Chapter 10: Ten Days to War

Deep within the subterranean throne chamber, Havoc Spider sat upon her glimmering crystal web throne. Her eight razor-sharp legs tapped against the stone floor, echoing through the cavern like a chilling countdown.

Before her stood the leaders of the rebel forces—independent commanders who had long refused to bow to the underworld monarchs of Mars. Strong, proud, and battle-hardened… yet today, they felt like mere insects caught in a spider's lair.

Havoc Spider's voice was smooth and cold:

"You're free to refuse my command. But listen closely... The humans of Earth have developed a bomb that can kill us without warning. Two of our underground regions have already vanished within hours."

One commander, a steel-bodied warrior from the northern clans, growled, "We want no part of your war. We don't trust the upper kingdoms or you. We protect our own!"

Havoc smiled—a grin both sharp and sweet.

"And you think humans will spare you? Your clan lives near the surface. Their bombs do not choose targets."

Silence fell.

"But I am fair," she continued, slithering forward with a graceful menace. "You may stay neutral... as long as you hand over your entire army and allow us to 'guard' your strategic lands."

The rebel leaders looked at each other. Surrendering their forces meant certain death.

"Or..." Havoc whispered, "join the war. Lead the front lines. If you survive and win, you may ask for anything—territory, status... even full independence."

The illusion of choice vanished. They were cornered—by either annihilation or irrelevance.

"You're no longer rebels..." she said as she turned away, "...you're my spearhead. Go forth, and let humanity feel true fear."

20 million Havoc Spider troops marched in unison, their formation a terrifying sight as they boarded massive space cruisers bound for the Batmen territory of Mars.

From atop her command vessel, Queen Havoc watched with a calm, calculating gaze.

A voice broke the silence behind her.

A man—half spider, his lower body armored in gleaming black chitin, legs like sharp spears—stepped forward.

"My Queen… I know you lied to them," he said, his voice low but firm.

Queen Havoc didn't flinch. A faint smile danced on her lips.

"Perhaps," she replied, "but they had no choice. My promise is all they had left to believe in… even if it may lead them to die in battle."

The spider-warrior looked down at the swarm of departing ships.

"With your guarantee, they believe their families will be spared. If they had died as rebels, their bloodline would have been erased."

Havoc nodded slowly, eyes gleaming like obsidian.

"And if they win… and return as heroes, they'll gain glory—respect from the noble clans, and possibly enough power to challenge even me."

The warrior tilted his head, a trace of doubt in his eyes.

"Are you not worried one of them will return strong enough to claim your throne?"

Queen Havoc chuckled softly.

"Let them try. I weave the web. No matter how far they fly… they're still caught within it."

Inside the rebel ship, the atmosphere was heavy. The dim lighting flickered against the sleek, metallic walls, filled with the low hum of alien machinery. Among the ranks of rebel soldiers stood Mora, a female Havoc spider with a strikingly seductive humanoid upper body. Her skin shimmered in a shade of deep blue, and above her two piercing eyes, two additional, smaller ones blinked—silent reminders of her otherworldly nature.

A male soldier beside her, his spider legs like gleaming spears, spoke with a sharp tone, "Mora, you know the human forces won't be easy to defeat—especially those who've awakened their Khodams."

Mora's gaze stayed fixed out the viewport, where the stars stretched endlessly. "We have no choice," she said quietly. "I know... many of us may die. But make sure we save at least twenty percent of our forces. Do not attack recklessly. Spread the message to every squad."

"You plan to retreat?" he asked, uncertain.

"Yes," Mora turned to him. "Our mission isn't just war. It's survival. If the battle turns against us, we must escape. We can hide behind Earth's moon... or beneath its oceans. If we must, we'll keep moving—past Earth and beyond."

She paused for a moment, her voice lowering. "Listen. Win or lose... I don't trust that queen. She's too cunning. She'd sacrifice us all just to weaken her enemies."

The soldier clenched his jaws, then nodded. "Understood, Mora. We'll coordinate a strategy."

After the 20 million Havoc Spider troops landed near the 2 billion-strong Martian Bat Army, they looked like mere dots compared to the vast swarm.

Mora stepped off her vessel and approached the towering figure of General Varnak, whose massive black-and-red wings loomed like thunderclouds behind him.

"How are the forces positioned?" Mora asked calmly, scanning the buzzing army of bat-like soldiers and creatures.

"We've captured countless alien beasts and native monsters across Mars," Varnak replied in his deep, guttural voice. "They will serve as the first wave. You and your Havoc Spiders will be the second, since the humans have already learned of our weaknesses. Your mission is crucial—destroy the humans' mushroom bombs. That gas is lethal to us."

Mora narrowed her eyes. "And will you support us in the battles?"

"Of course," Varnak nodded. "We've developed special masks to prevent inhalation of the gas. But even skin contact causes severe symptoms for our kind."

"How many monsters have you captured exactly?" Mora asked, intrigued.

"Too many to count. Perhaps every Bat soldier captured at least one—maybe more. So we're talking over two billion creatures at our disposal. We won't charge in blindly. While the humans ramp up bomb production, we're designing protective armor and respiratory shields for our elite units."

Varnak sighed, a rare crack of concern in his tone. "Unfortunately, mass-producing full armor is difficult. Right now, we can only roll out the masks in large quantities."

"When will the assault begin?" Mora asked.

"Preparations will take ten days," General Varnak replied. "Use that time to rest, resupply, or upgrade your weapons."

Mora nodded, then turned and returned to her ship. Inside, she quickly gathered her captains and relayed the Martian Bats' strategy.

"They're weak to the mushroom bombs?" one of her officers asked, his sharp, spear-like spider legs twitching with interest.

"Yes," Mora confirmed. "That gas can kill them instantly."

A man stepped forward from the shadows—half-human, half-spider, his eyes glinting with intelligence and something more dangerous.

"Then maybe," he said slowly, his grin spreading wide, "we finally have the perfect plan."

Mora stared at him, confused. "What are you thinking?"

He didn't answer directly. But his smile told her everything.

For the first time in this war, Mora felt something stir deep inside her—hope. A plan that could not only win the battle, but save their entire army.