Reincarnated To Evolve My Bee Empire-Chapter 218: Battle of Hive Supremo
The attack happened two days later. Prophecies didn't lie about it.
The humans entered the Bee Empire's territory with almost no resistance. Knowing that there was no stopping them, Ambrosia ordered her daughters and granddaughters to evacuate from the most likely path humans will take.
Those who couldn't evacuate from their hives and camps hid and waited, but humans walked past them. If they suspected that something was amiss, the reports from scouts didn't show it.
When they entered the sight of Hive Supremo, the hive was fully ready for a fight.
Bees were already evacuated from the forges and other utility buildings at the foot of the Hive Supremo's pillar mountain. All the bees who usually buzzed around, doing various jobs, or hid inside.
The bees who were too precious to the Empire or unable to fight had already evacuated to the nearest hives like Hive Hornet's Nest. By Ambrosia's order, this included Science and Culture Advisers.
Ambrosia should've evacuated herself, too—it was only logical. Bloodhero could lead the hive's defense in her stead.
But it didn't feel right to leave her hive, and the last few broods that were still developing. Not on an instinctual level, and not on a silly sentimental level.
At the entrance of Hive Supremo and in carved nooks near it, and on the lower "branches" of their pillar mountain were placed a thousand ballistas. A couple dozen of them were twice the size of average, and were supposed to pierce even human clothing. Although those prototypes were still untested.
When humans approached the hive, Ambrosia was already waiting at the entrance, watching them.
After all, it was the first time she saw a living human with her own eyes, too.
They were, indeed, as huge and ugly as everybody described them. Ambrosia found their twitching, wet eyes visible even from afar, to be their worst feature. At least the nets protecting them hid some of their ugliness.
The humans, all twenty of them, were covered in the leather of beasts from head to toe and carried lit torches, as well as other things, in backpacks and bags.
Murmurs flew over the thousands of soldiers standing in rows near Ambrosia—murmurs of shock, fear, and hatred.
"This is him! Their leader," Bloodhero said at Ambrosia's side, pointing at the human walking in the front. How she could distinguish one of them from each other was beyond Ambrosia's understanding.
In the distance, humans exchanged loud words. The front human really was a leader—he shouted at others a lot.
Ambrosia narrowed her eyes.
"Try to kill him, Bloodhero. It might lower the morale of others, or at least make them act more stupidly. And don't let them near the hive!"
The other bee saluted.
"Yes, Mother-Queen! A pity we couldn't blind him while the humans still slept soundly at night—but we will do it now!"
Humans stopped shouting and walked toward Hive Supremo. Each of their steps ate a couple hundred meters of distance, and in a couple dozen of them, they would be close enough to use their torches.
"There's no time to waste," Ambrosia said, flying higher over the crowds and spreading her arms wide. "My daughters, our hive is attacked yet again. This time, the enemies are more dangerous than anything we encountered in the past, and we must fight them on our own. But we will win, anyway. Now make these beasts pay for every bee they have killed!"
Fury and determination filled the faces of the soldiers. They raised their clothing-cutting knives and lit candles, shouting:
"MAKE THEM PAY! MAKE THEM PAY!"
"FOR THE EMPIRE!"
"It will bring Father back!"
'If not this, then what?' Ambrosia thought when she heard the last call.
"Drummer, the attack!" Bloodhero shouted to the signal-maker and flew forward before the bee could even raise her drumstick.
The army followed with a buzzing of dozens of thousands of wings, and the drumming of hundreds of drums.
In just this wave, 30 thousand bees flew out of Hive Supremo, leaving the entire front of the hive empty in an instant!
Then, 30 more began moving from where they waited deeper in the hive, and followed their sisters into the battle.
There were so many Warriors that they all couldn't fit near the entrance at the same time. 80 thousand, some of them gathered from other hives for this day. 20 thousand stayed in reserve inside the hive.
And this didn't count for Foragers and various specialists who could fight if pressed to. Since they didn't have army training, they were kept in reserve.
The swarm of soldiers spread from Hive Supremo like a dark cloud, and the humans faltered for a moment.
Human's leader suddenly shouted and hit the head of the nearest human with a palm.
'Huh? Are humans about to fight among each other again?' Ambrosia thought.
But no. Instead, the humans began walking faster, almost running.
They charged forward, then split apart. Some humans tried to avoid Bloodhero's swarm and get to Hive Supremo from the sides, while others charged right toward the bees.
The human leader was among them.
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Like many times before, he covered his eyes with an elbow and pushed through the bees. His footsteps slowed down, but didn't stop; other humans followed his example.
Even the fire pots raining on them did very little thanks to the leather clothing of humans.
Ambrosia bit her lip, watching how humans seemingly effortlessly pushed through their first line of defense. Bees were thrown aside like tree leaves or burned with swings of torches—too many to count.
"Reserve, intercept the ones who try to get here from the side!" Ambrosia ordered, then began giving orders to Foragers to help get the wounded out.
The hive's hospital and Physicians were ready to take all who still lived.
Humans kept approaching, despite the resistance. Soon, they will enter the range of Hive Supremo ballistas—but it will also be a torch throwing range.
'Not yet. Bloodhero, don't disappoint me—remember the tactics we talked about. Thanks to Nectus, we still have something deadly to surprise humans with!'
