Ch. 76..80: Interstellar_ Return of the Villain Chapter 76-80

Chapter 76: Therry’s Losing

No one saw it coming—the semifinals of the individual mecha tournament boiled down to a showdown between just EPMA and NMA.

In previous years, you’d always have some other military academies or maybe even popular streamers from the Alliance in the mix. But this time around, all of them were completely overshadowed by freshmen from these two schools.

It seemed pretty clear who was going to walk away with the championship, so the buzz online quickly shifted to who might snag second place.

Some were rooting for Thierry, others thought Caleb had a shot. The one who got the least support was Lyra. Compared to the other three, her performance was seen as pretty average.

"If Lyra wasn’t good-looking, who’d even pay attention to her?"

"That’s a joke, right? She made it to the top four of the tournament, and you’re saying no one notices her?"

"Get real. She only uses a humanoid mecha and sticks to the most basic moves. How good could she possibly be? She’s nowhere near Robin Calvin’s level. Caleb could take her down easily!"

"Dude, you clearly didn’t catch last week’s stream. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be saying that."

...

While the internet was busy debating, the competitors were getting ready to hit the stage, calm as ever.

The semifinals meant one-on-one matches.

First up: Thierry versus Robin.

Zinnia, jittery as ever, looked like she was about to jump in and steer Thierry herself. As the countdown began, she turned to Lyra and Cohen, asking, "Do you guys think Thierry has a shot?"

Lyra glanced at the screen, watching the two getting set for battle. "Unless he takes control early, he doesn’t stand a chance."

"He’s likely to lose," Cohen added, sounding like he’d already made peace with it. "Thierry’s psychokinesis is weaker."

In online mecha battles, superpowers are off-limits. The only edge competitors have is their psychokinesis, which keeps their focus and reaction time sharp.

"Are we really just going to let EPMA run away with this?" Zinnia, usually so tough, clung to Lyra, overdramatically wailing, "Lyra, you’re NMA’s only hope! I’m not letting you lose!"

Normally, Lyra would push her away, but today she gently patted Zinnia’s head. "Mm."

"Wow! You’re really fired up today. I’ve never seen you this motivated!"

Cohen had to stifle a laugh.

Zinnia had no idea how much Lyra had put into this.

"By the way, Lyra, why do I always feel like you’re holding back?" Zinnia scrolled through some data. "That’s why your odds are way higher than Thierry’s."

"That’s exactly what I want." Lyra had a rare glint in her eye.

She wanted those long odds.

Cohen discreetly stepped a little farther away, worried he might roll his eyes—something that wouldn’t look great for someone of his rank.

The match kicked off, just as Lyra and Cohen predicted.

Robin was quicker off the mark, launching a missile that immediately put him in control.

No matter how hard Thierry fought back, he couldn’t turn the tide.

In a clash at this level, a one-second delay in charging up an attack could mean victory or defeat, and any slight hesitation would get you pinned down.

Robin’s strikes were fast and precise, giving Thierry no breathing room.

Twenty minutes later, after taking another hit from an railgun, Thierry’s already battered mecha was finally done for.

He lost.

Even though they’d expected it, Zinnia still slammed the railing in frustration. "Ugh! So frustrating!"

Lyra gave her a reassuring pat on the back. "Don’t worry, Thierry can still go for third place."

What was meant to be comforting only drew some mocking laughter.

"Oh, how humble. You know the championship’s out of reach, so you’re aiming for third place instead. Guess that’s the best NMA can do, huh?"

Zinnia spun around, recognizing an old rival. She was instantly ready to pounce like a leopard. "You looking for a fight or a duel?"

Lyra pulled Zinnia back, whispering, "Thierry’s back."

They still had the team competition semifinals the next day, so getting disqualified over a fight wasn’t an option.

Plus, in reality, with Planet Nagano and Elden Prime were a star system away from each other, a real fight was out of the question anyway.

"Acting all tough, huh? Is everyone at NMA just a bunch of cowards?" Grains kept pushing, his taunts relentless.

Before he could go any further, an arm looped around his neck from behind, and a voice, dripping with menace, hissed in his ear, "Feeling brave today? How about a match with me? Didn’t get enough of a beating last time?"

It was Helion.

Grains had already been knocked out of the tournament by him. The match had dragged on for a while, but a loss was a loss.

Grains’ arrogance evaporated instantly. Helion had nothing left to lose—he was already out of both the individual and team competitions, so he wasn’t bound by any rules. No point in tangling with him.

"Let go of me!" Grains shook off Helion’s arm, then tried to save face by straightening his clothes. "Barbarian."

"What’s the matter? All talk, no action? You wanna settle this offline?" Helion’s challenge came with a smirk.

Grains bristled, flaring up like a cat that had just been stepped on. "You think I’m scared of you? Bring it on!"

Even if his mecha skills weren’t top-notch, he wasn’t about to back down from a real fight.

Just as he was about to set a time for their showdown, a cold voice cut through the tension, freezing him in his tracks. "Grains, what are you up to now?"

Grains immediately straightened up, trying to mask his earlier bravado. "Robin, congratulations on winning another match."

Robin nodded toward Thierry and Cohen, his gaze briefly landing on Caleb’s next opponent—Lyra, who was shorter than his chest and occasionally coughed. Something about her seemed off, but he couldn’t quite place it.

Before Caleb headed to the stage, Robin gave him a rare piece of advice, "Take this seriously."

"I understand." Caleb adjusted his glasses with long, elegant fingers. "For someone like Lyra to top NMA’s first-year ranks with such a frail body, she must have something special."

Moreover, after poring over Lyra’s match data, Caleb had uncovered something unsettling. Although her match durations varied, when he lined up her opponents’ stats against those durations, he found a pattern that was shockingly consistent.

In other words, Lyra had been controlling the length of her matches with precision.

Before their match began, Caleb sent her a message: ’Miss Shedd, I hope you take our match seriously.’

There was no reply.

When the match began, Caleb opted for a lightweight humanoid mecha, equipped with an railgun, a large sword, and a shield—his setup reflecting his cautious and methodical approach. High-speed, high-attack was his game.

...

As soon as the countdown ended, Caleb fired his railgun, only to see Lyra doing the exact same thing.

She had chosen the same weapon.

Their electromagnetic blasts collided perfectly in mid-air, and then something unbelievable happened—Caleb’s blast not only neutralized Lyra’s but also kept going, surging toward her with power to spare!

Everyone knew that the mecha stats in this competition were standardized, meaning the power and cooldown times of their railguns should have been identical.

"How is this possible?" The streamer, playing up the drama, feigned shock.

"Could it be because Lyra fired second?"

"But their cooldown times are exactly the same. Even if they weren’t, how could one overpower the other?"

Then someone chimed in with a theory that sent the discussion boards into a frenzy: "What’s so surprising? The organizers must’ve tampered with the data!"

 

Chapter 77: Teaching Them A Lesson

In the official chat, tensions were running high.

"Officials, what’s the deal with the railgun’s power difference? We need answers!"

"Lyra’s fans are all over the place, whining about how she’s not charging enough power and accusing the officials of tempering with the data. Come on, Caleb would never stoop that low!"

"Shut up, you clueless fan! Do you even understand how the railgun works? It only fires when it’s fully charged. Clearly, one side’s stats are off the charts!"

As the chat exploded in chaos, there was another hiccup during the match.

It was the railgun again. For the third time, Lyra fired her railgun against the opponent, and for the third time, she got knocked down, awkwardly tumbling to the ground.

This was a stark contrast to her earlier performances. In previous rounds, she had been a master at timing her skills, outmaneuvering her opponents with precision. No one could touch her. But now? It was like she was fighting with one hand tied behind her back.

Even the spectators couldn’t stay silent anymore. Regardless of who they supported, everyone was outraged at what felt like blatant cheating.

The official chat was flooded with angry complaints, with fans threatening to report the organizers and demanding refunds on their bets if this turned out to be a fix.

People began to wonder if the other players who lost before had also been victims of some behind-the-scenes manipulation.

Under mounting pressure, the officials paused the match.

They explained there was a glitch in the backend data, which was causing the imbalance in attack power. Both players were asked to exit the match so they could reset everything.

Caleb, lips pressed into a thin line, walked up to Robin with a heavy sigh, "I think I’m going to lose this one."

"I’ve noticed," Robin replied calmly.

Lyra was starting to figure out his battle strategy. She could predict when he’d fire the railgun and even counter perfectly to meet his attacks. It was uncanny how well she was doing it.

"Her psychokinesis test score was 6000 units when she first entered the academy. Losing to her isn’t exactly a surprise."

Caleb knew it too. Adjusting his glasses with a bitter smile, he nodded. "Yeah, you’re right."

He had hoped his skills would bridge the gap, but the truth was, she was just on a different level.

Grains, who was listening nearby, was stunned. "6000? As high as Robin? Is she really that powerful?"

Caleb gave him a mocking smile. "She could probably take you down without breaking a sweat."

Grains ran his fingers through his unruly blond hair and sneaked a look at Lyra, who wasn’t far off.

Their eyes met unexpectedly, and he quickly moved closer to Robin, using his tall frame to shield himself from Lyra’s gaze.

In a low voice, he muttered, "Think I could take her in an offline fight?"

"Oh, and by the way, she’s a healer," Robin added, almost as an afterthought.

"What?" Grains, looking shocked, ran his hand through his hair again, this time in frustration. He strutted out a few steps, flipping Lyra off and mouthing the word, "Trash."

In an instant, a powerful wave of psychokinesis crashed down on him, forcing him to his knees.

"Grains!" Caleb gasped, wide-eyed.

Not far away, Lyra calmly raised her hand, her psychokinesis intensifying, pinning Grains to the ground.

Robin frowned and tried to counter with his own psychokinesis, but it was like hitting a wall; his power bounced right back.

Without even turning around, Lyra said coldly, "Keep your lap dog in check. Next time, I’ll break him."

Then she let her psychokinesis fade away.

Caleb broke out in a cold sweat—— Lyra’s psychokinesis was stronger than Robin! He had no hope of winning this time.

When the match resumed, everything was back to normal.

The organizers, having already stirred up enough anger, didn’t dare mess around anymore. They cursed Lyra under their breath for being so tricky but secretly hoped Caleb would come out on top this time.

But luck wasn’t on their side.

Even though both players used the same set of skills, Lyra’s speed and precision were on another level.

Her movements weren’t flashy, but they were incredibly efficient.

From the very start, Caleb found himself under her control. To the crowd, it looked like a fair fight, but Caleb knew better—Lyra had him locked down, predicting his every move.

After 25 minutes, Lyra secured what looked like a ’hard-earned’ victory in front of the audience.

After the match, Lyra headed back to the stands. Caleb approached her, clearly annoyed. "Miss Shedd, don’t you think it’s disrespectful to take the match so lightly?"

"I only respect profit," Lyra replied with a sly smile before leaving the arena with her teammates.

Helion, who had been completely ignored the entire time, dramatically clutched his chest, his heart racing.

Taking a deep breath, he exclaimed, "How can a woman be this captivating?" His eyes sparkled with a wild light. The idea of battling her, even if it meant losing, thrilled him beyond measure.

The next day, in the team competition, they faced off against an all-star lineup.

These were the top contenders from various mecha tournaments, coming together to grab some attention on social media.

Lyra and her team, however, saw through the hype.

Despite the big names, the other team lacked the skills to back it up, so Lyra’s team easily secured a decisive win.

"This wasn’t even as tough as fighting Helion and his crew," Zinnia remarked after catching on. "They’re just here to ride the publicity wave with the organizers’ help."

After they withdrew from the competition, Lyra pulled Zinnia aside. "Don’t leave the school until the tournament’s over."

Zinnia’s eyes widened in realization. "You think they’d really go that far?"

Would their opponents really stoop to threatening their safety just to keep them from winning?

"They absolutely would," Lyra answered.

They wouldn’t dare go after Thierry, but dealing with them? Easy. One had family too far away to help, and the other was all alone.

...

Just as Lyra predicted, a few shadowy figures appeared on the roof of the girls’ dorm that night, sneaking down toward their rooms.

As she lay in bed, Lyra quietly alerted the school patrol. Then, she transformed her Schedar into a baseball bat and waited by the window, holding her breath.

The moment the intruders touched the ground, she swung the bat, which lit up with a blinding green light, and sent them flying.

The loud crash caused a huge commotion, and the patrol team arrived in no time.

These intruders were highly skilled, and it took the chief instructor himself to finally take them down. When they searched the intruders, they found not only lethal weapons but also biochemical poisons, leaving everyone in shock.

The incident quickly made headlines across the Alliance. That night was pure chaos.

The next day marked the finals of the tournament.

Early in the morning, Lyra got a call from an unknown number. The voice on the other end was hoarse and dripping with anger. "I think you’re smart enough to know what happens when you go against the people in charge."

It was the event planning manager, who hadn’t gotten a decent night’s sleep since Lyra started making waves.

"I’m looking forward to the consequences," Lyra replied calmly. Her steady voice nearly made the man choke on his frustration.

"Then just you wait!" he barked before slamming down the phone.

As the three were prepping to log in the tournament system, they quickly realized something was wrong—Lyra couldn’t access the system!

No matter how many times she tried, even after switching to a different headset, she was still locked out. It was obvious that she was the only one being blocked.

"This is unbelievable! The organizers are being total scumbags!" Zinnia slammed the table, her anger palpable. "Aren’t they worried we’ll blow this up online?"

Thierry, always the skeptic, frowned. "If it’s just Lyra who’s locked out, they could easily spin it as an issue with her gear. They’ve got excuses lined up."

Lyra, her eyes fixed on the screen, didn’t flinch. "Are you ready yet?"

"Almost there!" Sean and the entire research lab team were working at lightning speed, fingers flying across multiple consoles, determined to force Lyra into the match.

"Boss, now!" Sean shouted.

Without missing a beat, Lyra clicked to log in, slipping into the system at the last possible second.

As the match countdown began, she confirmed her participation and entered the arena, just in time.

Her sudden entry sent the manager into a rage. He flipped his table over, the crash echoing in his office, panic quickly setting in.

"Get the tech department on this, now!" he screamed into the nearest intercom, realizing their plan to block Lyra had spectacularly backfired.

Chapter 78: A Worthy Opponent

Today, Lyra made a choice that left everyone in the arena surprised—a sleek, upright mecha shaped like a lizard. It was armed with a staff, an energy shield, and a laser beam.

"It seems like Lyra’s aiming for a fast-paced strategy today," the commentator observed. "But it’s strange she went with a staff and an energy shield. Sure, the energy shield recharges quickly, but it’s not as reliable as a metal shield, which you can use at a moment’s notice."

The commentator’s tone grew more measured, matching the growing tension in the crowd.

"Let’s check out how she’s set up her controls. Wait a minute!" The commentator squinted at the screen. "She’s got the buttons spread across the left, center, and right panels. Looks like she’s trying to avoid any mix-ups during the fight."

"If she doesn’t switch up her tactics soon, this is going to get boring!"

"She did switch, but does she even know how to work it? If she’s not on point, she might as well stick to the basic moves."

"So what if she switches? Robin’s still going to crush her. His matches barely last five minutes unless he’s up against someone like Thierry."

"Come on, Lyra! We’re rooting for you!"

Lyra’s live stream was buzzing with more energy than Robin’s official broadcast. She had made her control panel viewable to everyone, adding an extra layer of excitement.

Behind the scenes, Morrison kept an eye on the viewer count. His nerves kicked in as he opened his comms to talk with Sean and the rest of the team. "Keep close tabs on Lyra’s stats."

"Relax, I even got some outside help," Sean assured him. They knew that competing in this high-stakes AI showdown needed more than just experience—it required an edge.

"Alright, we’re counting on you."

Sean cracked his knuckles, adrenaline kicking in. Lyra had promised them a 10% bump in their research budget every month if they pulled off a win.

Meanwhile, in the event’s tech department, fifty top-tier technicians were on high alert.

"The other side has brought in reinforcements too. Stay sharp—we can’t let Lyra win!" the planning manager barked, pointing fingers at the team.

This rubbed the head of the tech department the wrong way. They were supposed to be patching up data vulnerabilities, not rigging the match. But he also knew that failure wasn’t an option if they wanted to keep their jobs.

In short, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

As the countdown ticked down, both competitors launched into action, and the tech teams went into overdrive.

On the battlefield, Robin’s mecha Thunderhawk, its wings as sharp as blades, cut through the air like lightning. Its arsenal included wing blades, electric shocks, and missile barrages, all designed to counter Lyra’s close-combat tactics.

Thunderhawk suddenly dove, its wings morphing into long, deadly blades ready to cleave anything in their path.

Lyra’s Lizard mecha, an easy target, quickly ducked to avoid the strike. As they crossed paths, Lyra activated her energy shield, blocking the electric shock Robin fired at her.

Lyra’s fingers flew to the center panel, aiming to ground Thunderhawk, but the command wouldn’t go through.

Someone had tampered with the system again.

With a frustrated click of her tongue, Lyra switched to the right panel. She swung her staff with a fierce force, cutting through the incoming missiles.

Then, she darted through the smoke to hide, but her path was blocked, and Lizard took a blow to the head.

In a matter of seconds, the battle had everyone on the edge of their seats, their excitement palpable.

However, few of them were aware that Lyra’s energy shield had been tampered with, causing a one-second delay in the command response.

"That’s odd. Lyra hesitated there—was it a glitch?" the commentator wondered aloud as he replayed the footage. "It looks like she was trying to fire the laser beam, but nothing happened. What went wrong?"

The viewers were quick to chime in on the chat, "She probably messed up the command. That’s what happens when you switch mechas and aren’t fully familiar with it."

"The command was spot on! Are you even paying attention?"

The commentator caught Morrison’s glance, who subtly nodded for him to keep going.

Shifting the conversation to potential match manipulation was too risky now, so it was better to focus on the ongoing tech duel between the teams.

"Sean..." the commentator began, hesitating.

"I’m on it!" Sean barked, his eyes glued to the screen as he shouted at the guy on the other end of his opticomputer. "Bro! C’mon, man! Can’t you take your opticomputer to the bathroom and get the job done already?"

In a dark room lit only by the glow of ten overlapping screens, a raspy voice replied, "The situation’s changed. Recommend me to your boss."

Sean nearly choked on the code he was typing. ’Is this shut-in actually considering a job offer?’

"Fine!" Sean agreed, a bit thrown.

The sound of a toilet flushing echoed through the speakers as a tall, lanky figure sat at his keyboard, yawning and cracking his knuckles. In no time, the code on his screens began to flow like a river.

Soon after, Lyra noticed that her skills were back on track. Despite the relentless onslaught, Lizard spun around and hurled its staff toward Thunderhawk.

As Robin dodged, Lyra unleashed a fully charged laser beam, striking Thunderhawk’s left wing!

The hit threw the Thunderhawk off balance mid-flight.

In the control room, the planning manager, nearly tearing his hair out, turned on the tech department head. "How did she recover?"

The tech department head, frantically patching up the altered code, snapped, "Can you just shut up for a second? Do you know how many people are they running on their side? Their speed is insane!"

Back in the dim room, the young man’s body started to morph—two long arms sprouted from under his armpits, and an extra set of eyes appeared at his temples.

With mechanical precision, he hammered away at the keyboard, muttering about how much fun he was having...

On the battlefield, Lyra began to turn the tide with her sharp, calculated moves. But the data tampering had already taken its toll—her mecha was heavily damaged, leaving her no room for mistakes.

The Thunderhawk was still flying, and aside from her laser, she had no way to bring it down.

Then, Robin dropped two missiles—one in front, one behind.

Lyra quickly sidestepped, narrowly escaping the blast, and fired a laser beam, but Robin dodged it with ease. As he charged up for an electric attack, Lyra swiftly input the command for her light energy shield.

To her surprise, Robin canceled the electric attack and dove straight at her instead. The electric charge had been a fake-out!

With no time to react, Lizard swung its staff, knocking Thunderhawk out of the sky, and then flipped it over, pinning it to the ground.

The crowd was stunned by the sudden turn of events.

"How did that happen? She was still inputting the shield command!" the commentator shouted. He replayed the footage and exclaimed, "She entered the staff command at the same time as the shield!"

Lyra had timed it perfectly, canceling the shield command just as she ordered Lizard to leap onto the Thunderhawk’s back.

Just as Lyra canceled the light shield command, she input the directive for her Lizard mecha to leap onto the Thunderhawk’s back.

’She saw through my move,’ Robin thought, his frown deepening as he commanded Thunderhawk to ascend and roll, trying to shake off the Lizard.

But before he could execute the maneuver, Lizard fired its laser, piercing straight through the Thunderhawk’s power core.

Though the attack landed perfectly, the force threw Lizard mecha off balance.

Warning lights blazed red, and alarms screamed in Robin’s cockpit as he quickly commanded an electric shock attack.

Amidst her own fall warnings, Lyra swiftly reacted—her left hand deployed the light shield to block the incoming electric attack while her right hand input another command.

As missiles closed in, Lizard swung its staff with precision, deflecting them just in time.

With two thunderous crashes, both Lizard and Thunderhawk slammed into the ground.

The match was over.

For a moment, the entire arena, along with the viewers on the livestream, was enveloped in stunned silence. Everyone tried to process the incredible maneuvers they had just witnessed.

"Winner: Lyra."

The commentator, barely able to contain his excitement, pounded his desk as the crowd erupted into a wild frenzy.

 

Chapter 79: Group Match

"Too strong! They’re both incredible!"

"Who dares say my girl Lyra is just a pretty face? Who else can juggle two commands at once like that?"

"Everyone underestimated Lyra. Even after her win, people couldn’t believe it."

"Man, I wonder how much the people who bet on Lyra raked in?"

Morrison glanced at the money that just dropped into his account after the match, swallowing hard. It was nearly as much as their factory made in six months! They really cleaned out those sharks.

Meanwhile, the planning manager was a wreck. His legs felt like jelly, and his communicator was going off, but his hands shook too much to answer. He knew there was no avoiding this.

"If the team match this afternoon goes south, you know what’s coming."

"But boss, Cohen Whyte’s gonna be there! How am I supposed to..."

CLICK.

The call ended before he could finish. Bloodshot eyes, he turned toward the tech department like a madman. "This afternoon, keep all eyes on Zinnia and Lyra!"

At the NMA, three friends were grabbing lunch.

"Lyra, did they mess with your data again this morning?" Zinnia asked, cheeks puffed out with fish.

"Yeah."

"So, what’s the plan for this afternoon?" she mumbled, frowning. "They won’t touch Thierry, so we’re the ones at risk. How did you even win this morning?"

Lyra put down her fork, serious. "I need to talk to you both about something."

After hearing her out, the mood turned grim.

Zinnia blinked, then crammed the rest of the fish into her mouth. "Let’s just do it. The match is already rigged, so why drag it out?"

"No arguments here."

"Alright, it’s settled."

By Saturday, the number of people logging into the tournament hit a new high. Thanks to Lyra’s stellar performance in the morning, her team’s support rate shot up, though it still couldn’t match Team Rose’s popularity.

Thierry picked a humanoid heavy mecha, while Zinnia went with a flying one. Lyra stuck with Lizard from the individual finals, but she did swap her long staff for two short swords, and traded her light shield for a rare skill. The other team didn’t know this, but the audience sure did.

"Lyra gave up her only defense! Lizard’s a basic mecha—one good hit could wreck it."

The commentator pulled up the screen, showing both teams’ setups. "On Rose’s side, Grains is still flying, their team leader Robin picked the Thunderbeast mecha, and Caleb’s sticking with a humanoid one."

No one could figure out why Lyra made those changes; they could only guess she was going after the enemy’s flying mecha. Ditching her defense was risky, but no one was laughing at her. After her performance in the individual match, only fools would dare to.

The map chosen was a tropical forest. The tech lead glanced at the tweaked code and decided not to tell the planning manager—he talked too much anyway.

Robin frowned; something felt off. The thick tree canopy split the battlefield in two, making it tough to support each other between ground and air. ’How can the tech department mess up something so basic?’

"Grains, watch yourself."

"Relax, Robin. Their flyer is that black girl, and she’s been beaten before." The cocky young pilot shot his bird mecha up high.

With no clouds in sight, he quickly spotted the enemy through the trees.

"Got them!"

Grains fired his railgun and sped up to chase.

Zinnia saw him closing in, so she commanded a missile launch, but nothing happened.

Except for basic movement, all her attack commands were dead!

"Damn it!"

Zinnia slammed her console and had to focus on dodging.

Grains chased her down, leaving her in a tight spot.

The audience was on the edge of their seats, stomping in frustration. "What’s Zinnia doing? Just attack already!"

"Something’s wrong! Zinnia’s been trying to fire, but her mecha isn’t responding!"

The commentator didn’t have an answer but highlighted the map for the viewers. "Lyra’s on the way to help!"

Grains was so focused on chasing Zinnia that he didn’t notice the laser slicing through his wing from below.

"Grains, what’s happening?!" Caleb, ready to help from below, asked urgently.

"Not good." Grains locked eyes on Lizard now on his tail. "Lyra’s after me!"

Robin, racing to assist, made a quick call. "Forget the others, take down Thierry first!"

With two enemies in the air, that left only one on the ground. The split battlefield meant they needed to finish off Thierry before Grains was taken out.

It was a solid plan. Grains understood, but when he saw the two mechas closing in, he turned to run.

As Grains’ mecha suddenly dipped, he checked the satellite feed and was stunned—how did she catch up?!

Lizard was above him!

’Where is that black girl?’

"Lyra, I’m going to back up Thierry!" Zinnia shot off in a flash.

"Hold them off." Lizard whipped out its short swords and plunged them into Grains’ back.

Grains’ hair stood on end as the blade dangled over him. He flipped his mecha to shake her off. However, before he barely breathed a sigh of relief, he saw Lizard, now trailing fire, flying back up.

"What the heck hell?" Grains cursed and fired lasers, but Lizard dodged with ease, slicing off both of his wings.

With no wings, Grain’s mecha dropped, and a final laser shot sealed its fate in a fiery explosion.

"Grains is down." Caleb’s heart sank.

Robin, locked on Thierry in front of him, remained focused. "Stay sharp, I’m flanking from the left."

Robin moved swiftly through the forest, quickly trapping Thierry. Just as he was about to strike, Zinnia’s Flyer dove from the sky and slammed him into a tree.

"Take that! I’ll crush you!"

With no functional weapons, she resorted to ramming, all caution thrown to the wind.

Before Robin could recover from the shock, Lizard, jet-fueled and all, crashed down as well.

Caleb, finally catching up, couldn’t help admiring them. "Quite bold moves. They played the game without any defensive skills. What a miscalculation for us."

Lyra drew her short swords. "I’ll handle Robin; you take the other one."

The battle was practically over, especially since the map and mecha choices favored Lizard.

After a fierce fight, Lizard flipped and drove both swords into Robin’s cockpit. Meanwhile, Zinnia rammed into Caleb’s cockpit, ending him nearly as fast.

"Victory for Team Whatever!"

Sean and the others collapsed in front of the screen, completely drained.

"So tired!"

As for the planning manager, he seemed to lose all hope, collapsing to his knees. "It’s all over now..."

Chapter 80: Helping Mandy

"Lyra, we did it! We actually won!" Zinnia exclaimed as she rushed off the field, wrapping Lyra in a tight hug. "Even though I hit my head and feel a little dizzy, we earned so much money!"

Without wasting a moment, she pulled out her phone to check the messages from Mandy. Her eyes practically turned into dollar signs.

Lyra gave a small smile. "Yeah, we did."

Even after covering all the commissions, the leftover cash was enough to seriously ease their recent financial struggles.

"Boss, the money’s all in," Morrison said, panting slightly.

"Great. Make sure to distribute the bonuses," Lyra replied.

There was an award ceremony scheduled for tomorrow, but none of the three were interested in going. Exams were coming up next week, and they had more important things on their minds.

After logging off, they bumped into Mandy, who had just returned from her part-time job. With her income on the rise, she seemed happier and more relaxed than usual. "Oh, Lyra, my mom and the others want to invite you over for dinner..."

She smiled, then hesitated a bit before continuing, "My mom said she wants to thank you for giving me the job, so she made a simple meal. Would you be able to come?"

Lyra glanced at the time. "Sure, I can make it."

Just then, Zinnia dashed out of the bedroom, her eyes shining with excitement. "Can I come too? I’m dying to try some homemade food!"

"I was going to invite you anyway," Mandy said with a grin.

As she finished speaking, the dorm door swung open, and Vivian walked in, her cold expression instantly changing the mood.

Mandy looked uneasy as guilt growing in her.

"Let’s go," Mandy said, grabbing both Lyra and Zinnia by the hand. She glanced over at Vivian, who was still by the door, and asked, "Vivian, do you want to join us?"

"Bah!" Vivian tossed her head and marched into her room without a word.

As they sat on the sky rail, Zinnia hugged Mandy, looking frustrated. "Mandy, I’m telling you this as a friend—you need to stick with whoever you work for. Lyra and Vivian can’t stand each other, so why are you clinging to Vivian?"

"Besides, even if you’re at the bottom of our department, you’re still ahead of 90% of people in the Alliance. You’ve got a bright future, so why worry about her?"

Zinnia’s bluntness made Mandy glance over at the silent Lyra before letting out a sigh. Finally, she spoke up. "It’s just... we’ve known each other since middle school. I didn’t have any friends back then, and she was the only one who would talk to me."

Mandy was the type who felt compelled to repay even the smallest kindness with something big.

"But she doesn’t care about you. She just need you to feel better about herself."

Zinnia spent the rest of the ride trying to talk sense into Mandy.

Mandy’s family lived in the busiest part of Emerald Harbor. The buildings were old, crowded, and painted a dull grayish-yellow.

The streets were narrow and cluttered, with air rails crisscrossing overhead, blocking out most of the light.

The area buzzed with small workshops and street vendors, with trash cans often overflowing, adding to the neighborhood’s gritty charm.

They arrived at Mandy’s place, a sixth-floor apartment in a building with a broken elevator, so they had to take the stairs. They stopped in front of a door with a plaque that read "Wright."

"You’re here!" A woman who looked just like an older version of Mandy greeted them. She was wearing an apron and a warm smile.

She served them juice and water with such warmth that even the usually outgoing Zinnia felt a little awkward.

Mandy’s father was a quiet man, smiling silently from his seat at the table.

"Mandy is so lucky to have friends like you two. She’s always been a good girl, though she’s never been at the top," her mother said. She distributed the nice beef to the three girls, yet barely kept any for herself.

Zinnia tried to hold on to some of the meat for herself, but Mandy’s mom quickly transferred it to Mandy’s plate instead.

"We’re not as well-off as Zinnia or Vivian’s families, and we don’t have special skills like Lyra," Mandy’s mom said, her voice tinged with pride. "So we save everything for Mandy to give her the best chance to succeed. And she did so well, getting into NMA..."

Mandy gave a slightly awkward smile. "Mom, let’s just eat."

Her mother finally smiled, a bit embarrassed. "I’m sorry, it’s just rare for her to have friends over, so I... Please, make yourself at home."

The meal felt a bit strained, but they eventually finished. Before leaving, Lyra and Zinnia, knowing there was someone sick in the family, asked if they could visit Mandy’s grandmother.

The old lady suffered from a degenerative nerve disease, leaving her unable to taste or move her limbs, with only her head still functioning. Mandy was about to feed her, so the three of them went into the small bedroom.

"Grandma, my friends are here to see you," Mandy said softly.

The grandmother, lying on a small bed by the window, turned her head and smiled warmly. "Thank you for coming. Please, make yourselves comfortable."

She swallowed a spoonful of her meal and looked at Lyra with grateful eyes. "I haven’t had the chance to thank Lyra for giving Mandy that part-time job. Has she been doing well?"

"I’ve made sure to give her tasks that suit her," Lyra replied.

"That’s good. Mandy has always been so obedient, never wasting the hard work her parents put into raising her," the grandmother said, patting Mandy’s knee with affection. "You must continue to take good care of your parents."

It was clear that the entire family took great pride in Mandy’s accomplishments as a military academy student.

Mandy forced a smile. "I will."

But inside, she couldn’t help thinking, ’Why do they always say these things in front of everyone, even my friends?’

Suddenly, her grandmother started choking on her food, her eyes wide with panic as her body began to convulse.

"Grandma!" Mandy cried out, dropping the bowl she was holding. "Mom! Grandma’s having another attack!"

Zinnia quickly turned the grandmother onto her side to prevent her from aspirating the food and used a fork to keep her from biting her tongue.

Just then, a gentle healing energy filled the room.

Though healing powers couldn’t cure genetic diseases, they could ease the symptoms. Soon after, Mandy’s mother rushed in with a respirator. She administered the medication, and massaged her mother until the crisis subsided.

But Mandy’s parents didn’t have time to relax. "Mandy, stay with your grandmother. Your dad and I have to head to our night shifts."

They quickly said their goodbyes to the guests and left.

"That’s the third time this month," Mandy said, her voice trembling as she tried to hold back tears.

Zinnia, unsure how to console her, said, "You just have to keep hoping for a miracle." She then noticed Lyra standing by the window, staring at her hands. "Lyra, what’s going on?"

Lyra squeezed the rough, bony hand of the grandmother. "It’s nothing."

After a while, Zinnia suggested they leave. Mandy was about to offer to walk them out, but Lyra spoke first. "You go ahead. I need to talk to Mandy about something."

"What?" Zinnia asked, curious but decided not to press further. "Okay, sure."

Once the always-bubbly Zinnia left, Mandy grew nervous being alone with Lyra.

"I need to ask you something," Lyra said quietly. "I know a way to help your grandmother. It won’t fully restore her, but it can stop her condition from getting worse." Seeing the hope light up in Mandy’s eyes, Lyra continued, "But you have to keep it a secret. Not even your parents can know."

Without hesitation, Mandy nodded quickly. "Thank you so much, Lyra... Can we start right now?"

"Not yet. We need to prepare a few things first."

Lyra then handed the grandmother a cup filled with some liquid. Then she helped her drink it before using her superpower to treat her.