Interstellar: Return of the Villain
Chapter 237: "Schedar"

Chapter 237: "Schedar"

Lyra’s heart raced as it hit her: the real Schedar was right there in Benedict’s grip. The one left behind by Seren? Just a rough draft.

Even that half-finished piece of work boasted attack and defense skills on par with a level-nine Peculiar, so Benedict’s version had to be off the charts.

Benedict’s sneer deepened as he sensed her anxiety, his eyes glinting with disdain. "Let me show you what Schedar is really for." With a flick of his finger, the football-sized orb transformed into a colossal bell that rang out melodiously as it swayed.

Suddenly, his superpower kicked in—a wave of sound radiated from him like a shockwave. The ground shook violently, layers of dirt flying up as if the earth itself was rebelling, while the air warped around them.

In an instant, the sound wave barreled toward her. Lyra quickly activated her Schedar armor, conjuring shimmering light shields for defense, but they shattered like glass.

The wave hit her, sending her reeling, her silver armor morphing into a protective sphere.

Blood trickled from her ears, a relentless buzzing filling her head as she lost her hearing entirely. Dark bruises blossomed across her skin, a testament to the internal injuries she sustained.

"Cough... cough!"

Lyra grimaced as the realization hit her: Schedar was designed to amplify and boost superpowers.

"My Varmoket royal bloodline comes with great psychokinesis," Benedict taunted, his eyes gleaming with malice. "The last king dreamed up a weapon fueled by psychokinesis, and Schedar was its name. But the commoners revolted."

His voice dripped with sarcasm. "Those same commoners, clamoring for equal rights, took my family hostage to seize this tech. My ancestors were exiled among the stars, only to be hunted down in secrecy."

He recounted the bitter family saga passed through generations, each ruler’s anger and thirst for revenge fueling the next. As the latest head of the family, he struggled to suppress his deep-seated rage.

Lyra’s expression turned serious as she tightened her grip on her sword. "Yet you allied with the Empire. The very people who robbed you of your legacy are likely still out there."

Supreme Peculiars and those above had transcended human limits, nursing grudges that spanned decades.

"You wretched scoundrel! How dare you! I used to spin our family’s history like a bedtime story!" Benedict’s fury erupted, words spilling out like lava. "This is all for the glory of the Varmoket name!"

Under Westros’ influence, he had chosen to work with the Empire’s military, acquiring some Schedar in the bargain.

Lyra shot down his fantasies without mercy. "You called it a fairy tale! The Empire won’t bring back the old regime after consuming the Alliance."

History isn’t rewound; the lessons learned from oppressive power would ensure the Empire wouldn’t allow that cycle to restart.

"Shut your mouth!"

With a deafening roar, Benedict rang the bell again. Sound waves crashed in from every direction as Lyra leaped skyward on her light shields. But the waves relentlessly pursued her, echoing through the sky, striking her again.

Her vision faded, and she plummeted to the ground, hitting hard. Her military uniform, once pristine, now lay stained with mud and blood. At last, she sprawled on the uneven terrain, blood seeping from every pore, convulsing in agony.

Her healing energy enveloped her in a frantic bid to restore her fading strength.

Just when Lyra thought she’d managed to patch herself up, the sound waves crashed back like a tidal wave.

The bell next to Benedict rattled ominously, as if it were a cruel reminder of her vulnerability.

Exhaustion took over, draining her powers and leaving her unable to fight back.

With a harsh clang, Benedict approached the almost lifeless Lyra and kicked her disdainfully, sneering, "Just like your mother, you’re worthless."

In a flash, a sharp glimmer caught his eye.

Reacting quickly, he unleashed a sound wave to deflect the incoming attack. Meanwhile, Lyra, barely conscious, widened her eyes and pushed herself up with one hand.

In a burst of determination, she swept her leg, striking his ankle.

Caught off guard, Benedict stumbled, losing his balance and crashing to the ground.

Drawing on his past experiences, he launched another sound wave, but before he could feel any relief, Lyra staggered to her feet and retaliated, her fist smashing into his chest.

A sickening crack echoed as her ribcage shattered, but her weakened state meant she couldn’t completely take him down.

Benedict, having led a life of privilege, was unaccustomed to such agony; his vision blurred as he shook the Schedar desperately.

The bell rang on, a relentless "ding, ding, ding!"

Panicking, Benedict rolled and crawled away, summoning every ounce of strength to attack.

The ground erupted around them, but Lyra skillfully navigated the chaos, gripping his ankle and bringing her other hand down like a blade.

Another crack resonated as his leg broke beneath her strike. The old man crumpled, dragging his shattered limb along the ground as he struggled to channel his superpower amidst the relentless clamor of the bell.

Blood streamed from Lyra’s eyes and nose, her body battered and torn, yet she kept pressing on, her fists hammering down on his abdomen without a shred of hesitation.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

With one last, resounding chime, "Thud!" echoed as Benedict choked on his own blood, his insides ruptured. The excruciating pain left him utterly defenseless.

The bell transformed into a sphere, crashing down to the ground with a dull thud.

Panting heavily and drenched in blood, Lyra looked down at him. "You... you clearly... cough, cough, have no superpower left..." Benedict’s bloodied face reflected disbelief.

"True, I don’t," she replied, a manic grin spreading across her face. "But the pain from Soul Spike is far worse than this."

Taking a moment to catch her breath, she picked up the fallen Schedar. In that instant, the connection between Benedict and the Schedar was severed, causing him to writhe in agony.

As she approached, transforming the Schedar into a sword, her gaze locked onto his head, wordless and determined.

Just as she was about to strike, an all-consuming force surged from beneath him.

But her powers were too depleted; the sword plunged into the earth instead, and Benedict vanished just in time.

With heightened caution, Lyra scanned the area. She confirmed no Stellar Devourer was lurking nearby before collapsing to the ground, utterly spent.

Fighting to stay conscious, she focused on regaining her strength and healed her injuries.

Moments later, Valeria arrived with a group of followers.

Surveying the scene, she felt an unsettling sensation.

"Ma’am," Lyra managed to rise, saluting respectfully. She always kept her public demeanor polished.

Valeria nodded, taking in the devastation. It was clear the battle had been brutal. "Where is he?"

"I wasn’t strong enough; he was saved by the Stellar Devourer."

"Saved?" Valeria clicked her tongue in irritation. "Of all people, why did it have to be you who captured him? This complicates things."

Lyra understood her implication and calmly sheathed her sword. "Whether I was here or not, it would have been a problem either way."

The accompanying superpower detection team meticulously examined the scene, quickly collecting samples of the Stellar Devourer’s energy particles.

Valeria accepted the samples, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "Hopefully, this will convince the old fogies."

But the real trouble was only just beginning.