I Am The Swarm

Reality, as ever, was harsh and unsympathetic to Prince Diallo.

“Your Highness, energy accumulation detected from the direction of Planet Izumo!” Aslit reported urgently, just as Diallo stepped onto the transport vehicle.

“What’s happening?” Diallo demanded.

“It’s the swarm’s ground-based electromagnetic railguns!” Aslit exclaimed.

Diallo immediately grasped the situation. Earlier, the concentrated detonation of tactical nuclear warheads hadn’t destroyed the swarm’s terrestrial weaponry. However, the accompanying light flashes and electromagnetic pulses had temporarily blinded their fire-control systems.

But the effects of the nuclear blasts were fleeting. After this lengthy delay, the swarm’s fire-control radars had recalibrated and recovered. The railguns were ready to fire once again.

“Order all warships except the Chisaya, DX12475, DX12490, and DX12497 to turn their bows to face Planet Izumo. Activate laser defense arrays and repulsion fields, and form a defensive barrier at the front,” Diallo instructed calmly.

Given the circumstances, escape was no longer an option. A steady defense, buying time for the fleet’s return, was the best course of action.

The Daqi’s execution of orders was impeccable. Since the onset of the battle, even seemingly suicidal commands had been carried out without hesitation.

The massive 1,600 meter warships, assisted by their side thrusters, adjusted their positions swiftly. Electromagnetic projectiles, slower than energy beams, gave the Daqi ships just enough time to reach their designated defensive positions before the first wave arrived.

Turning toward Planet Izumo meant these warships temporarily forfeited any chance of retreat. Energy meant for their engines was redirected to power the laser defense arrays and repulsion fields.

The repulsion fields proved to be the bane of the electromagnetic projectiles. Although their operation consumed enormous amounts of energy, any ship positioned behind an active repulsion field was virtually invincible.

These warships managed to intercept almost every projectile aimed at the Doria and its accompanying vessels. The few projectiles that slipped past the repulsion fields were swiftly neutralized by the laser defense arrays, which were specifically designed for countering electromagnetic projectiles and incoming aircraft.

However, defending against thousands of railguns was no small feat. While the repulsion fields held, the warships’ other components were less indestructible.

After just one railgun volley, two of the defensive warships experienced catastrophic power system failures from the energy overload. Their forward repulsion fields flickered and vanished.

Still, the warships had bought precious time. Charging the railguns and the flight time of their projectiles provided a crucial window of opportunity.

Several side hatches on the Doria suddenly opened, releasing a swarm of small transport vehicles. They divided into four groups and flew toward the surrounding warships. Simultaneously, the Chisaya and the other three ships opened their own hatches, preparing to receive the evacuees.

The swarm, of course, would not sit idly by and watch the Daqi evacuate. The few remaining small mature and larval bodies lunged at the transports. But at the same time, the Daqi drones launched an all-out frenzy, throwing themselves at the attackers with reckless abandon. ℝÀＮоβËṨ

One 10 meter larval body had barely leapt into the air before over ten drones locked onto it, slamming into it mid-flight and reducing it to a pulp.

A 30 meter mature Space Octopus had just latched onto an escape vehicle when over twenty drones slammed into it without hesitation, destroying both the octopus and the Daqi transport in a fiery explosion.

Seeing their smaller brethren faltering, the four 300 meter mature bodies abandoned their efforts to dismantle the Doria’s command tower. Instead, they turned their attention toward the fleeing escape vehicles.

These mature bodies had refrained from attacking the surrounding warships earlier, knowing the Doria housed an important figure among the Daqi. However, with Prince Diallo now evacuating, the Doria had lost its strategic value.

For the Daqi, the Doria without Diallo was equally expendable. As the 300 meter mature bodies began to pivot, the main and secondary cannons of the surrounding four warships opened fire.

At such close range, even 300 meter mature bodies stood no chance against dozens of main cannons and hundreds of secondary weapons concentrating their fire. The mature bodies were instantly shredded, their bodies riddled with penetrating energy beams.

The beams, after tearing through the mature bodies, continued their trajectory and struck the Doria, which was directly behind them.

The Doria, along with the small mature bodies and larval bodies clinging to its hull—and even the remaining Daqi crew still onboard—was obliterated in the barrage.

The explosion lit up the void, forming a massive fireball. The force of the blast scattered some of the recently deployed escape vehicles, causing chaos.

While the Daqi lost a single escort ship and several personnel, the destruction of over 90% of the Space Octopuses significantly reduced the immediate threat. The few remaining smaller individuals were no longer a critical danger.

Allowing these creatures to remain unchecked could have resulted in more ships being whittled down over time. In Diallo’s view, the sacrifice had been worth it.

“Your Highness, don’t be sad. This was the best solution to minimize our losses,” Aslit consoled him, noticing the grim, fluctuating expressions on Diallo’s face.

Diallo didn’t respond. He simply stared into the star-speckled void, lost in thought.

Meanwhile, the evacuation was still underway. However, the second wave of electromagnetic railgun salvos was already upon them.

With two of the defensive warships down, the repulsion field barrier now had critical gaps. More electromagnetic projectiles slipped through the defenses, overwhelming even the laser defense arrays, which couldn’t intercept them all due to sheer numbers.

A few projectiles struck the ships tasked with retrieving the escape vehicles. Fortunately, their reactive armor absorbed most of the damage, preventing catastrophic destruction.

But disaster loomed. Under the concentrated bombardment, several defensive warships experienced power system failures from the strain of overloading.

The sudden collapse of repulsion fields left the warships vulnerable, and electromagnetic projectiles slammed into their exposed hulls.

“Boom!”

“Boom!”

“Boom!”

Explosions erupted across the battlefield.

Armor plating shattered, and the forward sections of several warships were torn apart. Multiple projectiles tore through dozens of compartments, triggering internal detonations.

In mere moments, two warships were consumed by flames, while others suffered severe damage. Though their reactive armor managed to shield them from total annihilation, their current state left them defenseless against another volley.

To make matters worse, at least a thousand small mature bodies and larval bodies began swarming in from both flanks.

These were passengers that had escaped from the 300 meter mature bodies intercepted earlier by drones.

While the larger mature bodies had been stalled, these smaller creatures had slipped free. With the defensive warships severely damaged and the drone reserves nearly exhausted, the Daqi could only watch as the swarm advanced.

Before they could reach the warships, however, a 300 meter mature body suddenly crashed onto one of the defensive vessels.

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