Interstellar: Return of the Villain
Chapter 328: Supreme Lyra

Chapter 328: Supreme Lyra

"I see now..." Westros murmured, his gaze fixed on Lyra, a look of disbelief creeping onto his face. "I was just wondering why her power was increasing so quickly..."

Around Lyra, the floating corpses of the Stellar Devourers were slowly withering away.

Westros muttered to himself again, "So, the more Stellar Devourers she kills, the more power the rules grant her."

Because her power was born to counter the Stellar Devourers, every kill strengthened the very rules she was bound to. In turn, she could draw even more strength from them.

Even now, though they had reclaimed the avatar of the black hole, it only meant Lyra would grow even stronger.

Like a god descending upon the battlefield, Lyra merely spread her fingers, and a green light instantly bound the Stellar Devourers.

With a slight clench of her fist, the Stellar Devourers attacking her shattered into nothingness with a dull bang.

Iskandor frowned, his brows tightening. "Seal!"

A burst of green light flared from Lyra, effortlessly shattering Iskandor’s superpower.

She was no longer afraid of anything. Her gaze lingered briefly on Iskandor and Westros before she leapt into the vast depths of the universe.

With green energy shields under her feet, she jumped through space, streaking across the void like a comet.

The gap between a Supreme Peculiar and an ordinary Peculiar was as vast as the heavens themselves, and the reason lay in the source of their power.

Ordinary Peculiars could only draw energy from a small, localized range. Supremes, however, could tap into the energy of an entire planet.

This was why, when a Supreme acted, it could easily disrupt a planet’s ecological balance.

To ascend to a Supreme Peculiar, one needed more than just psychokinesis.

The true key was understanding the essence of superpower—the forces that governed the universe and kept all things running along their destined trajectories.

Now, floating in the depths of space filled with countless gravitational fields, Lyra felt she could pull the gravity from any planet at will, rendering it lifeless.

Westros stood frozen for a long moment, unable to recover from the shock. "Are we truly doomed to perish at her hands?"

He watched as Phelixes was completely swallowed by the black hole. "No. We still have one last card to play."

He turned to Iskandor. "Begin."

Iskandor’s eyes, devoid of any emotion, lowered slightly. "Understood."

...

Lyra soon caught up with the Legion of Flaring Stars.

As she stepped into the recovery bay, she was met with countless awe-filled gazes.

The legendary Rear Admiral Lyra Shedd had been lost in space for three years. Not only had she returned safely, but she had also become the youngest Supreme in human history.

Cohen looked at her, his heart racing uncontrollably. After a moment of silence, he asked, "What do you plan to do next?"

"First, notify the Legion of Everglow," Lyra replied calmly.

Cohen nodded, already imagining the waves of shock this news would bring.

And just as he expected, by the time they arrived at Elden Prime’s Central City, the spaceport was already surrounded by a restless crowd.

"Rear Admiral Shedd is back! Where is she?"

"We want to see Lyra!"

"Let Rear Admiral Shedd come out!"

But the crowd was destined to be disappointed.

...

At the Legion of Everglow’s military base, Aurelius strode quickly through the hallways and burst into the secretary’s office. "Lieutenant Commander Mandy, Rear Admiral Shedd has returned. We must hurry to the spaceport to greet her!"

Mandy, a blonde officer wearing glasses, looked up from the files she was handling. "You know we can’t move without orders, Aurelius. Have you forgotten the rules?"

Aurelius frowned deeply. "Why do you seem so calm? Aren’t you excited at all?"

When Lyra disappeared years ago, Mandy had locked herself away, crying for two full days.

Now that she had returned, Mandy seemed completely unshaken.

Mandy removed her glasses and wiped them calmly, her demeanor steady and mature. "Because I always knew she would come back."

She knew this universe could never trap Lyra. It would only allow her to roam free, unfettered and unstoppable.

"You truly are someone she trusts," Aurelius said ambiguously, his tone unreadable. "You’re not going? Fine, I’ll take everyone else with me."

He could hardly wait to see Lyra again.

"Stop right there!" Mandy stood up, stopping him cold. "If you want to go, then go alone. Don’t drag the other officers into THAT!"

Aurelius argued, "Hmph, they’re willing to go..."

"Willing, my foot," Helion scoffed as he walked in, picking his ear lazily. "I think you’re just feeling guilty. What’s the matter? Want to see Rear Admiral as soon as possible so she can kill you quicker?"

Following him were Robin, Elsie, and a few others—familiar faces who had once helped Lyra establish the legion.

Aurelius’ face darkened further at the sight of them. "Helion, as Adjutant, I expect you to watch your words."

"Oh? So you still know I’m the Adjutant?" Helion crossed his arms, a mocking smile curling his lips. "Anyone else would think you’re trying to lead a little regiment of your own."

Just as Aurelius was about to retort, a cold voice rang out from the doorway, "Who’s trying to lead their own legion?"

Everyone turned their heads at once, their movements sharp and synchronized.

There, standing in the doorway, was Lyra.

She wasn’t wearing a military uniform. Instead, she was dressed in a crisp white shirt and black fitted pants, with mid-calf boots on her feet.

After three years, the pressure she exuded was even more suffocating. The office, though large, suddenly felt claustrophobic, as if the air itself had thickened.

Mandy was the first to react. She stepped around her desk and strode forward with quick, steady steps. "Lyra, welcome back!"

Her eyes reddened slightly, but her composure was far more reserved than it used to be.

Lyra gave a small nod and settled herself on the couch across from the desk. Her gaze fell on Aurelius, whose face was shifting between pale and flushed. She raised her chin slightly. "Explain."

Helion snorted and answered for him. "What’s there to explain? Isn’t it obvious? SOME PEOPLE couldn’t follow orders after you were gone. They turned tail and begged the Alliance Military Council for scraps of favor."

The higher-ups had clearly wanted to dissolve the Legion of Everglow. Aurelius, however, had taken his men and run off to complete missions on his own, as if trying to prove himself.

Helion’s scathing words struck a nerve in Aurelius, who immediately fired back, "You two Adjutants acted separately as well, didn’t you?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he froze under Lyra’s cold gaze. He had practically admitted to everything. Still, he quickly regained his composure—after all, it was true. Whether he admitted it sooner or later didn’t matter.

"Even if we hadn’t split up, Rear Admiral Shedd was gone for three years. The higher-ups were going to disband the Legion of Everglow eventually," Aurelius said with a frown. "By acting separately, we bought more time."

He knew that his disdain for the three Adjutants had played a role in his decision to act alone, but the bigger reason was simple: if they hadn’t split voluntarily, the higher-ups would have forced it anyway.

The only reason they’d lasted three years was because the military hadn’t confirmed Lyra’s death. Several Admirals had supported keeping the Legion of Everglow intact.

Lyra turned her gaze to the other two Adjutants.

Helion raised his hand casually and said, "I’ve been working with Lieutenant Commander Mandy these past few years."

The forces under Helion’s command were the most intact, including Vikie, Elsie, Kolan, and several other old comrades—essentially the "official" remnants of the Legion of Everglow.

Robin shrugged. "The Alliance Military Council offered me command of the legion, but I refused."

Mandy followed up with an explanation. "Robin and Helion acting separately was something we agreed on. It was to make the higher-ups let their guard down."

The more united they seemed, the more the higher-ups feared them. So they’d chosen to split up deliberately, giving the council what it wanted to see.

Lyra nodded slightly before turning her gaze back to Aurelius. "And what about you? What’s your excuse now?"

The only one truly trying to go independent was Aurelius.

Aurelius felt as though he were sitting on pins and needles. Under Lyra’s unwavering gaze, he exhaled sharply and finally relented. "Now that you’re back, of course, I’ll follow your lead."