Interstellar: Return of the Villain
Chapter 169: Level-six

Chapter 169: Level-six

Grains had already charged in, locking horns with Helion in a fierce clash.

Helion’s wild, sweeping strikes cut through the air, his laughter ringing out as he reveled in the chaos.

The entire NMA team fought like a destructive force of nature, leaving devastation wherever they went.

Even a rat sneaking out of a sewer grate didn’t escape, crushed underfoot immediately.

Several teams attempted to surround them, only to discover that none of the NMA fighters carried score tokens.

Atop the stone in the fountain, Lyra stood alone, a string of score tokens dangling from her hand.

Her cold eyes scanned the battleground below, and yet, no one dared challenge her. Her intense energy kept all challengers at a distance.

Finally, someone in the crowd cursed in frustration, "Those NMA maniacs!"

The chaotic brawls continued for half an hour, and when the dust finally began to settle, only a dozen competitors were left standing. Most hailed from the top three academies, though a few captains and standout players from other teams had managed to hang on.

The rest, having long given up, watched eagerly from the sidelines, anticipating the final showdown.

"Robin, we should team up," suggested the leader of the RMA team, his frustration evident. "It’s time we gave those brutes a lesson they won’t forget."

He threw a venomous glance toward the NMA group gathered near the fountain.

The leader of Rocky Military Academy nodded in agreement. "They’re injured now—this is our chance to strike!" But before he could finish, his eyes widened in disbelief.

Lyra unleashed a wave of healing power. Her teammates, who had been bloodied and bruised moments before, began to recover fast.

Even Helion, still in his beast form, watched as his twisted wolf claws straightened and healed. He shot the other teams a taunting grin, fully recharged.

Frustration twisted across the faces of the remaining competitors. While they had been dragging around bulky medical devices, struggling to patch themselves up, NMA had their own personal healer.

Even the spectators were growing exasperated.

"This is just unfair! It’s like fighting a boss battle."

"Lyra’s abilities are too OP—she can attack, defend, and heal?!"

Meanwhile, Thierry casually wiped blood from his mouth, flashing a smirk. "Don’t even think about teaming up. If we’re out, good luck finding the score terminal."

Everyone—both in the arena and watching from the sidelines—had the same thought: ’These guys are shameless!’

"So, the plan is to have the other academies beat each other up, and then the last team standing faces NMA in the final battle?"

"Whoever came up with this strategy is evil genius level!"

Theories about who had masterminded this chaos flew around the internet, with fans even voting on the possible culprit.

Because of his easygoing nature, Thierry had garnered the fewest votes, while Zinnia’s loud, brash attitude landed her near the bottom as well.

In reality, the two had cooked up this strategy during their special training and refined it with input from the entire team.

Ironically, Lyra, who led the votes as the suspected mastermind, hadn’t been involved at all.

With the match at a standoff, the remaining competitors had no choice but to play along with NMA’s game. To conserve energy, they agreed that the team leaders would face off in a one-on-one battle.

Just as they were hammering out the rules, Robin stepped forward. "No need for all that. You can all come at me at once."

The leaders hesitated, feeling an oppressive weight settle over them.

They had good reason to worry.

Before any of them could react, Robin conjured hair-thin threads of water that spread out like a web across the square.

In a split second, electricity crackled through the water, shocking the captains into submission before they could even think of countering. They crumpled to the ground, powerless.

With the score tokens now securely in hand, the leaderboard showed EPMA at the top. If they could just deposit their points, the championship would be theirs.

Now, only two teams remained standing in the square. The final battle was about to unfold.

Joe swiftly placed the score terminal back in position, and as soon as it clicked into place, Lyra dropped the glowing barrier that had protected it.

Only ten minutes remained in the competition.

"Pick your opponents," Thierry called out with a sly grin.

Above them, the sky darkened with thunderclouds, and bolts of lightning rained down upon the NMA team. Yet, a shimmering green shield blossomed, unfurling like a delicate flower, deflecting the strikes with ease.

The stage was set.

Within moments, everyone had locked eyes with their adversaries.

Grains, spotting the familiar gray wolf barreling toward him, felt the old wound on his chest twinge—a bitter reminder of the claw marks Helion had left him. Regret gnawed at him for ever provoking this wild beast, but now he had no choice but to face Helion head-on.

Meanwhile, Lyra stood motionless beside the score terminal. A sharp whistle cut through the air, and she turned just in time to catch a wrist flying at her. The face in front of her was composed, but his eyes burned with anger.

"Cousin Lyra," Robin growled, his voice filled with defiance, "let’s see if I can finally beat you."

Lyra’s mind flashed back to their first-year battle, where she had utterly humiliated him.

Two years of intense training had pushed him to the sixth level, and he was certain this time would be different.

Lyra didn’t bother with a reply. She tightened her grip on his arm with unexpected force, nearly throwing him off balance. But he managed to slip away, just as a flash of lightning streaked across her vision.

Instinctively, she swatted it aside with a burst of glowing energy.

Her opponent vanished from sight, and Lyra’s sharp eyes scanned the battlefield.

Sensing a sudden shift, she spun around and threw a punch, landing it squarely. She followed up with an elbow strike, and the two exchanged a rapid series of blows, their fists and kicks creating shockwaves with each impact.

They broke apart momentarily before unleashing their full power.

Robin’s raw strength and speed were undeniable—Thierry wouldn’t last more than ten minutes against him. And for the first time in a long while, Lyra found herself unable to overpower her opponent quickly.

Forced to retreat, she began tapping into her superpower, using it in earnest.

...

In the surveillance room, Andre’s brow furrowed. "This kid from EPMA has serious skills."

"I’ve never seen Lyra pushed this hard, even using her superpower" Webber added with concern. "She’s nearing her limit."

Robin noticed her labored breathing, so he intensified his assault, pushing her further.

Lyra, in turn, cranked up her strength and speed. But suddenly, a wave of exhaustion hit her like a freight train.

She leaped onto a nearby rooftop, casting protective barriers as she went.

Tendrils of lightning, like electrified vines, chased her, illuminating the square and make the spectators’ hair stand on ends.

’Incredible!’ The crowd watched in stunned silence.

Lyra turned and summoned a glowing orb, but dizziness washed over her.

The orb split into dozens, then hundreds, filling the square with blinding light. But something was wrong—the projectiles were multiplying uncontrollably, a rain of destruction poised to obliterate the battlefield in seconds.

If Robin’s power was awe-inspiring, Lyra’s was utterly terrifying. The sheer number of glowing orbs could reduce everything to rubble in an instant. Worse yet, the oppressive weight of her power made it hard for anyone nearby to breathe.

’This is bad, really.’ Lyra bit her lip hard, fighting to stay conscious as she struggled to regain control.

Her fingers spread wide, and she gritted her teeth, ignoring the searing pain coursing through her.

From a distance, the scene looked like a radiant aurora descending from the heavens, breathtaking yet deadly.

The spectators were frozen in awe as the glowing thunder flash collided with the green shield, casting the square in a dreamlike glow. It felt surreal, as if they were witnessing something beyond comprehension.

Then, a sharp sound rang through the air. The countdown had begun. In a blur of motion, Thierry dashed to the score machine, slamming his tokens into it.

"Game over—"

The robotic voice cut through the tension, snapping everyone back to reality. All eyes shifted to the young girl now kneeling on the rooftop, gasping for breath.

As the crowd collectively swallowed, a single thought hung in the air.

’She was about to level up, wasn’t she?’

Though no one knew for sure, it was clear to everyone that Lyra had forced herself to stop just in time.

On a spaceship drifting through the vastness of outer space, Erin burst into gleeful laughter as the final moments replayed on the screen in front of her.

The footage showed Lyra still kneeling on the rooftop, struggling to stand.

The outside world buzzed with speculation about why Lyra hadn’t leveled up, but Erin had the answer.

"I knew it! No way she could shake off the effects of those five Soul Spikes so easily," Erin mused, smugly satisfied. "She’s been faking it all along." With that, she stood and made her way to the command room, eager to plot her next move.