We went off and gotten out of Kon's carriage. Kon who was unequipped came back to his carriage and brought back a spear. It looked normal and had nothing of note. 

The soldiers once again lined up to the left of the caravan. The incoming pack of antlion charged at us. It was strange... 

All of them were at their larval stages. Somehow all of them were able to run fast as a running human. They had more legs and it allowed for them to move at such a pace. To top it off they're as large as a normal human. 

I don't know how we would defeat them. But Looking at Kon he had a face of confidence. So I asked him. about what we would do. 

"Kon! What do we do?"

He replied."For now, let's just lure them out. At least just get their focus and don't let them have their way with the carriages."

The line of 14 carriages brought refugees and supplies of course it was vital to fending it off from threats. The line of soldiers has started to move. As If they knew what they were doing. 

Looking at the Antlion, they amounted to about 34. The spearmen only counted for about 15 of them. 

Their formations were ready. They moved forward with the support of Vienna on the back. She had her arms sideways and a red light came out of it.

"Blood Arts!: Adrenaline!"

"Blood Arts!: Strengthen!"

She was chanting, I didn't know what it is but I was interested in witnessing it. I soon asked Kon once again."Hey what is she doing?". 

"Later! I'll talk about it. We must focus on the task at hand." He dismissed my question. Well, he made sense though. 

The Antlions were nearing the line. The spearmen were trying to catch their attention. By bashing their spears to their shields. 

With it, the Antlions went towards the soldiers. It was going as they planned. 

Soon they circled and made a shield wall. At the center lied Vienna who still had her hands glowing in red light. Soon the spearmen made a battle cry. They were surrounded by the Antlions. 

"URAAAA"

The antlions were using their jaws to attack the spearmen. However, the shield wall blocked it out. Soon the Antlions pulled the shields with their jaws. 

"Should we help them?". 

" No, we're gonna deal with the loners who decided to fight off alone. There are still four other spearmen behind us."

"You seem to know what to do."

"This is the 10th attack we had ever since we entered the Haran Desert. We lost many carriages and even worse people. Don't worry about them. They know what they're doing." Kon assured me that everything would go as planned. 

I hadn't seen a single Antlion who had separated themselves from the group. The situation with the spear wall was unchanged. 

Vienna still supports the soldiers. Some antlions were now lying down dead. The spearmen pulled a thrust onto the mouths of the Antlions. 

They kept fighting and fighting. I felt like a mob character watching a battle I'm not involved with. 

I do wonder if my hatchet could slash the jaws of these Antlions. Out of all the combatants, I was the only one who was using a short weapon. I approached Kon asked."You got any more spears?"

Kon nodded and pointed at his Caravan. He added."Beneath crates maybe there is one. Be quick about it!"

I ran inside his carriage and pulled the crates out. There were no spears I only sawdust. 

I came back to Kon and informed him." They're gone! What should I do?" I was worried. I never got myself into a situation like this.

"Check the other carriages!".

It was a first and I wanted to get out here at least alive. One by one I checked each of the 13 carriages. The refugees inside the carriages carried swords and knives. In the back, there was a surplus of swords. Not one had any polearm weapons. 

I ran back to Kon and complained." Hey! There's nothing there! What should I do!". 

"Just stick with your weapon. It's strong enough to slice a log with ease. So just use it!" 

There were burrows of sand scattered throughout the field. One by one larval antlion slowly emerged from their burrows. Unlike earlier, they numbered for only 8.

Kon readied his stance alongside the other spearmen who hung around on the back. I tightly gripped my hatchet as the approaching Antlions start to attack us. 

Kon and the others readied themselves. I retreated behind so that I could grasp their abilities.

Until finally one of them struck the shield of Kon. Kon thrusts his spear into its mouth. The Antlion shrieks in pain and retreats back. I took the advantage and stepped forward. I slashed the Jaw and felt no resistance.

The Antlion's right jaw had been sliced. I proceeded to amputate its other jaw. I swung my hatchet very high and slashed the left jaw. It dropped to the ground and screamed in pain. The other four soldiers behind me voiced their surprise.

"What the!"

"What a weapon!"

"That insect's jaw got slashed with ease!". 

Soon the others were occupied with their fights. I heavily injured one of them and three others joined in. With Kon and the others busy, I had to take all of them at once. 

All three of them fought in tandem. They fought with their jaws and consecutively used them. I had to dodge each one of them giving me no time to fight back. 

If Hetty would come that would be wonderful. So I tried to call out Hetty.

"Hetty!"

Hetty went outside of Kon's carriage. It immediately approached me at high speeds. It even struck the legs on one of the antlions. It gave me time to hack the head of the Antlion by the right.

With one of them down. I ran back as quickly as possible. I used Hetty and became faster.

I was able to dodge their attacks but sometimes fell. 

I quickly got up and tried to circle down the two of them. I sometimes lost balance but I managed to regain it after. 

I lacerated one antlions head. That antlion slowed down whilst I distanced away from the two of them. I wasn't able to get a good swing. It had been just hours since I used Hetty. 

I dropped down once again when I didn't realize there was a large rock in my way. I still had one to face this would be easy If tried to hit the head. Especially with a powerful weapon like mine. That head would be crushed in no time.

I stood up and charged at the antlion once again. I immediately went sideways and stopped. I raised my hands and proceeded to gash its head. 

I repeatedly did this until the Antlion was no longer moving. I soon understood even without this magnificent hatchet, a good hammer would have done the job. 

I stopped using Hetty at the moment. All the small wounds and scratches I had were because of my falls with Hetty. On the other side. The shield wall the spearmen made was working. They kept piercing the mouths of the Antlions. Until one of them drops dead. 

The group of 34 had surprisingly dwindled to 10. Whilst the spearmen, Well... I saw four bodies lying on the ground. But it seems Vienna was doing her best to support these men. 

I then killed the other one who I had left behind. I bashed its head with the hatchet. The shell was crushed and it bled to its death. 

"Nice, now I'm tired...".

I grabbed my leftover granola bar to which I had already opened earlier. I just ate it all the way. 

Feeling energized I came back to support Kon with his fight. But I already saw him overwhelming the other Antlions. So he already killed his own. 

So I decided it would be fun If I supported those who took a large hit. I hurried towards the shield wall. Kon and the others who finally killed the Antlions followed. 

" You did well... for a rookie. Because you fought like one."

I certainly did. For my first time fighting, I sure performed well.

Kon concluded."Now I am sure you, are not a demon."

We passed through a pile of insect corpses. I don't feel remorse for them because I hate insects. 

I cleaved the legs of the antlion and it fell. It managed to stand up and focused its attention on me. I confidently slashed its sharp jaws so that it wouldn't be a threat. 

I crushed the Antlion's head and then it died. Kon and the others just had to pierce their mouths repeatedly and it would be done. I took more effort because of my weapon.

"Fucking god I'm thirsty."

The sun wasn't contributing. I wonder how Kon and his caravan managed to fend themselves in this scorching desert. Even then the antlion slowly dwindled in numbers.

I had to eliminate every one of them If I want to drink safely yet there was only one of them left.

In a last-ditch effort, one antlion took away a shield. Leaving one spearman vulnerable. It sliced the man's torso into half. It took away two more shields and amputated their legs. The remaining spearmen focused on the last one. It became a mangled mess of insect innards.

The two whose legs had been amputated succumbed to their injuries and bled.

...

The fighting was done. They had lost seven men and Kon gathered them up in the ground. 

Vienna was tired yet was still standing. 

Kon looked at the corpse of the soldiers and prayed for them. He covered them in a large cloth and left.

"Let's go, We'll arrive in no time."