Interstellar: Return of the Villain
Chapter 131: AMAT (1)

Chapter 131: AMAT (1)

Ansel’s face was like a blank slate. He just stared at Lyra, not giving away a single thought.

The people around them, who knew a bit more about what was going on, had strange looks. This was getting really interesting.

"Please introduce herself, dear," the host said, completely missing the tension in the air.

"Lyra," she said, her voice cool, giving nothing else.

The host, trying to keep things smooth, pressed for more. "Which school? What year? And your superpower?"

"NMA, first year, healer."

"Oh... wait, what?" The host froze. ’A first-year? And a HEALER?’

It wasn’t just her. Everyone watching, both live and online, looked confused.

Onstage, other military school students started whispering, some confused, others straight-up laughing.

A first-year was odd enough, but a healer at AMAT? ’Is this a joke?’

"What’s going on? @NMAOfficial, you running out of students or something? Had to pull in a first-year healer?"

"Maybe she’s got some hidden talents? @NMAOfficial care to explain?"

"Or maybe they know they’re gonna lose and just threw in a pretty face for attention? @NMAOfficial"

The NMA students were getting flooded with tags. The ones who weren’t busy jumped into the comments right away. Even though the idea of a first-year competing was a hot topic at school, they couldn’t let others throw shade.

"Y’all don’t even know. She’s our idol! You’ve never seen someone like her!"

"She’s ranked first in both team and individual mecha competitions! Are you even paying attention?"

"First year, fourth year, doesn’t matter—she’s still better than your best!"

Before long, Lyra’s school records were dug up and posted online. While her achievements were impressive, she still seemed out of place.

"What’s Nagano all hyped for? We at EPMA have a first-year competing too!"

"Oh, I know them! It’s Robin, my fave!"

"Yeah, I remember him. He lost to Lyra in the mecha tournament!"

While the internet went wild, the host tried to get things back on track. Following the director’s prompt, she asked, "Miss Shedd, since you’re a healer, why are you in this tournament?"

Lyra’s gaze flicked over the audience. "I don’t know. You’d have to ask the instructor who picked me."

The host, thinking she was being cheeky, kept going. "Everyone knows Lieutenant Commander Shedd has a cousin named Lyra. Is it just a coincidence you share the same name?"

The question, which seemed innocent at first, quickly shifted the mood. Even the host realized she’d stepped into something serious.

Ansel’s face darkened.

And then, Lyra, who had been all cool and detached tilted her head, a strange smile creeping onto her face. "You’d have to ask Lieutenant Commander Shedd. I had an accident and lost my memory."

If someone wanted to stir up trouble for the Shedd family, Lyra was more than happy to play along.

The crowd was stunned. ’When did this turn into a soap opera?’

Erin, forced to respond, took the mic and smiled stiffly. "Lyra does look a little like my cousin."

Those in the know couldn’t help but chuckle. Even though no one really understood the drama between Lyra and the Shedd family, this whole situation was dripping with irony.

The host, desperate to get back on track, quickly moved forward. "Enough talk, let’s begin. Who do you want to face as your opponent?"

Lyra barely hesitated. "Since I have a connection with Lieutenant Commander Shedd, I’ll choose Lieutenant Commander Shedd."

One of the young officers laughed as he walked offstage. "Looks like Lyra isn’t a fan of my looks!"

On stage, the two stunning women faced off.

Ever since Lyra had privately defeated her, Erin couldn’t shake that overwhelming pressure Lyra carried. But why? It didn’t make sense—In rank and status, Erin had far surpassed this frustrating Lyra.

Determined, Erin went all in, summoning her superpower in full force. A barrage of razor-sharp ice spikes launched toward Lyra, cutting through the air as if Erin intended to impale her. The intensity made several people in the audience wince.

"Whoa, Lieutenant Commander Shedd’s really going for it! Way too intense for a friendly match."

But before anyone could blink, Lyra moved like a shadow, slipping through the ice spikes with effortless grace. Every attack missed her completely, stabbing into the stage instead.

In a blink, Lyra closed the gap between them, launching a direct strike.

Erin tried to block with her ice powers, but Lyra’s force shoved her back two steps.

The crowd gasped in shock.

And Lyra wasn’t done. She pressed on relentlessly, still not using her superpower.

Erin frantically attempted to freeze her, but Lyra simply waved her hand, scattering Erin’s power like it was nothing.

In a final move, Lyra grabbed Erin’s collar and slammed her to the ground with a loud thud.

"S-class superpower... means nothing if you don’t know how to use it," Lyra whispered softly into Erin’s ear, her voice steady.

Then, as if the match was just a formality, she lifted Erin back up and brushed off her uniform. "Thank you for the match, Lieutenant Commander Shedd."

With a polite nod to the host, Lyra left the stage, leaving behind a crowd that could only stare in disbelief.

What was supposed to be a friendly exhibition had turned into a scene where a mere student overpowered a decorated military officer. The hit to the military’s reputation was obvious, but Ansel’s pride took the real blow.

"Haha... ha..." The host let out an awkward laugh. "Well, our participants this year sure don’t hold back! Lieutenant Commander Shedd, you really gave that student a memorable opportunity!"

But no one could shake the tension. The entire opening event had been flipped on its head, and clips of Erin getting handled by a student quickly went viral.

The whole competition was streaming live across official channels, each military school having their own feed so supporters could tune in.

The real challenge would kick off the next day, when the contestants were to be dropped onto a small, isolated island in the middle of the ocean.

The opening challenge would begin on a boat. Each school would be dropped near a random landing zone.

With over a hundred schools qualified to compete from across the Alliance, there weren’t enough landing spots for all teams. The race would start even before they set foot on the island.

Near the landing area, rows of racks held superpower guns and 3D-projectors. Contestants had to shoot the Lev targets projected by the machine using the guns.

Only by hitting 60 out of 100 Lev targets would they earn the password to unlock the lift, allowing them access to the island.

Rowboats swayed unsteadily on the ocean, looking fragile and vulnerable. Just the first challenge alone would knock out a big portion of the competitors.

As they approached the racks, the teams gathered, discussing strategies with serious expressions.

Nicholas secured their boat to the rack, his brow furrowed in thought. "Who’s going?"

Without hesitation, Elsie answered, "Lyra. Her shooting accuracy is the highest."

Since the special training, Lyra hadn’t just surpassed Nicholas—she’d been appointed team captain. Though it irked him, Nicholas couldn’t argue with the chief instructor’s choice.

Lyra silently grabbed the superpower gun, a sleek foot-long device, and slipped on her goggles. After confirming her target was the blue Lev, she readied herself.

The Lev cars burst out one by one, darting through the air in chaotic, colorful patterns.

On the gently rippling sea, Lyra’s green superpower bullets zipped through the air with precision, striking every blue Lev target dead on. Not a single miss.

Meanwhile, chaos reigned among the other teams. Some were missing their shots entirely, while others hit the wrong targets, triggering a flurry of complaints and frustration.

As soon as the counter on Lyra’s gun hit sixty, the system-linked communicator pinged, delivering the landing password instantly.

Wasting no time, Lyra lowered her gun and, in her usual calm tone, said, "Let’s go."

With that, NMA became the first team to board the lift, leaving the rest scrambling behind them. They were officially leading the race into the next phase of the competition.