Interstellar: Return of the Villain
Chapter 128: Assassination

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.