Inside the grand royal tent, King Yordan slammed his fist onto the table, the impact so loud it startled every soldier nearby. The wine glass on the table trembled, nearly tipping over from the burning fury radiating off their ruler.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?!" His voice thundered through the room, making the very air feel heavier with tension.
The officers standing before him bowed their heads, their bodies stiff with fear. Some swallowed nervously, not daring to meet the furious eyes of their king.
An older general stepped forward, trying to explain despite the quiver in his voice. "Your Majesty... We didn’t expect an intruder to get that far. We had tight security in place, but they—"
"NONSENSE!!" Yordan roared, cutting him off. His glare pierced through the officer in front of him, his face contorted in rage. "The elf princess AND the bee princess... both managed to escape in a single night?! And you dare stand before me with such pathetic excuses?!"
The tension among the officers thickened with each word. Some bit their lips, fearing that the king’s wrath would turn on them next.
"Useless fools!" Yordan growled, then turned his sharp gaze toward one of the senior officers. "Fine. Since you’ve failed to guard the hostages, at least give me some good news. Has the mutant knight been brought under control yet?"
A visibly nervous officer stepped forward. "A-ah, yes... The mage division has already branded him with the Slave Mark, Your Majesty. He’s currently en route to pursue the escapees, following the orders given to him."
Then the loud scrape of a wooden chair echoed as Yordan rose from his seat. He stared at the officer with an unreadable expression.
"Did you just say... we’ve succeeded in enslaving him?"
The officer swallowed hard and nodded quickly. "Y-yes, Your Majesty... The mutant bee knight is now completely under our control. We simply hadn’t had the chance to report it to you yet due to the—"
Yordan’s voice cracked like thunder. His hand slammed the table again, sending wine cups crashing to the floor in shards.
"Why am I only hearing about this now?! Do you take me for a puppet who only needs to be told things after it’s too late?! You managed to enslave that mutant and HID IT FROM ME?!"
All the officers bowed lower, none daring to defend themselves.
"Damn it! I’ll punish the mage division myself for their insolence! How dare they keep such critical information from their king?!" Yordan growled, his eyes burning with hatred.
He took a deep breath, trying to rein in his boiling rage. Then, in a low but threatening voice, he locked eyes with the officer before him.
"Make sure that mutant captures both princesses. I don’t care how it’s done—I want them alive. If they come back dead... your head will take their place."
The officer dropped to his knees, trembling. "U-understood, Your Majesty... I won’t disappoint you!"
Yordan scoffed and sat back down, his face still twisted with fury. In his mind, one thing was certain—nothing would stand in the way of his ambition. Not the elves, not the bees, and certainly not the cowardly humans who had dared ruin his plans.
The night wind bit at his skin, growing colder as Ren streaked through the sky. Below him, the forests and hills of the elven kingdom stretched out in darkness, broken occasionally by the soft glow of moonlight.
In his arms, Princess Elaria looked pale, her body tense. Her hands clung tightly to Ren’s armor, as if letting go would send her plummeting to the earth below.
"Hah... hah... I-I really don’t ..." she muttered, her voice trembling.
Ren chuckled quietly from behind his helmet. "Heh, you should be grateful. Not everyone gets to experience flying ."
Perched on the princess’s shoulder, the Mouse Bot let out a faint squeak, almost like it was mocking her too.
But the moment didn’t last. Suddenly, a sharp beeping echoed in Ren’s helmet, a red alert flashing across his digital interface. Something was moving toward them—fast.
"Shit... is that a missile?" Ren muttered, eyes locked onto the tactical display.
"Eh? M-missile?" Elaria panicked, her eyes widening.
But there was no time to explain. Ren tightened his hold around her and shifted his body to shield her from the incoming hit.
Then, in the next instant—
A massive impact slammed into them from behind. Ren’s entire armor system shuddered violently, the indicators on his HUD blinking erratically. That wasn’t just any missile—something far more powerful had struck them.
The force of the blow knocked Ren off balance. They tumbled through the sky, spinning uncontrollably before crashing downward at high speed.
"Hold on tight!" Ren shouted.
Elaria squeezed her eyes shut and clung even tighter. Her breath caught in her throat, heart pounding in fear.
They smashed into the ground hard. Ren’s body rolled several times before he finally dug his hand into the earth to stop their momentum. His armor screeched against the dirt, leaving a deep scar across the damp forest floor.
Dust and leaves swirled around them.
Ren quickly stood, checking his systems. Fortunately, his armor was still intact. But his focus immediately shifted to Elaria, still in his arms.
"Hey, you okay?" he asked urgently.
Elaria slowly opened her eyes. She was still shaking, her breath ragged from the fall. But even through the fear, she gave a small nod.
"I... I’m still alive..." she whispered faintly.
But before they could catch their breath, the ground around them began to tremble. Heavy footsteps approached, each thud sending subtle vibrations through the air. Something—or someone—was coming. Fast.
Ren’s head snapped up, eyes narrowing. In the distance, under the pale moonlight, a silhouette emerged from the forest shadows. The dim light reflected off its body, revealing its distinct colors—yellow and black stripes, stark against the darkness.
The figure stepped forward, now fully visible.
The being was an insectoid humanoid, its muscular body covered in glistening carapace, a terrifying fusion of knight and predator. Its glowing compound eyes burned red, locked onto Ren and Elaria with merciless intensity. Sharp fangs jutted from its mouth, and from its back, thin wings buzzed faintly, like a whisper of death.
In its hand, it held a massive lance, the pointed tip gleaming under the moonlight, looking capable of piercing steel with ease.
Ren took a deep breath and rose to his feet, positioning himself in front of Elaria to shield her.
His mechanical red eyes flared behind the helmet, his black-and-yellow armor gleaming beneath the moon.
"So, this is what hit me..." he muttered, voice dropping to a more serious tone.
Before him, the insectoid warrior stood tall, its body encased in hardened black and gold armor. Its compound eyes glowed like embers in the dark. In its right hand, it gripped a massive lance, sharp and shining, daring anyone to come close.
When it spoke, its voice was deep, raspy, and unnatural—like something not quite living, not quite dead.
"Mouse..." it growled, raising the lance and pointing it straight at Ren’s chest. "Hand over the bee princess. Refuse, and I’ll kill you myself."
The sky seemed to hold its breath, the night eerily silent as they faced off.
Ren didn’t answer right away. His helmet’s sensors silently scanned the enemy, calculating height, weight, and attack velocity from muscle tension and soil pressure.
But even without the data, Ren knew one thing—this opponent wasn’t just some grunt.
A thin smirk curled his lips. "Hah..." he let out a low breath. "So, you’re their dog, huh?"
The creature didn’t flinch at the insult. It shifted slightly, taking a firmer battle stance—ready to strike at any moment.
Behind Ren, Elaria bit her lip. Her hands clutched the cloth-wrapped cocoon of the bee princess even tighter. Her breathing was uneven, fear etched across her face.
She recognized the creature.
"T-that’s..." Her voice caught in her throat. "That’s... the Wasp Knight... Veskar!"
Ren raised an eyebrow. "Wasp Knight, huh?"
Veskar stepped forward, his lance letting out a sharp screech as he stabbed it into the ground with enough force to send dust and dirt flying.
He tilted his head upward slightly, his gaze dripping with arrogance and superiority.
"I am Veskar..." His voice echoed, almost like the unified hum of a thousand bees. "Protector of our queen, executor of her will, and executioner of those who dare defy us."
His glowing red eyes flared brighter, radiating an unwavering sense of purpose and loyalty.
"Feel honored, human..." he sneered, fangs peeking from between his lips. "Because tonight, you die by my hand."
Ren smirked faintly. He rolled his shoulders, loosening up beneath the armor, as if inviting the fight.
"Heh... Then let’s see who’s really going to die tonight."