Chapter 7: Oversight

By the time she appeared inside, the mark of the Dark Dimension is clearly imprinted on her forehead, right between her non-existent brows.

*Bang*

*Bang*

*Bang*

The blasts of the alien firearms rebound against her Shield of Seraphim.

Layers and layers of Eldritch barriers could be seen underneath it, ensuring her safety from anything unexpected they might throw at her.

Observing the scuttling Brood, the Ancient One bears in mind that these are not mindless creatures. In between the time she took to imprison them here and close the rift, they have already spread out. Exploring the surroundings and making use of it to their advantage. Hiding behind buildings the Queens look as if to study her as well.

"Hmmmm." She hums taking into account the exact numbers of the enemy.

'Fifty-Four? No...' She thought to herself.

'Fifty-Five.' She corrects herself, not missing a weird Brood. Too small to be a Queen compared to the five others she's sure of but too big to be a winged flyer. Not sure herself if there is another type of Brood she's forgetting.

Right after, she sets to act.

Raising her hands into the air before in the next instant she pounds them to the ground.

*BOOM*

Her magic shakes the ground of the Mirror Dimension. A wave of earth rises in a two kilometer radius, the center of which the insects stand on. The wave rushes, fully containing them within. It's walls too high to climb even with the wings of smaller Brood. The Queens even more hopeless in escaping as they have no flight appendages.

They retreat to their respective Queens in an attempt to protect her and use their own bodies as shields.

Eventually the wave reaches the middle, attempting to crush all the Brood. Seconds pass and although cracks have appeared on their bodies, the blood which has the same color as their casings spill, none have died.

"CROAHHH!" The Brood scream, never having felt this powerless in their lives.

Narrowing her eyes and realizing that the exoskeleton of the Brood exceeded her expectations, the Ancient One revises her plan. Instead of directly crushing them with earth, she pushes them up into the air. Using the very earth she just tried to kill them with.

Waving her hands, multitudes of her clones split away from her body using the Images of Ikon. The clones fly until they surround the still airborne Brood.

At the same time they all summon Mandalas. Bending their arms and launching the Mandalas to the falling Brood, the winged ones attempt to adjust themselves. Hurrying to block the yellow projectiles for their Queens, trying to shoot with their firearms to stop them. Abandoning any sense of self-preservation to protect her.

*BOOM*

*BOOM*

*Shing-Slice*

A few Mandalas collide with the shots of the winged ones. Many more of them manage to slice the Brood they are directed at, ending the lives of said Brood.

Unfortunately, the Queens have wrapped their limbs and tentacles around their bodies, even striking the spinning Mandalas to protect themselves. None of them die from the shower of projectiles.

'Thirty-Three left.' Thought the Ancient One, keeping count in her head. The clones of herself dissipating as she floats down to the now flat ground. Her spell having done great work eliminating any places the Brood might hide in.

"SHAAARA! (Forward!)" The Brood Queens scream, commanding the living winged ones to fire and charge at the Ancient One, ultimately deciding that it is futile to run away.

In return two Sacred Sword of Vishanti appear on her hands. Their edges burning with a crimson flame. Calmly she faces the oncoming Brood, deflecting the fired projectiles with her swords.

*Bzzzz Bzzzz*

Close enough that she can hear the wing beat of the smaller Broods, she dashes to meet them. Raising one of her swords to the top of her head, she brings it down. Slicing a chunk of a winged Brood, the ends of the wound sizzle from the heat of the weapon. Immediately another enters her range and a stab of her sword ends it's life as well. Regardless of their number or the hardness of their bodies, a single movement of hers finishes their struggle.

The Queens come together. Seeing the Ancient One easily mow down the minions without tiring, none of them reveal any feelings of loss for their deaths. Numbers easily recoverable if an appropriate host is found. Discussing ways to escape, a plan they stake everything comes together.

...

*BOOOOM*

It was unexpected.

A blast too strong to ignore.

The bodies and bodies of winged Brood covered the Ancient One's vision, unaware of the actions of the Brood Queens.

Realizing that they have lost the connection to their universe and that the technology they carry will not function for much longer, the Queens gathered all technological devices they hold.

Controlling two of the leftover winged Brood to carry the mishmash of a bomb, detonating it once it got close to the Ancient One. They hoped that the explosion made is strong enough to damage her, enabling them to finish her off or directly kill her in the blast.

*Shoooh*

A shockwave comes from the center of the explosion. Each energy core used in the alien technology amplifying each other, resulting in a bigger blast than even the Brood themselves expected. It warped the space where it occurred, from there a small tear generated. The very energy used to power the explosion not of this world or this universe itself.

*Crack*

*Crack*

Pieces of what looked like glass fell from the surroundings. The following blast strong enough to forcefully break away from the Mirror Dimension back into reality.

Without wasting any more time, seeing a new escape, they command which ever living winged Brood survived to take them out.

Surprisingly, the blast did not reach reality. Only managing to break an entrance towards it. The force of the break-away however reached the other side. Kilometers of neighborhoods was disturbed, glass windows break and light poles near the epicenter are nearly uprooted.

The Brood Queens look one last time at the still dusty result of their plan.

They disappear into the night sky, the sounds of their wings can no longer be heard after a while.

*Step*

*Step*

A bloody and tattered Ancient One steps out of the dust cloud. Looking around, her face is in a frown, she is enraged at herself for still underestimating the Brood.

They miraculously achieved to free themselves out of the Mirror Dimension albeit accidently without any magical means. An oversight on her part others would have to pay for.