammed it down toward Selene.
Selene met the strike head-on, her sword flashing as sparks flew from the collision.
"Die!" the golden queen roared, spewing a torrent of sizzling, corrosive acid.
But Selene blurred, her form flickering as she dodged each burst with supernatural grace. Not a single drop touched her.
The Golden Ant's compound eyes widened. "Impossible! How can you evade my attacks?"
She rushed again, brandishing a golden blade, but Selene caught it barehanded, her aura blazing with overwhelming energy.
"What the…" Rin froze mid-swing, staring in disbelief. Selene's power wasn't just holding—it was crushing the queen. "No wonder Akari and Rei couldn't defeat her," she whispered. "She's untouchable."
"Impossible!" the queen screeched, thrashing in frustration.
Meanwhile, Rin cut the final hostage loose as the black ants lowered her carefully to the ground. "Okay… that should be the last one," Rin muttered, relieved.
Selene didn't even glance back. "Rin—is she weakening?"
"She's getting desperate," Rin corrected, choosing her words carefully. "Keep the pressure up."
The queen shrieked, her body trembling. "No! No matter what tricks you use, you're not invincible! Everyone has a weakness, and I will find yours!"
"Face it," Rin called out coldly. "Selene is more powerful than you'll ever be. That makes her the real queen."
"Lies!" the ant screamed, her mandibles clattering. "I am the only queen! I am the most powerful!"
And yet, even as she shouted, her movements grew sloppy, her confidence cracking.
Then—
"Rin!"
Two figures burst inside. Rei stumbled in first, clutching a jar of ashes to her chest, with Akari right on her heels.
"I made the ashes!" Rei panted, shoving the jar straight into Rin's hands.
"Rei… Akari…" Rin's eyes widened.
"Cousin Rin!" Akari cried, throwing her arms around her. "Thank goodness you're alive!"
Rin hugged her back tightly, then pulled away with a sharp breath. "Okay. Let's end this nightmare."
Akari's gaze flicked across the room. "Whoa… is that the queen ant you were talking about, Rei?" She pointed at the golden ant locked in brutal combat with Selene.
"Yes. Uh—Rin, who's winning?" Rei asked nervously.
"The ant queen keeps striking, but Selene's dodged every single attack so far."
"Cool!" Rei muttered, almost in awe.
"Cousin Akari," Rin said suddenly, her tone firm, "I need your water. In the jar. Now."
"Got it." Akari raised her hands, forming streams of water that poured smoothly into the ashes.
"That's enough," Rin ordered, already stirring the mixture.
Akari leaned closer, eyes shining. "What are you even making, Cousin Rin?"
"Ink," Rin muttered quickly, her wrist working fast. "I saw this somewhere online. I just hope it works."
Akari and Rei exchanged a confused glance but didn't press further.
Rin's head snapped up. "Okay, now I need a brush." Her eyes darted around the chamber, searching—until they landed on Selene's silver, flowing hair whipping around as she fought. A grin spread across her face.
"Bingo," Rin whispered.
"Kisaragi! What do you think you're doing?!" Selene snapped when she noticed Rin clutching a strand of her long hair—dragging the ends across the floor like it was some cheap brush.
"Sorry, but I need your hair for my plan," Rin said quickly, ignoring Selene's glare.
"For what?! My hair is sacred—I don't play with my hair!" Selene shouted, and with a flick of her hand, her telekinesis sent the golden ant spinning up and down in the air like a toy.
"You fools! You can't defeat me, I am—" the golden ant boomed, but Selene cut it off by slamming it hard against the ground again.
"Relax, it'll wash off," Rin muttered, dipping the golden tip of Selene's hair into the ink jar. She crouched and began sketching wild strokes across the ground.
"What's she even drawing?" Rei whispered, resting her chin in her palm.
"Let's just wait and see," Akari replied, eyes narrowing as Rin worked faster and faster.
"Done," Rin announced, brushing back loose strands from her face. The image revealed itself: a massive circle enclosing both Selene and the golden ant at the center.
"Step out, Selene. I am done," Rin said calmly.
Selene smirked at the furious ant. She stabbed her sword through its leg, pinning it to the earth before striding past the circle's edge. "Immortal, huh? Let's see about that," she muttered, ignoring its screams.
Then she shot Rin a sharp glare.
"You used my hair as a paintbrush, Kisaragi. You better pray this washes off," she warned, before turning back toward the glowing circle. "So? What's your plan now?"
"This is my plan," Rin said, grinning and flashing her teeth as the three stared at her.
"Your plan was for me to burn trees and for you to draw an art that doesn't even look perfect?" Rei deadpanned.
"Perfect! That's the best I can draw, okay? The circle looks fine, right?" Rin defended herself.
"…It doesn't look like a circle. More like… an egg," Akari muttered.
"Don't worry, Kisaragi. That looks like a circle to me—you're the perfect artist. I love it," Selene said with a smile, making both Akari and Rei turn to look at her.
"Is this love blind?" Rei muttered sarcastically, shaking her head. "Okay, then what's the use of that drawing?" she asked, pointing at the ground.
"Let's see first, then I'll know if my plan worked," Rin replied confidently.
The golden ant suddenly screeched, snatched Selene's sword, and lunged at her with terrifying speed—only to slam into an invisible barrier and bounce back. It tried again and again, but no matter what, it couldn't cross the circle line.
"Ehh!" all three gasped in awe.
"Well, you see…" Rin cleared her throat, trying to sound like a professor. "The golden ant can't cross. See? I saw this somewhere once—someone drew a circle with chalk, or even just an ink pen, and it messed with the ant's smell signals. Ants don't see the way we do—they follow trails made of scent, pheromones. But the circle? It's like a giant wall of stink. To her, the road just vanished. Her brain goes fuzzy, so she feels trapped and stops."
The three just stared, still confused.
"…I never thought it would actually work. But hey, this is a fantasy world. Anything can happen!" Rin laughed.
"Okay then… nice plan," Rei said, patting Rin's shoulder.
"Wow, Cousin Rin! I never knew you knew so much about ants—and you can even talk to them!" Akari said, watching Rin kneel and speak softly toward the black ants.
"I don't know how long your queen will stay trapped, but you're free now," Rin told them. "She won't force you to work anymore. And you don't have to eat people. There are other things to eat out there."
The ants began to leave, their antennae twitching. But one paused, looking back at the queen with a long, sad glance as she struggled furiously against the invisible barrier—then turned away and left.
"Okay… but don't you think they'll terrorize our lands now?" Rei suggested cautiously.
"No, they won't," Rin assured her.
"Wow, my Kisaragi—you did great," Selene said warmly, hugging Rin.
"Yeah, I'll allow a victory hug…" Rin murmured—before suddenly going quiet.
"Kisaragi?" Selene whispered, feeling Rin's weight on her shoulder.
Rei and Akari turned—only to see Rin fast asleep, snoring softly.
The three of them burst into laughter.