In an instant, the entire nest of Chimera Ants—division leaders, squad captains, and soldiers alike—changed expression.
The cry was unmistakable. They knew that voice all too well.
It was the Queen.
But within the nest, with the Royal Guard present, how could the Queen possibly be crying out in such agony? There had been no signal of any intruder, no sign that humans had infiltrated.
Panic spread among the Ants. Until the King was born, the Queen was the absolute core of their existence—their leader, the one they followed without question, second only to the yet-unborn King.
Division leaders rushed in the direction of the Queen. But unlike the rest, the three Royal Guards showed none of the fear or confusion on the others faces. Their expressions were filled with joy.
"At last, the moment has come."
A royal egg, still half-attached to the Queen's body, trembled. The being within could no longer wait. Impatient to be born, it struggled violently to break free, even though it meant inflicting terrible harm upon the Queen—even though it might kill her.
The King did not care. The King wanted only to be born, and nothing else mattered.
"My child. My King. Please wait a little longer. You are not yet ready. Draw more nourishment. Then you will be stronger when you emerge."
Even in this agony, the Queen thought only of the King, never of herself.
But the King rejected her soothing. He had no humanity within him, not even the instincts of a beast—only raw, unrestrained will.
"I can't wait any longer!"
A hand burst through the egg from within, tearing it open. Pain wracked the Queen's body, making her shudder uncontrollably. The King's movements grew more violent, widening the wound. Another hand tore through, bracing against the edge. With a single surge of power, the opening ripped apart, and a gaping hole appeared.
The King pushed free of the egg.
The Queen convulsed in torment, blood of a bluish-purple hue spewing from her mouth.
The King cast her only the briefest glance, cold and detached, then looked away. He felt no emotion toward the Queen.
"I am King. Not only the King of Ants, but the King of the entire world. That is my mission. That is my destiny."
By the time the division leaders arrived, they saw him standing calmly, his aura radiating danger beyond anything they had ever felt, even beyond the Royal Guard. Behind him, the Queen lay gravely injured, her life force barely clinging on.
"So this is the King?"
"Such overwhelming power… But what of the Queen? Her wounds look severe. If she isn't treated immediately, she could die at any moment."
The leaders revered the King, but they also respected the Queen—some even harbored a faint, filial affection for her as the mother of their kind.
The Penguin Chimera Ant could not hold back. He rushed forward to examine her.
"The situation is dire. Her internal organs are severely damaged. She needs treatment at once—"
Puchi!
A sharp, wet sound rang out.
The next instant, the Penguin Ant collapsed to the ground. His head was gone, torn away before he could even react. Only a headless body remained, blood splattering across the cavern floor.
Silence consumed the chamber. Division leaders stared wide-eyed, unable to believe what they had just seen.
It made no sense.
Was this truly their King? Why would the King slaughter one of his own without hesitation? Had he also caused the Queen's injuries? But the Queen was his mother, the one who had given everything for his birth.
How could this be called a King? Was such a being worthy of loyalty? The thought arose in every division leader's heart.
"You. Clean this."
The King's gaze locked onto Colt. He shifted slightly, raising his tail. Its tip was stained with the blood of the Penguin Ant.
Colt froze, dazed—torn between his concern for the Queen, his outrage at the Penguin Ant's death, and his incomprehension at the King's cruelty.
As the tension thickened, the Sloth Ant stepped forward.
"Honored King, I happen to have a handkerchief. Allow me to clean it for you."
But his attempt to flatter the King met the same fate as the Penguin.
A piercing sound cut through the air.
The King's tail whipped across the Sloth Ant's head, obliterating it in an instant. Flesh and bone scattered into fragments, and the headless corpse crumpled to the ground.
"I was speaking to you," the King said coldly. "Do not make me repeat myself."
His gaze bore into Colt, sharper and heavier than before, crushing down on him like an iron weight.
Forcing himself back to his senses, Colt picked up the fallen handkerchief and, trembling, wiped the blood from the King's tail.
"I am hungry. I need food."
The King bent, lifting the Penguin Ant's body. He took a bite, then frowned, spitting it out.
"Disgusting."
The sight shocked every division leader anew. They all knew Chimera Ants were ferocious predators who would eat anything—humans, beasts, insects, whatever they found. But none of the Ants had ever preyed on their own kind.
And yet, the King had just done so without hesitation.
"To devour even his own kind…"
"What sort of King is this?"