Ch. 126..130: Interstellar_ Return of the Villain Chapter 126-130
Chapter 126: Student Officer
Once communications were restored, Snakehead wasted no time calling to check on Lyra. After confirming they were alright, he exhaled in relief. Soon, the conversation drifted towards something juicier: Raphael’s life.
Raphael’s story began with his mother, an actress from the Empire, who got involved with someone, leading to his birth. But instead of raising him, she sent him off to a lab.
Years later, for reasons still unclear, the lab returned Raphael to her.
Snakehead, "Back then, I heard Raphael couldn’t control his snake powers and always turned snake-like. His mom couldn’t handle it, so she ditched him again," Snakehead said, grinning as he leaned into the gossip. "And when he became a space pirate, he killed her. Ruthless."
It was tragic, sure, but Lyra seemed entirely unfazed.
"That’s cold," Snakehead chuckled, flashing his teeth. Shifting topics to something Lyra cared about, he continued, "Todd said Raphael robbed all the caravans. Where’d you hide everything when you blew up the ship?"
Lyra finally looked up. "It’s all mine."
Snakehead blinked, caught off guard. "All of it? Aren’t we supposed to be partners?"
Lyra shrugged, speaking as if it was no big deal. "Caesara helped with Raphael. Your people sat back. Besides, the other caravans won’t make any moves for a while. Instead of worrying about my stash, maybe get your crew to do some real work."
Snakehead was so furious he nearly fell over, but what could he do? They’d been targeted by other caravans before, with Caesara and Todd trying to snatch the ship’s launch codes.
Snakehead had backed them in secret. But Lyra? She took advantage of the chaos, using the space pirates to take out the competition.
And if anyone tried to take the ship from her again? She’d blow it up and strand them all on Wyrmtrace. Her crew? They’d just hitch a ride with the military.
"You’re the real ruthless one," Snakehead muttered, ending the call.
As Lyra slouched in her chair, trying to unwind, a knock came at the door.
"Boss, Rear Admiral Whyte and Lieutenant Commander Whyte are here to see you."
Rear Admiral Whyte, Cohen’s uncle, was just over fifty but had a laid-back vibe that made him seem younger. With a constant mischievous grin, he looked more like Cohen’s playful brother.
"Well, well, you must be Lyra. Cohen never stops talking about you," Chuck Whyte said with a friendly grin, leaning back in his chair. "You’re as cute as I imagined—definitely my type!"
Lyra rolled her eyes. Acting like an elder while flirting with his nephew’s friend, right in front of him? Classy.
Cohen, clearly done with his uncle’s antics, flicked a pen at him. Chuck caught it without turning around.
The Whyte family had a knack for manipulating gravity, and it seemed that talent ran strong.
Lyra chose to ignore their silent showdown and gave a sharp salute.
"Wow, so serious!" Chuck teased, still grinning. "You should join my fleet after graduation. Be my personal secretary."
Cohen had enough. "Rear Admiral Whyte, show some respect!" He stormed over, yanking his uncle away. "Not only were you late to help, but now you’re flirting with students? I’m reporting this!"
They’d already counted their losses, and Chuck only showed up afterward. Cohen was about ready to lose his mind.
Chuck sat back down, the slightest hint of guilt in his expression. He adjusted his white cloak and cleared his throat, locking eyes with Lyra. "Ahem, so, here’s the deal. Since you took down a bad-ass pirate and wiped out their whole crew, the brass wants to reward you."
He paused for a moment, letting that sink in. "You’re not officially in a squad yet, so they’re giving you the title of ’student officer.’ Once you graduate and get assigned, you’ll get a formal rank. Oh, and there’s a medal, too. They’ll send it straight to your academy."
Military rank was no joke. Most people entering through mandatory service started at the bottom as privates, working their way up to corporal before they could even think about joining a squad.
Graduates from the military academy, though? They skipped the line, starting right out of the gate as sergeants. And if they made a name for themselves during internships or events, they could climb even higher. Like Cohen, who had walked out of the academy with an Ensign rank.
Chuck smirked, his serious demeanor fading fast. "Honestly, they could’ve gone higher, but the bigwigs thought it’d be ’too flashy.’ So, Student Officer it is. Not bad, right?"
Lyra didn’t seem fazed, simply offering a quick thanks. Then she pulled a small black box from her Space Button. "By the way, I’ve got something for you two."
Chuck’s eyes widened. "Is that what I think it is? That thing from the Seething Fires?"
"Yep."
Cohen shot up from his seat, just as stunned. "We’ve been searching everywhere for that! Lieutenant Commander Shedd is still out there looking. How on earth did you get it?"
Lyra shrugged casually. "I grabbed it on purpose." She cut him off before he could start complaining. "I am only giving it to you because Erin Shedd isn’t here now."
Whyte raised a brow at that; her implication was obvious.
Cohen didn’t waste time. "Are you saying Erin led the pirates here?"
"You’ll figure that out once you go through it," Lyra replied, her voice heavy with sarcasm. "Or do you really think it’s just a coincidence the pirates found us the second they touched down?"
It was clear something wasn’t adding up.
Cohen’s face tightened as he took the black box and headed straight to the tech department, determined to get to the bottom of things.
...
When Erin found out Cohen had the black box, she panicked. You’d think the world had ended from the way she scrambled to gather her tech team.
Meanwhile, back at the base, Lyra made her way to the special training team’s grounds. The team had left the day before but ran into some stray pirates, sparking a battle. No deaths, but a few members got hurt.
"Lyra! You’re alright!" Elsie looked relieved, her worry clear.
Andre was still recovering in the med bay, leaving Anton and Webber to run the training.
Lyra nodded toward the instructors before asking Elsie, "Who was driving yesterday?"
Elsie shot a glance toward Milo, who was standing off to the side, smirking. "That piece of junk, over there."
Milo didn’t even try to hide it. "Yeah, that was me. And so what?" His smirk deepened. "If I hadn’t gotten us captured, you wouldn’t have had the chance to show off and snatch all that glory. Bet that pirate was a real thrill for you, huh?"
Everyone knew the state Lyra had been in when she returned yesterday.
Before anyone could blink, Lyra slapped him across the face. Hard.
Milo staggered, stunned, as he spit out a tooth. "You... hit me?"
SMACK!
His anger exploded, and horns sprouted from his head as he activated his powers. But Lyra was faster. She grabbed him and slammed him into the ground with ease. Despite his powers, he was getting wrecked.
The sound of fists connecting filled the air, each blow making the onlookers wince.
Webber moved to break it up, but Anton stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "Nope. He had it coming."
Webber groaned, rubbing his temples. "But we’re their instructors."
Anton shrugged. "Wouldn’t matter. And, she’d beat us, too."
"..."
After all, Lyra had single-handedly brought down a pirate base. If anyone tried to step in, they’d probably end up on the ground just like Milo.
Chapter 127: Elden Prime
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No one saw it coming, but when the dust settled after the space pirates were gone, it was Lyra who came out on top.
The caravans, still reeling from their huge losses, could only watch as Morrison’s crew rolled back with trucks full of precious minerals.
The envy in their eyes was almost dripping. They knew those resources had been stolen from them by the pirates. But with most of their crew wiped out and still tangled up in negotiations with the military for answers, they were in no position to fight back. They couldn’t do much, except keep their heads down to avoid Lyra’s cold, piercing stare.
"I swear that girl brought those pirates here just to wreck our equipment!" Bernard grumbled, looking rough from days of no sleep, his face dark with suspicion.
But not everyone was buying it.
"If she could control space pirates like that, do you really think we could’ve pushed her around before?"
"Then who the hell triggered the pirates? I’m not letting them off that easy!"
As Zorion passed by the grumbling crowd, he slowed down for a moment, then quietly turned and walked away.
Later that day, at the regular military debrief, Erin took her usual spot.
The moment she sat down, Cohen leaned over. "Where’s Zorion?"
She gave a calm smile. "He’s tied up with something. He’ll be here soon."
Before they could continue, the blare of an alarm shattered the room’s calm.
Erin was on her feet in seconds, her face tense. "What’s going on?"
Cohen, oddly calm, replied, "It seems someone broke into the secure room where the black box is kept." He had Kogar pull up the feed on the screen.
Inside the secure vault, the black box from the Seething Fires sat behind reinforced glass, hooked up to a supercomputer for analysis.
Beneath it, Zorion was frantically working at the console.
The camera zoomed in, showing him wiping data from the system.
He looked like a trapped animal, totally unaware that every move was being watched.
"Lieutenant Commander Shedd, care to explain?" Cohen’s voice cut through the silence.
Erin looked stunned. "Why would Zorion do this?"
Cohen studied her face, looking for signs of something deeper, but all he saw was surprise and disappointment in her colleague.
Zorion had been caught, hands in the cookie jar. Turns out, he was the one who sent the signal that bypassed the military jamming systems, leading the pirates straight to them.
He was dragged to the interrogation room, hands shackled with cuffs designed to suppress his powers.
Chuck grilled him, but Zorion kept repeating that when he sent the message, the signal was blocked. He had no clue how it had gotten out.
"Then why did you send coordinates to the pirates again?" Chuck, who was hanging back, shot the question with a smirk.
Chuck had been keeping an ear to the ground since arriving on Wyrmtrace, and he had picked up on the drama between Erin and Lyra. He’d also pieced together Lyra’s true identity. From where he stood, the Shedd family had played themselves.
Zorion finally cracked. "Lieutenant Commander Shedd ordered me to do it."
He knew he couldn’t take the fall alone. If he did, his future was as good as over.
"Funny, because she denies all of it. She said, and I quote, ’I would never breach military principles over a petty feud.’" Chuck eyed Zorion, whose face had gone pale. "We also scanned all the devices on base. The coordinates came from your computer. And we caught you deleting the black box data."
"Erin made me do it!"
Zorion realized then that he’d been set up as the fall guy, plain and simple.
"Any proof?"
His shoulders slumped as he whispered, "No..."
Erin had been smart enough to give her orders verbally, with no witnesses. And now, he was left holding the bag.
Chuck pointed to the evidence in front of him. "Your crimes are obvious," he said, his voice cold and direct. "You exposed a secret location, and instead of correcting your mistake, you sent the coordinates again out of personal spite. Your actions led the enemy right to us."
Zorion, still clinging to his defense, protested, "I swear I blocked the signal. I think someone deliberately intercepted my transmission. We need to re-examine..."
BANG! Chuck slammed his fist on the table, his expression hardening. "Excuses? Do you realize how many lives were lost because of you? And you still have the nerve to lie here!" He took a deep breath, trying to rein in his anger.
Then, without saying another word, Chuck stormed out, leaving Zorion to face the reality of his downfall.
Zorion knew it was over. But he did done what was needed. He HAD blocked the signal and immediately informed Erin.
They should’ve worked with Cohen to plan a retreat from the pirates, but the timing was off; their reinforcements were only hours away—That was when Erin hatched a risky plan: lure the pirates to Lyra’s location.
The logic was simple—brutal space pirates meant Lyra was as good as dead.
Yet things didn’t go as expected. The reinforcements were delayed, The Seething Fires acted too fast, and Lyra, against all odds, survived.
Zorion, on the other hand, was left to take the blame.
He reached out to Ansel for help, but all he got was a grim piece of advice: "Forget about walking free. Focus on avoiding the death penalty—life in prison is the best you can hope for."
But the caravans that had lost so much weren’t going to let him off lightly.
Many had powerful connections within the military, and they were determined to push for his execution. Worse still, their anger might spill over to the entire Shedd family.
If it weren’t for them making the mess, they wouldn’t have been dragged into it and suffered such a big loss.
Once Chuck finished his investigation, he left Wyrmtrace with the prisoners and his findings in tow.
Along with them, the Skywalkers were recalled. Erin, having failed to prevent the disaster, couldn’t continue the mission. She was punished too—barred from military evaluations for seven years, effectively ending her chances of promotion during that time.
Before everyone departed, they gathered to see Chuck off. Lyra stood among them.
"Lyra, you did well," Erin told her, a sharpness in her voice. "I’ll see you on Elden Prime."
Nagano, the Whyte family’s stronghold, was off-limits to the Shedds. But Elden Prime? That was a different game entirely. It was a dangerous place where mysterious deaths weren’t unusual.
With the gloves now off, Lyra gave Erin a steady nod. "Can’t wait."
As the warship vanished into the sky, Lyra’s expression hardened.
When the caravans sent new teams to Wyrmtrace, no one dared mess with Lyra anymore. Thanks to the queen bee’s help, her team had already secured a massive haul of rich minerals, leaving the other caravans green with jealousy.
The officer replacing Erin was someone familiar—Zarek. He was quick to arrive, as the Rymes family fleet was closest. Officially, Zarek kept his distance from Lyra, but he secretly provided her with quiet assistance.
As the special training came to a close, Lyra’s team prepared for their next destination: Elden Prime, to compete in the annual AMAT tournament.
After two long weeks navigating wormholes, Elden Prime came into view. The bustling planet was surrounded by a ring of artificial satellites and slowly rotating moons, creating a strikingly beautiful scene.
The moment had finally arrived.
Chapter 128: Assassination
Elden Prime was the largest planet in the Alliance, known for having the best living conditions. It had a total of twenty human settlements, both big and small.
The capital city, home to the royal family, government, and military headquarters, was equipped with the most advanced Aegis Shield defense system.
This was a world where the latest technology and diverse people came together.
Lyra looked at the orange-yellow star in the sky with deep and cold eyes. As soon as they left the spaceport, they saw the maze-like sky rails that stretched in all directions.
In the distance, they could see the towering buildings of the capital city.
The parking lot was vast, filled with all kinds of sky trains, buses, and Levs. Even though everything seemed far away, they could use moving walkways to travel. All they needed to do was check the shuttle number and line up for the right moving walkway.
Among the special training team, only Elsie was from Elden Prime. Seeing the amazed looks of the others, she smiled and explained, "This spaceport is one of the largest transport hubs. From here, you can reach any of the settlements."
They had come for a competition, and their school wasn’t so cheap as to make them take public transportation. They had a special medium-sized Lev for their team.
"Let’s go," Webber said after contacting the driver. "Take the 32nd moving walkway."
Along the way, the young people looked around, fascinated by everything they saw. Finally, after leaving the spaceport and reaching the main road, they all sighed in awe.
A man in a suit passing by laughed with his friend, "Another bunch of country bumpkins."
Milo grunted and was about to approach them, but a single glance from Andre stopped him in his tracks.
The man, startled, took a closer look and then, he realized that even though the group’s wearing the matching uniforms of a military academy.
"Sorry, sorry, haha!" The man’s friend immediately apologized, nodding with a forced smile and dragging away his rude companion.
Still, the excitement in the group faded a bit after this encounter. Elsie just smiled calmly, "There are a lot of people like that on Elden Prime."
Before long, though, their spirits rose again. Elden Prime had special hotels that hosted AMAT competitors, and every year at the start of the season, media reporters would gather there to catch the first bit of news.
Before they got off the Lev, under Andre’s strict orders, everyone, whether they were hot or didn’t feel like it, had to put on their school uniforms. As soon as they stepped out in their crisp, dark-blue military uniforms, the reporters swarmed them with cameras flashing.
"It’s NMA!"
"I heard you brought three level-six students this time. Do you think you can finally break your streak of second place?"
"There’s even a first-year student on the team this time. Is this a secret weapon, or couldn’t your school find any better candidates?"
The reporters didn’t care about anything except the hottest topics.
Despite telling himself to stay calm and show the dignity of their prestigious school, Andre’s temper flared, and before long, his face was as dark as coal.
Anton quickly stepped in to block the more reckless reporters. He gave Webber a look and smiled as he led them away. "Feel free to ask me anything. Over here, over here! I’m the press spokesperson."
Seeing someone more approachable, the reporters took a few quick photos of the young team and then crowded around Anton, who stood by the flowerbed.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Webber quickly led the students into the hotel.
The reporters swarmed Anton, pelting him with a flurry of questions. He just smiled slyly and replied, "Sorry, can’t answer that." Then, before anyone could react, he vanished into the hotel.
By the time the reporters realized what had happened, he was already gone.
"Unbelievable! He’s messing with us!"
"And they call this a top school? What a joke!"
"Total waste of time!"
Like a pack of wolves catching the scent of prey, the reporters surged forward, almost overpowering hotel security. Some even threw things, desperate to grab the team’s attention.
Milo, who had been walking away, finally snapped. With a swift punch, he sent a water bottle hurtling back toward the crowd, exploding mid-air and soaking the reporters.
"Enough! Who said you could mess with us?"
Instead of backing off, the reporters went wild, cameras flashing, eager to turn this into a scandal.
"Is this going to hurt the school’s reputation?" Webber asked nervously, clearly out of his depth in this situation.
Anton waved him off. "Relax. Our school’s known for being tough. These reporters won’t push it too far."
He had a point. The last thing they wanted was to damage AMAT’s image—doing so would be career suicide for them.
Sure enough, within the hour, headlines about an NMA contestant clashing with reporters were trending. But the articles painted a clear picture: the press had crossed the line, harassing the team, which led to the outburst.
In the end, the scuffle generated the kind of buzz the media thrived on.
However, one particular photo caught the eye of a few sharp onlookers. Among the images, there was a shot of a petite girl half-hidden behind her taller teammates. Her face was mostly obscured, but her distinctive features stood out. A single reporter had gone through the effort to snap a solo picture of her, and soon enough, it started a stir.
"Wait, why does she look so familiar?"
"Lyra? Isn’t that the same name as the dual-element genius from a few years ago?"
Some people were already putting two and two together.
"That’s got to be her! I’d recognize that face anywhere. But wasn’t she in my class? How’s she a freshman now?"
"With her skills, what’s she doing on Planet Nagano?"
"I thought she died in that massacre. Could it really be her? Must be a clone, I bet."
The chatter mostly came from those who had known Lyra back in the day—people now in the military who’d crossed paths with her in the past. Still, doubts lingered, and the whispers about her identity stayed quiet, unnoticed by the wider public for now.
Lyra shared a room with Elsie. After unpacking, Elsie glanced at Lyra, who seemed perpetually tense.
"Lyra, you don’t look too happy. Is something wrong?"
"It’s nothing."
"I’m heading home for a bit. Gotta get the instructor’s permission first."
"Take care."
Elsie knew better than to push. Lyra was always reserved.
As Elsie left the room and walked down the hall, she passed two men. A chill ran down her spine—they gave off a dangerous vibe.
’But this is a military-designated hotel, so they got to be high-ranking officers.’ Shaking off the uneasy feeling, Elsie continued on her way.
KNOCK, KNOCK.
The sudden knock at the door made Lyra snap to full alert. She turned toward the sound, her instincts kicking in.
Slowly, she edged closer to the window.
BANG! BANG! The lock exploded, blasted open by a laser gun.
Two men stormed in, just in time to see Lyra dive out the window, her hand glowing as she activated a band of light. But across the street, more men were waiting.
A silenced sniper rifle locked onto her from a nearby rooftop.
Lyra pressed her lips together, her body enveloped in Schedar. She swung wildly through the air as she dodged the incoming fire.
The chaos unfolding on the street immediately grabbed the attention of passersby. People glanced up, thinking they were witnessing some high-stakes chase, and phones were out in seconds, cameras rolling.
Lyra hit the ground with a heavy thud, the impact cracking the pavement beneath her feet. She grimaced but didn’t stop moving.
From inside the hotel, Andre spotted the commotion. Without wasting a moment, he bolted to the window, prepared to leap down and back her up.
But a hail of gunfire from across the street made him pull back, bullets slamming into the wall just inches from his face. He cursed under his breath, pinned by the gunfire.
Meanwhile, the two men from the upper floor were already in pursuit, racing after Lyra with alarming speed. They were closing the distance fast.
Chapter 129: Admiral Whyte
Lyra zipped through the main street on her hoverboard, her school uniform catching the wind.
She wasn’t just out for a ride though—four level-seven fighters and one level-eight were hot on her trail. Escape? Not likely. Unless, of course, she could stir up enough chaos.
Wind whipped past as she weaved through the traffic, dodging Levs and buses. Wherever she flew, cars swerved, crashed, and exploded in her wake.
"What the—!" one driver yelled. He stumbled out of his wrecked vehicle, only to dive for cover as an ice spike shot past him.
Lyra quickly threw up a light shield, but it wasn’t enough. She was slammed into the side of an office building, glass shattering around her as the people inside screamed.
The sharp pain in her back was nothing compared to the panic rising in her chest.
She couldn’t stop. Pushing herself forward, she sprinted through the building, Schedar armor covering her completely now.
With a twist, she shot into the sky, but her path was already blocked.
The level-eight, a Peculiar with Aerokinesis, was waiting for her. With a flick of his wrist, two tornadoes crashed into her, slamming her back to the ground and snapping the sky rail above.
"Ugh! Cough, cough!" Lyra struggled to her feet, but the Peculiar wasn’t done. More whirlwinds tore through the streets, shattering glass all around her.
Panic gripped Lyra, but she forced herself to fling out a light ribbon, pulling herself out of range just in time.
She landed hard, but there was no break. The level-sevens surrounded her in seconds, cold and emotionless, ready to finish her off.
Wiping blood from her mouth, Lyra steadied herself.
If they thought she’d go down easily, they were dead wrong.
Her weapon split into countless sharp blades. A surge of psychokinesis followed, crashing down like a storm.
The fighters froze for just two seconds—enough time for the blades to slice through them. They dropped like puppets with cut strings.
She still had some fight left in her.
The level-eight barely glanced at his fallen team, laser-focused on her. As Lyra darted back into the street, a passing Lev blindsided her, sending her flying.
’She dead?’ Excitement flashed across the level-eight’s face as he moved in to finish her, but before he could, an invisible force slammed him to the ground.
’Gravity?’ He couldn’t move a muscle!
A black Lev rolled up, and out stepped a middle-aged man in casual clothes. But his presence made the whole street freeze with fear.
"I leave Elden Prime for less than two months, and now we’ve got military students being hunted in broad daylight?" The man’s voice was cold, and the fighters quaked at his words.
Just then, the security patrol showed up—way too late. They froze when they saw the man. Faces pale, they saluted, their voices shaking.
"Sir...no, Admiral Whyte!"
Frederick Whyte’s frown deepened, making the officers shrink in terror. This was bad.
"Who’s in charge here?" Frederick asked, scanning the trembling officers. "Have him in my office by tomorrow. Clean this mess up, and then head to the military tribunal. Turn yourselves in."
"Turn yourselves in." Those words crushed them. They knew they were done. Maybe slacking off had been the norm, but today, of all days, they had to run into the Admiral himself.
As for Lyra, she was whisked away to a hospital, placed in a secure ward under the admiral’s watch. No visitors were allowed without his permission.
When the assassins were captured, Ansel already knew the details. He was watching the city’s surveillance footage and saw Lyra calmly slipping away from the killers.
With a deep sigh, he muttered, "If only she didn’t have Calvin blood in her veins."
Even without her powerful superhuman abilities, and burdened by the Soul Spike, she had survived. She was tough, almost too tough for his comfort.
Her survival gnawed at Ansel, making his rest uneasy.
’Why does she have to keep defying the odds?’
Erin rushed downstairs, her voice tinged with urgency. "Grandpa, what do we do now?"
Although the authorities had quickly hushed the incident before it spread online, they both knew the military would eventually trace things back.
"Erin, how many times have I told you? Never leave a trace," Ansel responded, eyes glinting with cunning. He already knew those assassins wouldn’t survive long enough to be questioned.
Lyra’s good fortune was the only reason she was still breathing. With the Admiral in charge of Planet Nagano, Ansel had to be cautious. He couldn’t afford any reckless moves—not when Lyra was now under Frederick’s protection.
As he stroked the ring on his finger, Ansel’s mind worked over the possibilities. "No need to rush. There will be other opportunities." Yet, he couldn’t shake the suspicion. ’Is Frederick’s involvement just luck? Or something more deliberate?’
...
Meanwhile, Lyra hadn’t planned on things turning out this way. Her strategy had been simple—create enough chaos for the patrol guards to get involved.
If they hadn’t shown up, she was ready to storm the nearest government building herself. She didn’t expect to end up in Frederick’s protection.
"You’re awake? I’m sorry for what happened," said Frederick as he entered her room.
Lyra hadn’t expected the visit. Despite his legendary reputation for being an unstoppable force, in the hospital, Frederick appeared almost serene. His usual intimidating look was nowhere to be found.
But Lyra knew exactly who he was. This was the man who had issued the order to execute her parents.
Under the bedsheet, her hand tightened into a fist before she relaxed it. Sitting up, she saluted formally, "Student Officer Lyra, reporting for duty."
With a gentle wave of his hand, Frederick dismissed the formality. "No need for that. You’re Thierry’s classmate and Cohen’s friend. He asked me personally to look after you." He managed a small, rare smile, though it seemed out of place for someone of his stature.
They both knew the real story behind her parents’ deaths. But neither of them spoke of it.
"I’ll be sure to thank him," Lyra replied, her voice steady.
Frederick gave a short nod, clearly busy. "I have other matters to attend to. You take care," he said, and left without another word.
Outside the room, his adjutant’s face showed concern. "Sir, she’s Tyro Shedd and Bree Calvin’s daughter. Are we really going to let her join the military?"
Frederick’s commanding presence snapped back into place. His tone left no room for argument. "The past is done. This child knows nothing of it. Besides, with talent like hers, it would be a waste not to."
His gaze drifted out toward the city, thoughtful and distant. "The military needs fresh blood."
Without it, the system would stagnate, and eventually, this region would fall under the Empire’s control. The adjutant remained quiet but sighed heavily. "We understand that, but Ansel—that old fox won’t make this easy."
Frederick’s face grew hard. Though he held immense power within the military, he knew better than to think he could control everything.
Since the Alliance’s founding, true power had always been in the hands of the great families. Navigating those deep-rooted connections required finesse. Even someone of his rank had to tread carefully, lest he disturb the delicate balance of power.
For now, Ansel had remained quiet. Maybe the public attention on the attack had forced him to lay low, at least for the time being.
However, Lyra couldn’t shake the feeling that this silence was only temporary. It was like the calm before the storm, and she knew it wouldn’t last until the AMAT event.
Chapter 130: AMAT Begins
The day before their departure, Debbie finally got a breather from the never-ending prep work for the new shop’s launch.
She hurried to the hotel lobby, eager to update Lyra. But while she was there, she threw in a question, "Boss, you’re heading to that closed-off island for the competition. Should we keep Mr. Frei on board?"
Mr. Frei wasn’t just any regular hire. He was a level-eight Peculiar, an elite bodyguard known for taking on high-end protection gigs. Lyra had hired him at a steep price, asking Debbie to ensure he’d protect her discreetly from the moment they landed on Elden Prime.
But, honestly, they hadn’t even needed him. Even when things went sideways after their arrival, Lyra didn’t call him for backup. He stayed in the shadows, inactive.
Debbie had been puzzled ever since picking up Lyra from the hospital. ’Why pay thousands a day for a bodyguard who just watched from afar?’
It wasn’t even her money, but still, the waste made Debbie’s stomach twist. She wanted to ask Lyra directly: "Are you enjoying getting beat up, or what?"
"Keep him until I’m off Elden Prime," Lyra replied, her focus locked on the stack of receipts she was approving. "Set him up with an internal comm and have him stand by at the nearest point to the competition area."
Debbie nodded. After witnessing an attack in broad daylight in the city center, she knew tampering with the competition was more than possible.
After Lyra signed the final document, Debbie’s curiosity got the best of her. "Boss, why didn’t you have Mr. Frei step in the other day?"
She’d seen the footage—Lyra came dangerously close to dying.
"I needed to see how many people were in bed with the Shedd family," Lyra replied, capping her pen as her gaze shifted to the bustling streets outside.
It was clear. Beneath the city’s busy surface, the corruption ran deep.
It wasn’t that the Shedd family had unmatched power. No, the real issue was that every family had skeletons in their closet, and no one wanted to expose anyone else’s unless they had to.
Old allies of her parents? Silent. Former subordinates? Useless.
Even her extended family offered no support for her future goals.
Ironically, Frederick—the very man responsible for her parents’ deaths—was the only one who had, unknowingly, given her a leg up. But his aid came with strings attached.
In the end, Lyra was truly alone.
Lyra wondered what might’ve happened if she had rushed to the government building that day.
A wry smile tugged at her lips. "You’re handling the business on Elden Prime now. If anything comes up, check in with Morrison." She tapped the table for emphasis. "There’s one more thing. I need you to track someone down for me."
She pulled up a picture on her opticomputer and sent it to Debbie. "The former medical team leader for the Legion Skywalkers."
This doctor was the one responsible for implanting the Soul Spikes in her all those years ago.
To regain her former superpower, Lyra needed to find the person who performed her Soul Spike surgery.
She couldn’t move directly against the Shedd family yet, and the masked researcher had vanished. This doctor might be her best shot.
Debbie gave a sharp nod. "And once I find them?"
"Track them. I’ll handle the rest."
Given Ansel’s brutal tactics, it was a small miracle the doctor had even survived this long. If he was still alive, he was probably well-hidden by now.
Lyra waved Debbie off, signaling she could leave.
Leaning back into the couch, Lyra massaged her temples, releasing a deep, tired sigh.
She had to work her way into the military—without any support—and fight off those trying to block her every step.
She needed to uncover the real reason behind her parents’ execution.
She had to reclaim her superpower and bring down the Shedd family.
It was a long road ahead, but she’d have to tackle it one step at a time.
Lyra stared at her slender hands, slowly curling her fingers as if squeezing an invisible mountain of skeletons. A faint, almost crazed smile crept onto her lips; she was like a demon lurking in the abyss.
AMAT? Just another small step in her climb.
On the day of the grand opening, drones hovered over the central city, flashing massive screens with messages like, "To the successful launch of AMAT!" Street-side advertisement boards displayed similar words, amplifying the buzz.
The opening ceremony was set in the central square—right in the heart of the Alliance’s power. A place every tourist made a point to visit.
To one side, the military headquarters loomed; to the other, rows of government buildings stood tall. And off in the distance, nestled at the foot of the mountains, sat the royal palace, a quiet but powerful symbol of tradition.
The square itself, paved with pristine milky-white stone, radiated authority, even in the tiniest cracks between the slabs.
Outside, reporters and spectators swarmed the area, armed with cameras and recording devices. Some waved banners and balloons in support, others held up microphones for interviews.
The place was jam-packed.
When sleek mechas streaked across the sky in a display of raw power, trailing colorful smoke behind them, the ceremony officially kicked off.
As the host began introducing the cadets, the atmosphere turned electric. Each cadet entered with boundless energy, their presence hyping up the crowd even more. But when the Admiral finally appeared and stepped up to give his speech, the place erupted.
With the constant pressure of all kinds of beasts and the looming threat of the Empire, the Alliance’s people revered strength above all. And no one embodied that more than the Admiral.
Lyra sat quietly in her designated seat, her head starting to throb from the noise.
"Lyra, are you alright?" Elsie leaned over and whispered, concern lacing her voice.
Lyra shook her head, wincing. "It’s too loud."
At that moment, Anton flashed a grin and subtly passed them something. "Good thing I came prepared. Here, put these in."
They were soft rubber earplugs—Anton’s survival tactic after attending one too many AMAT events.
Lyra slid the earplugs in, instantly muffling the overwhelming noise. She took a quick glance at the instructors around her, noticing that none of them seemed curious about the recent assassination attempt against her.
Not that it mattered to her. She had bigger things to focus on. All she needed to do was endure until the ceremony ended.
AMAT, run by the military, had spared no expense on the spectacle.
Instead of cheesy dance routines, the event featured jaw-dropping mecha stunts and displays of superpower abilities. The crowd was fully engaged.
Then, Erin took the stage.
A dual-ability Peculiar who’d skyrocketed to fame through her AMAT debut, Erin had become a favorite, especially among students.
Her opponent in this performance match was a strikingly handsome young officer, well-known himself.
The two clashed on stage, ice sculptures forming one moment, blazing fire the next.
Cold and heat collided, creating a mesmerizing show. But it was more about theatrics than competition.
In the grand finale, they caused a dramatic steam explosion, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
"Now it’s time for the interaction segment!" the host’s voice boomed across the square. "Any students want to join them up here?"
As if on cue, hands shot up throughout the audience, waving wildly like grass in the wind.
"Let’s do a lottery," the host announced.
A giant screen lit up, scrolling through the numbers of the attendees.
Lyra felt an uneasy pit in her stomach. And, of course, her number popped up.
She clenched her jaw, rising slowly. Someone was pulling strings. But who?
As she moved toward the stage, Erin’s sour expression caught her eye. That confirmed one thing—this wasn’t the Shedd family’s doing. They weren’t stupid enough to publicly expose her. If they wanted her dead, they’d keep it subtle, make it look like an accident.
Lyra climbed the steps to the stage, feeling Erin’s eyes burn into her. But her attention shifted for a brief second as she caught sight of Ansel seated among the military high command, watching everything unfold.