CLASH OF MANDIBLES

The recruits lay sprawled across the dirt, their bodies battered and utterly spent from their endurance training. Ari's limbs refused to move, Rory's breathing was slow and ragged, and Isla clutched at the ground as if the earth itself was her only anchor to reality.

Anastasia, ever composed, stood before them with her arms crossed, her sharp mandibles gleaming under the morning sun. "You have endured pain," she said, voice calm but firm. "You have pushed past exhaustion. You have learned what it means to be strong. But strength alone means nothing if you cannot fight."

Ari, still lying on his back, exhaled a weak chuckle. "So… what? You're saying we suffered for nothing?"

Anastasia smirked. "I'm saying that your suffering is only half of what it takes to survive."

Rory groaned, pushing himself up onto his elbows. "So what's next? More torture?"

Anastasia's smirk deepened. "Something far worse."

She turned and gestured toward the training grounds, where weapons glinted in the light—pairs of mandibles sharpened into lethal edges. "The final stage of your training," she announced, "is learning how to use your mandibles in combat."

Isla paled. "Wait, wait, wait. You mean… we're fighting for real? Like… slicing each other up?"

"Correct," Anastasia said. "Mandibles are your primary weapons. You must learn to wield them efficiently. And since you are already at your weakest, this is the perfect time to do so."

Ari forced himself upright, wiping sweat from his brow. "How does being weak help us learn?"

Anastasia's gaze sharpened. "Because when you're at your limit, you stop relying on brute force and start relying on technique. You learn to fight with intelligence, not just instinct."

Rory sighed, rubbing his sore muscles. "Alright, let's get this over with. What do we have to do?"

Anastasia turned back to them, her stance widening slightly. "You will all take up your mandibles and attack me at once. I will be using my mandibles as well. If even one of you lands a clean hit on me, the training ends."

Ari blinked. She's joking, right?

Rory scoffed. "You want us to attack you? In this state?"

"You won't get an opportunity in battle to fight only when you're well-rested," Anastasia countered. "If you cannot strike me now, you won't stand a chance against a real enemy."

Isla gulped, clutching her training mandibles tightly. "I-I don't think I can do this…"

"You don't have a choice," Anastasia said coldly.

Rory exhaled sharply. "Fine."

Without another word, he lunged.

Rory moved first, mandibles raised high as he leaped into the air, slashing downward with all his might.

Anastasia didn't flinch.

With a single flick of her wrist, she blocked his strike with one of her mandibles, stopping his attack dead in its tracks. The sheer force of her counter sent a shockwave through Rory's arms.

"You're strong,thanks to the training you did as a warden" Anastasia acknowledged, her tone almost approving. "But strength alone is just predictable and not enough."

With that, she slashed upward with her free mandible.

Rory barely managed to block—but the impact was devastating. The force sent him hurtling backward, tumbling into a pile of sticks with a loud crack.

Ari winced. That looked like it hurt, I wonder if he's okay.

Isla, who had been hesitating before, let out a small squeak. "I—I…"

But Anastasia turned to her. "If you're too afraid to attack, then you've already lost."

Isla bit her lip, shaking like a leaf, but she forced herself forward, clenching her mandibles tightly.

With a terrified cry, she swung—her eyes squeezed shut.

Anastasia sighed.

Effortlessly, she sidestepped and leapt into the air. Before Isla even realized what had happened, Anastasia spun midair and delivered a sharp kick straight to her chest.

Isla flew.

She hit the ground hard, rolling several times before coming to a stop, groaning in pain.

Ari watched, sweat dripping down his face. He already knew Anastasia was strong, but seeing it up close was something else entirely.

She held off Vladimir, a captain-level ant. She even defeated General Ivan even though I helped out a bit.

He gritted his teeth. I have to be smart about this.

Taking a deep breath, he lowered into a stance, mandibles raised. He had speed on his side, but Anastasia wasn't just strong—she was fast, too. He couldn't just rush in blindly.

Instead, he darted in a zigzag pattern, weaving left and right, making his movements unpredictable.

Anastasia's eyes narrowed in approval. "Better."

Ari used his momentum to propel himself forward, slashing straight at her head.

She raised her mandible to block.

Just as expected.

At the last moment, Ari twisted his body, dodging her counterattack instead of trying to block it. He landed on the other side, immediately getting back into a fighting stance.

Anastasia gave a small nod. "Good. You learn fast."

Ari exhaled sharply. I can do this.

The fight continued.

Rory, despite the pain, got back up and charged again, attacking from the right while Ari attacked from the left. Isla, though trembling, mustered up enough courage to attempt a strike from behind.

Anastasia blocked Rory's attack.

She dodged Ari's.

And she countered Isla's, sending her skidding across the dirt.

"One-on-one, you have no chance against me," Anastasia stated, parrying another of Rory's strikes. "But if you work together—you might have a slim chance."

Ari's mind raced. Together…?

A glance at Rory told him that his teammate was already thinking the same thing.

Without speaking, the two locked eyes and nodded.

Ari moved first, dashing low and aiming for Anastasia's legs.

She saw it coming and prepared to block—

But that was the distraction.

The real attack came from Rory, who leaped in from above, bringing his mandibles down in a crushing arc.

Anastasia spun on her heel, barely dodging Rory's attack—

And that was when Ari struck.

His mandible scraped against her shoulder.

For a split second, there was silence.

Then—

"Huh?"

Ari blinked.

Anastasia blinked.

Something felt… soft?

Ari looked down.

He had not hit her shoulder.

He had, in fact, just—touched something soft

A cold chill ran down his spine.

Anastasia's expression darkened.

Ari barely had time to react before her fist collided with his face, sending him crashing into the ground so hard that a cloud of dust erupted around him.

Silence.

Isla, still lying on her back, stared in disbelief. "...Did he just…?"

Rory, who had frozen mid-motion, slowly lowered his mandibles, watching Ari's unconscious form with a mix of awe and horror.

Anastasia exhaled through her nose, rubbing her temple with a slight blush. "...Training is over".

Ari, sprawled out in the dirt, twitched.

Isla sighed in relief, flopping back onto the ground. "Finally… it's over."

Rory chuckled weakly. "That… was a weird way to end it."

Anastasia turned away, arms crossed. "Rest up, you have three days to relax".

As she walked off, Isla groaned. "What does that mean?"

Rory smirked. "No idea. But at least we survived."

Ari, still half-conscious, could only manage one final thought before darkness claimed him.

I was weak before. But I have to become strong.

And maybe… one day, I'll find a way back home wait for me Keiko.