Interstellar: Return of the Villain
Chapter 121: Schemes

Chapter 121: Schemes

The three of them tried every trick to lure the female beast away during the fight, but she wouldn’t budge. Her motherly instincts kept her close to the nest, never straying farther than 30 meters.

Even if she moved beyond that, it would always fly back, no matter what, taking hits as it did.

"Sh*t!"

Milo, the close-combat fighter, was already bleeding from several cuts.

Elsie’s voice crackled through his earpiece, and the news was worse: "The male beast’s figured something out and is heading back. We can’t stop him!"

Kolan’s face tightened. "What now?"

Right then, a calm voice joined in over their comms. "Keep at it, everyone. I’ll try to lure the cub out. Whether it works or not, retreat in five minutes."

Lyra had managed to get near the nest without them realizing. She waved at them, signaling her plan.

Milo scowled. "What took that girl so long?"

Kolan shot him a look. "We couldn’t even draw the female away. Be glad she got there at all."

With that, the three launched another attack. The female beast didn’t notice the cub was in danger, so she stayed focused on them.

Her eyes flared with a deep anger, almost human-like. If it weren’t for her cub, these three would’ve been dead already.

Inside the small cave, the silver-gray cub was curled up. Her parents were among the strongest left since the planet’s level-seven beasts had been wiped out, so she had never faced any real threats.

If not for her instincts to hide, she’d probably still be sleeping in peace.

Suddenly, two glowing green ribbons snaked into the cave, shimmering beautifully.

The cub couldn’t resist swiping at them with her paw, eyes wide with curiosity. The ribbons had a strange power that drew her in.

While she played, the ribbons coiled around the cub, binding her tightly, even covering her mouth to keep it quiet.

Got it!

Lyra grabbed the cub, who was about the same size as her, and bolted from the nest.

The others felt a surge of hope, waiting for her to get some distance.

"Roar!"

The female beast felt the disturbance near her nest and whipped around. The trio rushed to block its path, praying Lyra would move faster.

But the beast snapped.

Her red dorsal fin hissed, and her speed doubled. In the blink of an eye, she sent Kolan and Milo flying.

Nicholas stepped up, managing to halt the beast’s next strike and draw her attention.

At the same time, the male beast—battling Elsie and the others—let out a roar, his dorsal fin blazing. He ignored the attacks, barreling straight back toward the nest.

"The male’s coming back!" Milo’s voice was strained. "We can’t hold them! Run!"

"But Lyra just left!" Nicholas wavered.

Milo was already sprinting.

With no choice, Nicholas and Kolan quickly alerted Elsie and began their retreat.

Elsie, chasing the male beast, was fuming. "What do you mean run? Change course and get out!"

Soon after, Nicholas spotted Lyra, dragging the cub behind her.

Seeing them, Lyra frowned. "I didn’t give the signal yet!"

"Forget the signal! Both beasts are losing it, and we can’t hold them!" Milo shouted as he ran.

"So, two level-six beasts together, and you think we stand a chance?"

Everyone froze for a second—the worst-case scenario was playing out.

Up in the sky, Andre was monitoring the whole thing, and he wasn’t happy. "Are these guys kidding me? Even a first-year knows not to let the beasts come together like that!"

If Milo and the others had just pulled the female beast further away, she would’ve calmed down, gone back to look for her cub, and they’d be in the clear.

By then, Lyra would’ve already stashed the cub safely. Even if the two beasts eventually found each other, it wouldn’t be nearly as bad as the trap they were now caught in.

Webber wiped his forehead. "And let’s not forget, Lyra’s not in top shape either."

She couldn’t outrun the Galestone beast, and everyone knew it.

Andre sighed deeply. "Get ready to pull them out," he said, his frustration clear.

"Maybe not just yet," Anton chimed in, pointing at the surveillance screen. "Looks like someone still has a plan."

Lyra’s voice crackled through the comms. "Elsie, can you hold the male beast off for another ten minutes?"

Elsie stared at the beast speeding toward her, jaw tight. "I can give you seven minutes—tops!"

"That’ll do."

Lyra skidded to a stop, dropping the cub at her feet.

Nicholas and the others, who had been sprinting beside her, came to a halt as well.

"Are you out of your mind? Why aren’t we running?" Nicholas barked.

Lyra, catching her breath, replied calmly, "Four fighters, two of them level six, don’t need to run from one level-six beast. Best plan is to take out the female before the male shows up!"

Her eyes locked on the female beast, which was rocketing toward them like a missile.

Lyra extended her hands, releasing a storm of bright green lights.

The wind screamed as the lights tore through the air, smashing into the beast’s hide, leaving deep, bloody wounds.

Turns out her power wasn’t just about those green ribbons.

"Let’s finish this!" Kolan slammed his foot into the ground, and thick vines surged forward.

But the female beast was quick. She shot into the air, dodging the vines.

In the sky, a fireball was already waiting for her.

It exploded against her, sending her plummeting to the ground.

Milo cursed and rushed in with his claws, but the beast retaliated, summoning stone pillars to block his attack. The stone wasn’t enough to stop Lyra’s ribbons, though. With two sharp whips, her ribbons pierced through the beast’s dorsal fin and right paw.

The scent of her blood stirred the cub. The ribbons around her mouth slipped, and the cub let out a piercing cry.

For just a moment, the female beast hesitated. The sound of her cub crying threw her off balance, and Kolan’s vines shot straight into the open wounds.

Despite being a level-six beast, with emotions driving her, the mother wailed in pain. She tore the vines from her body, staggering, her injuries severe.

Desperate, she tried to fly toward her cub, but instead crashed headfirst into the light ribbon trap Lyra had set.

"Got her!"

"Finish it!" Milo yelled, his face twisted in a wicked grin. He lunged forward, driving his claws deep into the beast’s flesh.

Blood sprayed everywhere.

"Roaaar..." The female beast let out a gut-wrenching scream, her eyes locked on her cub, just meters away.

"Roaaar!"

Suddenly, a thunderous roar shook the battlefield.

The male beast had arrived.

Elsie followed close behind, with Daire and Adela trailing in the distance.

Milo, rather than being afraid, yanked his claws from the female beast’s body with a smirk. "Perfect, now we can take them both down!"

The female beast collapsed, drained of life, while the cub nudged her, crying softly.

The male beast, seeing this, roared with uncontainable rage.

Hovering in mid-air, he let out a howl so powerful the ground seemed to tremble. All around him, rocks began to float, swirling ominously in the air.

The group, just about to charge forward, froze in their tracks. An icy wave of fear hit them as they felt the danger intensify, making their scalps tingle.

Without a second thought, they scrambled to retreat.

But it wasn’t fast enough. The male beast unleashed a storm of rocks, firing them like cannonballs.

Even the slightest graze from one could cost someone a limb.

Lyra was the closest to the beast, so she had no time to flee. She raised her light shield, bracing for impact.

The rocks slammed against it, sending shockwaves through the air.

She held firm, and when the barrage finally ended, she didn’t hesitate. Pulling back the ribbons from the fallen female, she grabbed the cub and made a run for it.

The male beast rushed to the female, nudging her desperately. "Roar!"

The female stirred weakly, glancing toward the cub with half-closed eyes. She opened her mouth slightly, but no sound came.

The male beast’s eyes darkened with fury, realizing what had happened. His rage exploded, and he immediately launched after Lyra, who was running with his cub.

High above, Andre watched the scene unfold. He clapped his hands together, a smirk spreading across his face. "Mission accomplished. They’ve got this."

With three level-six fighters working together, taking down the male beast should’ve been straightforward.

But then, a loud alarm blared in the helicopter.

The warning radar flashed, and before anyone could react, a massive shadow darkened the sky.

All heads snapped upward, and their faces went pale.

The clouds parted, revealing a gigantic spaceship descending slowly. Its monstrous, unicorn-like head gleamed ominously, casting a chilling presence over the battlefield.

"What the hell is that?" Webber muttered, eyes wide.

The ship’s menacing form loomed larger and larger as it descended, and the once simple mission had just turned into something far more dangerous than anyone had expected.