Chrysalis

Chapter 1053: Match Begins

It was often stated by Jordant that her greatest regret was not being able to play against the Eldest. She was there when they played their one and only game, and could only say the match was… indescribable.

– Excerpt from ‘History of the Greatest’ by Commentant.

[Hello Peter, it’s nice to see you again for another live recording of this history-making match.]

“Commentant. Wonderful to be with you, as always, and I must say I can’t begin to describe the excitement here in the Stadium as these two teams make their final preparations.

“It’s a full house here, as you might expect, and to you, the listener at home, just listen to the rumbling and clacking of this crowd. I can barely hear myself speak and the match hasn’t even started yet.”

[Interesting you say ‘these teams’, when in fact, we only have one team here today. The Endless, undefeated, of course, have fielded a mage-heavy lineup, hoping to counteract the superior mana control of their singular opponent. The Eldest, of course, is totally by themself! The strongest, most highly evolved, and the first of the formica sapiens, the Eldest holds a special place in the Colony, and I dare say most of my siblings are here today in support of their senior.]

“It’s a fascinating arrangement. This could be the only time in history that this Stadium sees a one-ant team take to the pitch. Tunnel Ball, as we all know, is a game of skills, strategy, cooperation and teamwork, but how could you put anyone on the same team as the… uh… Great One… as some humans refer to them?

“As large and powerful as they are, I’m not sure anyone else would fit on their end!”

[And who could keep up with them? As a tier seven monster, the Eldest is overwhelmingly stronger than any other ant in the Colony. The Endless, as we know, are all tier four. Such a massive disparity means that even ten against one, the odds are against them. We’ll need to see some strategic brilliance from them if they hope to succeed.]

“It looks… yes, it looks like we are just about to begin. The Great One is starting on offence, and I’m telling you, folks, the ball looks absolutely tiny in those gigantic mandibles.”

[The Endless are taking an aggressive formation on defence. High up the pitch. Looking at their double soldier frontline, I can’t help but feel sorry for them. The Eldest towers over the pair of them, making them look like hatchlings.]

“The Great One has taken position. Ready to start their attack!”

CRUNCH!

ROAR!

[Unbelievable scenes here at the stadium! The Eldest has immediately shattered the ball in their mandibles, right in the faces of the Endless! Provocation of the highest order!]

“No team is willing to give up even the slightest opportunity against the Endless and here we have the Great One making a bold statement, right from the beginning of the match. ‘I don’t even need all of my turns on offence against you’. The Great One stares down the smaller ants before turning back to their own end, ready for their first turn on defence.”

[I can only clack my mandibles in appreciation of how daring a statement that was. The crowd here is still going wild, and no play was even made!]

“Normally, it’s the Endless who are playing mind games with their opponents, but now the script has been flipped! I’m fascinated to see how the elite, undefeated team responds to this.”

[I’m sure we all are. I have to say, they appear unfazed as they take up their formation. This looks like a variation of the spear. Soldiers up front, with deep flanks to protect the ball and a solid group of mages around the ball.

Clearly, the Endless believe a magic attack is likely. They don’t want to expose the ball early and lose their turn without learning something of what the Eldest is going to bring.

I’m a little surprised, Peter, I really thought they’d play wide and try to utilise their advantage in numbers. The Eldest is large and powerful, but can’t be in multiple places at once. The Endless are known for their skilled passing game, and that feels like it should be their go-to.]

“We may still end up that way, remember which team we’re talking about. A conservative formation could flip to all-out offence in the blink of an eye. More than any other, this team has displayed tactical flexibility.

“Both teams are set. And here we go!”

[Leonidant holds the ball as the team advances steadily. The mages are working double time, locking down the mana around the ball to defend it against interference. So far, the Eldest hasn’t so much as twitched a muscle and it is DEAD SILENT here in the Stadium. The tension is as thick as a Brood Tender’s affection, ladies and gentlemen. The Endless approach the midpoint, and still, the Eldest hasn’t moved!]

“Sudden moves!”

ROAR!

“The flanks open up, and what’s this? A decoy ball! I have no idea when they made one, but they did! Absolute magic! One ball flipped to the left, one to the right as the scouts and soldiers charge!

“It’s impossible for the Eldest to cover the whole field and there are two balls. Which is the real one?!”

CRACK!

[I-I-I… what did I just see?!]

ROOAAAAAR!

“The crowd goes absolutely berserk here in the stadium! The Eldest moved so quickly I swear I didn’t see it. One second, they were standing in defence, the next, they had bowled over Washingtant on the right flank and had the ball in their mandibles, which they promptly shattered!”

[We’re just waiting to see… yes, the Endless have confirmed that was the correct ball and are returning to their end. Just like that, the Eldest has crushed their offence in a single move!]

“This is like something we’ve never seen before, Commentant. That was one of the quickest rounds I think I’ve ever seen, and I was there when the Blitz invented their patented Ant Rush. Before I could even blink my eyes, it was over. Washingtant still looks a little rattled, a bit unsteady on her legs, as if she’s not sure what just happened.”

[She isn’t alone! Nobody in the crowd knows what happened either!]

“We’ve got a tiny bit of time before the Eldest has their second turn on offence, what did you think of the play from the Endless?”

[Brilliant, as always. The decoy ball was made completely out of sight and so quickly I didn’t catch even a hint of it, and I’m a mage! We saw two, delectable passes from the back of the formation, catching the scouts as they lunged forward at full speed. A dazzling offence that would have severely tested the best of teams.]

“And yet, crushed in an instant. Somehow, the Eldest identified the real ball, charged forward and seized it from Washingtant in, quite literally, the blink of an eye.”

[With speed like that, Vibrant will be jealous! I hope she never hears this recording!]

“The crowd is settling now, the Eldest has seized the ball in their mandibles, preparing to make their play.”

[Again, the Endless seem unfazed, with the possible exception of poor Washingtant. They take the same formation as before, preparing to defend high up the pitch.]

“Here we go, folks!”

CRACK!

ROAR!

“I. DO NOT. BELIEVE IT! The Eldest has shattered ANOTHER ball! This is beginning to turn from sending a message to straight up DISRESPECT!”

~~

This stupid ball! Why the heck is it so damn soft?!