I don't know what shocked me more, the fact that Tiny managed to land without getting himself killed, or that he actually managed to break through the layered shields and barriers of the Legion. Since he actually managed the impossible, I'm not about to let the chance slip by.

"GOGOGOGOGOGOGO!" I flood the tunnel with a wave of commanding pheromones that batter into the antennae of the ants behind me, driving them forward in a frenzied wave of insects.

[Crinis, I need you to go big on this one, alright? Keep your losses below fifty percent though.]

[I'll do my best, Master.]

Crinis acknowledges my order and I feel her gathering mana a moment before she slips off my carapace and into the shadows of the tunnel, vanishing without a trace.

[Go hard, Invidia! Keep Tiny alive if it's at all possible!]

[Hissss sssuffering will be mine!]

[Good boy.]

As Tiny's huge body slams down into the ranks of the Legion, dust and debris flies in a wide circle, obscuring the scene from my eyes. I can hear a ton of shouting, screaming and the omnipresent ring of steel. But all of those sounds are driven away by the piercing scream that detonates inside the tunnel. It's Tiny! The dumb ape has unleashed his primal scream in an effort to stun the Legionaries. Even more powerful than before, the waves of sound are enough to blow my antennae back into my carapace. I swear I can feel my eyes being pressed back into my head! What it feels like standing right next to him I have no idea, but it sure can't be pleasant.

Well, that's for the Legion to worry about, not me.

Desperately hoping that the scream was enough to keep my first pet alive long enough, I drive my legs even harder to arrive that split second faster, my minds weaving mana at a dizzying pace.

POW! POW! POW! POW! POW! POW!

An endless stream of acid blasts fly from the back zone, the hungry acid falling in a rain on the massed Legion soldiers as I charge. Every little thing that can help is going to be needed now. Just as I approach the front line the dust begins to clear and I see the wall of shields braced right in my face.

Awww hell.

BAM!

I slam face first into the Legion lines and the resistance is fierce, but my momentum is just too much to be stopped. I crash through the shields in front of me, sending soldiers flying as my legs scramble and I lose my balance, collapsing in a heap in the tight ranks of the enemy. Not good! Gravity Domain!

My sub-brains force out the sphere of dark purple mana, making all around me heavier. It probably won't help much against the powerful soldiers around me, but I'll take anything I can get. Once that job is done, I continue flinging ice magic as I pick myself up to my feet and start chomping like a mad thing. Surrounded by stupid armoured soldiers, how the heck am I supposed to miss?

CHOMP!

Despite only just getting back to my feet, I can already feel the blows beginning to rain down on my diamond carapace. If they are given a few more seconds, the Legionaries will begin to coordinate their attacks and rip into my precious exo-skeleton. Fortunately, they don't get that much time.

"FOR THE COLONY!"

The horde of ants slams into the disordered Legion force and washes over them like a wave. The front row of ants batters into the shields of their foes and the ants behind simply climb over the top of them and throw themselves into the fray, followed by the ants behind them, then the ants behind them, until the entire melee is a carpet of soldiers biting and gnawing at every bit of metal they get their mandibles on.

[TINY! Where the hell are you?!] I call mentally to my pet.

[FIGHT!] comes the roar back at me.

[OBVIOUSLY YOU IDIOT! BUT WHERE?!]

Forget asking him, I'll just have to find him. The battlefield is now a tangle of ants, Legionaries and shadow beast pets embroiled in a grand melee. I can't see anything in any direction. All around, the crush of bodies presses against me, buffeting me from side to side and it's hard to make headway.

[Crinis, any idea which way I need to go to find my way to Tiny?]

[Yes, Master! Head towards your left!]

[Great! … Which way is left? Wait, I think I got it.]

I feel bad about distracting Crinis when she's about to make her entrance, but I really can't tell where the heck I am. Once I think I work it out, I orient myself and just start shoving, chomping whenever I see a flash of metal. After a few moments, I see the darkness around me begin to deepen as the light drains away. From out of the deepest patches of black snake long, barbed limbs that coil around any Legion soldier unfortunate enough to take their notice. Once they take hold, the tentacles begin to contort and twist and the sound of shrieking metal fills the air as Crinis begins to try and cut her way through the Legionary armour.

I manage to blast through enough of the melee that I meet up with Tiny once more and the sight is something to behold. The great ape is bloody, cuts all over his body staining his fur and making him look like some form of nightmare creature. Despite his numerous wounds, a fierce grin is plastered across his bat face as he swings his massive fists in a dizzying display of speed and power. Lightning surges across his body and darts down his hands whenever he strikes, blasting those foolish enough to get in his way with electrical discharges that smoke straight through their armour. Even so, the number of strikes directed towards Tiny is ridiculous and even Invidia isn't able to block them all.

Come on!

Gritting my mandibles, I throw my body forward and use my own frame to shield my friend from the barrage directed towards him. At the same time I trigger my regeneration gland and allow the liquid to flush through my system, helping to restore my HP even as I lose it.

[Come on, Tiny! Time to fight our way out!]