"E-e-ehk? A fight?" (E)

"Yes." (L)

"Who? How? Why?" (E)

"Mee and her. To deetermiene eeach otheers effieziency." (L)

"A training match, right?" (T)

"Yes. Wieth stickz." (L)

I call her out in Formicea.

(E)

(L)

Well, probably not.

Still, it sounds risky.

But I am not the one who can tell her to stop.

(L)

What was that!?

Did she even want to reveal that or was it unintentional pheromone exposure?

Only Temia can now prevent this madness.

"Fine, I'm in." (T)

Why is everyone against me?!

I just want people to stay alive.

"Eryes, do yuu have stickz here?" (L)

"Naturally. The princess wished for fire, so we brought a lasting amount as material." (K)

Since when was Kyska next to me?

(L)

"Ehk, can you two at least please make. sure not to kill each other?" (E)

"Depends on the fight." (T)

"If you disable a princess we all have a giant problem!" (E)

"Sigh, I'm trying." (T)

(L)

Then why does it seem as if you're provoking it?

Meanwhile, several workers pile up a small hill of branches they gathered from some storage nearby.

(L)

Without hesitation, she takes four, one for each of her arms.

"If it's like this." (T)

Temia as well approaches the hill after leaning her weapon carefully to a wall.

But she waits.

"Whye are yuu hEsietating?" (L)

"This one!" (T)

She takes a longer one with considerable thickness after putting on leather gloves.

I guess those are thought for combat.

"These are just chopped branches. If I want to fight with something like this I should at least be smart enough to take one that serves the purpose and isn't going to break at the first clash." (T)

"Ah, yEs. Certeainlye!" (L)

The concept that one could select a dead object based on quality seems to have been new to her.

Her own sticks were just randomly cut to somehow be usable for hitting things.

Yet maybe I should have done the same.

Then I wouldn't have been battered up against Liseti as much as I did.

Now while Liseti has four light ones, Temia has a big branch she's holding with both hands.

Liseti's workers formed a ring around us and like this, my courtyard becomes an arena.

"Wee can begien." (L)

Temia has taken a certain posture where she holds her weapon slightly above her chest, while Liseti just looks as intimidating as always.

Both of them have a piercing gaze but for Temia her shift to a cold glare is even more obvious.

She slowly approaches while Liseti barely moves at all.

Then in a blink Temia leaps and brings all of her weight down on her opponent.

Yet Liseti manages to block the attack with three arms at once but seems still a little strained to take the pressure.

But she has a fourth arm which she uses for a counter-attack at the open Temia.

But where the attack should have reached her she suddenly vanished.

I couldn't even see how she dodged the strike.

"Tsk. Four arms are a hassle." (T)

"Somethieeng'z not rieght heere." (L)

"Underestimated me?" (T)

"Thee attAck should have hit yuu. But iet didn't." (L)

"I'm faster than I look." (T)

"Noo, somethieeng diffeerent." (L)

She focuses her already far too intense stare even more.

Then she seems to have some kind of revelation.

"Your bodye teemperatuure increeaased." (L)

For a brief moment, Temia looks as if she was caught there before forcing herself to be expressionless again.

I might be the only one who has an idea about that as reading mimic isn't a thing for insects.

But what did she do?

Temporarily increasing her speed.

Could that be?

Before I can think about this any closer the next exchange starts.

This time Liseti approaches and her sticks almost rotate, creating a barrage to the center.

For a moment, Temia seems to be at a loss but then determination flares up.

She starts with a hard strike aimed at the just mentioned center.

It's true that since her stick is bigger it should be sturdier and break the others in a direct collision.

Yet before it comes to this Liseti moves them away.

It was a feint.

She directly renews her attacks, but now Temia lost her momentum.

However, instead of panicking she jumps to the side and blocks crudely the oncoming strikes of this direction by holding her branch simply in their way.

The strikes of the other arms are trying to reach her but she can expertly deflect them.

While Liseti won't cease her attack and advances, Temia manages to gain some distance while parrying against attacks from all sides.

Yet the more distance she gains the longer each swing needs to reach her.

And this while she's using all her strength to take always more than one strike at once with her swings.

Still, she's constantly driven back and escapes with a jump I wouldn't have thought a human could pull off.

"You are better than I thought." (T)

"Stickz are neew to mee. But a fieght isn't." (L)

"However, you are going to lose." (T)

"Eexplain. Your suddEnlye increeasing abilities?" (L)

"Partly, but not quite right." (T)

She again takes her posture.

"You're certainly a difficult opponent. Your strikes are hard and your style is very oppressing. But there's one mistake on your side." (T)

With this, she jumps directly in Liseti who responds with simultaneous attacks from all sides.

But Temia doesn't stop but accelerates even faster into Liseti's range.

She blocks one strike with her arm who receives the brunt blow.

For the others, she's too close for them to build up force.

Then she brings down her weapon on Liseti's head.

The drones all around become extremely agitated.

But then I see that Temia slowed her strike at the last moment.

Nonetheless, it connected and in a real fight, she would've split her skull.

Even if the poison and blood loss might have got her after this.

Casually she retreats her stick and drops it to the side.

"You're not fighting to win." (T)

She turns around walks to her sword, which she left on the side, and again fastens it to her belt.

Liseti meanwhile was taken aback in the first moment but quickly manages to regain her composure.

"Could you elaeborAte?" (L)

Temia looks back at her.

"Fine. Your style is all about oppressing and deflecting oncoming strikes. You're always holding something back in case a counterattack may occur. If you had used everything at once in our second exchange you might have overpowered me. You're playing safe. And that's your mistake." (T)

"Iet iez my dutye as a priencezz to preeserve mye life!" (L)

"But a fight doesn't work like this. In a battle, you're putting your life at risk. Killing your opponent is the only way to end it. And if you can't secure victory you and your subordinates are dying. It's about the determination to put your own life at risk to protect those by your side. The way you fight I can tell you never were in a life-threatening battle. Your... soldiers might be different on this matter but not because of volition. Only because they're made to be like this." (T)

It doesn't show on her stiff face but Liseti's complexion is shaken.

Temia makes sense in a way.

Because Liseti as a princess can't risk her own life her fighting style is less efficient.

Fighting without regard for one's own safety promises success even if both might end up mortally wounded.

But it affords a kind of determination that forces not to hesitate at the wrong time.

Liseti must always have in mind that she cannot afford to get hit.

That she has to make sure she can block a sudden unexpected attack.

And this is what keeps her from going all out.

She isn't made to risk her life at the front.

And this is what she was told right now by Temia.

"Kik!" (L)

Huh? I couldn't understand that.

Where there any pheromones?

"Kikikikikkikikikikikikikikikiki!" (L)

She's... laughing? Can we laugh?

"Magniefiescient! That somethieng so siemple EscAeped mee!" (L)

Well, if it's alright.

This might be the probably best outcome.

(L)

And she's leaving.

Together with her hundreds of subordinates.

(nurse)

From afar I perceive how her nurse is scolding her.

Mostly the pheromones the nurse contained inside.

Seems like Liseti isn't totally excluded from this.

Now that the mass of insects on the courtyard dwindles, I approach Temia.

"Wow. I never thought you could win. Liseti is inhumanly strong." (E)

"I am now very aware of this. Thank you." (T)

Just then I notice that her expression is tense and she's holding the arm that got hit.

Oh!

"Don't worry. I don't think it's broken. But wasn't too far from it. Without my preparation it might be now." (T)

"Okay. Still, it was impressive. I never saw someone moving as fast as you." (E)

"Tsk. It shouldn't be too common. Took an excessive training." (T)

"How did you do this? It was like... magic." (E)

"Why're you asking me if you already know the answer?" (T)

"Because... Well, I thought that it's unlikely. I didn't believe you are a mage. Almost a myth." (E)

"As much as giant insects in the underground. And no, I am no mage. I have no affinity." (T)

"Then how?" (E)

"It's just simple body strengthening. Concentrating the flow of life in our bodies on a purpose to achieve greater results. The same power mages wield mustn't be wasted on us. But hell, don't tell those things about that." (T)

"Wait, why are you telling me this kind of military secret?" (E)

"Because you've basically already figured it out. It's not even a secret that people are able to do this. It's just not too widely known. Yet while I don't know if those things can even use magic I have no intention to find out. Also, I am willing to grant you some trust. So I ask you to not tell them." (T)

It wouldn't be too difficult.

I can barely fathom in what kind of situation I would have to tell someone about that.

"Sure. I'll avoid it." (E)

"That's all I want." (T)

It could be that this is just a test to make sure I can keep a secret and am not supporting the insect faction too much.

And in favor of my wish for good relations, I should keep this promise.