Interstellar: Return of the Villain
Chapter 348: The End of Everything

Chapter 348: The End of Everything

The fleeing people froze when the sky turned a vivid green. Their eyes locked on a striking figure—a woman dressed simply in a white shirt, black pants, and ankle boots.

Shock and confusion melted into joy, then tears of relief.

Above the battlefield on Elden Prime, a green veil illuminated the heavens, pierced by radiant beams that rose from the horizon like the dawn.

Below, Lyra extended her hand, appearing to grip something invisible. The enormous black hole stretching across the sky began to rapidly contract.

Phelixes, sensing the change, lunged forward, but the green radiance emanating from Lyra repelled him, keeping him at bay.

"Phelixes," Lyra called, her tone calm and commanding.

For a fleeting moment, his savage features softened. A glimmer of green light flickered through his pitch-black eyes.

Without hesitation, he turned and retreated into the black hole.

Westros’ heart raced with dread. He bellowed, "Stop Lyra! Quickly!"

Before anyone could react, their powers began to drain. Thick streams of dark energy flowed from their bodies, drawn toward the black hole where Phelixes waited.

Westros’ eyes widened in horror as he clutched his head, his voice filled with fury. "Damn you, Phelixes! This was your plan all along!"

Realizing their impending doom, his gaze filled with desperation. Black fluid oozed from his red eyes as he snarled hoarsely, "Lyra, you’ve been conspiring with Phelixes from the start, haven’t you?"

Otherwise, how could Phelixes have coordinated so seamlessly?

Lyra’s gaze turned icy. "Conspiring or not, it makes no difference. This is your end."

Westros’ face twisted in rage as he surveyed the panicked Stellar Devourers. He let out a guttural roar: "Run!"

Summoning the last of his strength, he transformed into a net of dark energy and lunged at Lyra.

Unmoved, she brought her hands together in a sharp, decisive motion.

In an instant, he reverted to his human form, impaled on her arm. A surge of green light burst from his body, tearing him apart in a flash.

With every movement, Lyra radiated a glow of unstoppable power, inspiring both awe and submission.

Frederick stood silently, his fists clenched, exchanging quick glances with the others.

Meanwhile, the remaining Stellar Devourers threw everything into their retreat, diving into the black hole. But green chains pulled them back out, flinging them into Phelixes’s domain.

The experimental subjects fared no better. They were consumed by the black hole, dying instantly.

Lifeless bodies fell like rain over the planet—beings taken as children for experiments or, like Lyra, products of genetic manipulation.

These nameless creations, born in laboratories, perished unnoticed and unmourned.

Under countless watchful eyes, the immense black hole condensed into a tiny dot in Lyra’s palm. With a single motion, she closed her fist, and it disappeared.

A chorus of cheers erupted across Elden Prime, ringing with jubilation. The people shouted Lyra’s name, praising her with reverent gratitude.

But amid the triumph, a sinister scheme was quietly unfolding.

Lyra descended gently to the ground, rejoining Frederick and the others outside Central City.

"Rear Admiral Shedd, welcome back," Frederick greeted her with a stony expression.

Nearby, Zinnia piloted her mech, staying close to Aurelius. From her vantage point, she saw something that made her blood run cold—Aurelius’ mech cannon was aimed directly at Lyra.

"Watch out!" Zinnia screamed, her voice trembling with urgency.

She acted without hesitation. Before anyone could stop the shot, she threw her mecha into its path.

The blast struck, tearing through her machine.

The jubilant celebration came to an abrupt, harrowing stop.

Mandy’s eyes widened in terror as she cried out, "Zinnia—!"

Lyra began to turn, but a surge of superpower particles closed in too quickly. In an instant, she propelled herself upward, narrowly evading the oncoming strike.

Below her, molten magma churned, radiating an intense red glow, while above, a storm of snowflakes swept in, signaling the onset of a freezing global blizzard.

"Sorry, little girl," Vern muttered, his expression conflicted. But his attack was unflinching, devoid of hesitation or mercy.

In seconds, their clash unleashed waves of terror across Elden Prime. The planet itself seemed to recoil, with vegetation shriveling to dust in an instant.

"What is it you’re trying to accomplish?" Cohen demanded, his face flushed with fury.

Frederick’s reply was chillingly blunt. "She cannot be allowed to live."

With those words, Frederick, now a Supreme Peculiar, and the veteran commanders surged onto the battlefield.

Cohen moved to join them, but Valeria caught his arm. "Your duty is to guard this place. That’s all."

He turned to her, disbelief etched across his face. "You knew about this plan, didn’t you?"

Raphel, his arms crossed and expression grim, shook his head. "None of us knew."

The four Admirals who had sided with Lyra stood in stunned silence, grappling with the betrayal that now unfolded.

Meanwhile, brightly colored mechas charged into the fray, their pilots throwing everything they had into delaying Frederick and the Alliance leaders, even for a moment.

Above the chaos, Helion rose on an electric hoverboard. Wearing electronic goggles and wielding a compact rocket launcher, he quickly made his presence known.

BOOM!

The blast knocked an Alliance commander out of the sky.

Vikie fired again, aiming at Admiral Sparks, and shouted, "Helion? Where the hell have you been?"

"Unlike you, I’ve got no superpower left," Helion replied, stowing the rocket launcher into his Space Button. "If I fall, that’s it for me. I needed a minute to regroup before taking off!" He drew a sniper rifle, aimed calmly, and squeezed the trigger.

Even without his powers, Helion’s sharpshooting skills from his NMA days remained unmatched.

The sky dissolved into utter chaos as the fighters clashed. On the ground, bystanders stood frozen in shock.

"What’s happening?" people murmured anxiously. "We just survived one catastrophe, and now they’re fighting Lyra to the death?"

Nearby, Mandy and the others worked frantically to extract Zinnia from her shattered mecha.

"Get the medical device!" Mandy shouted, her voice cracking with desperation.

Cohen hurried to fetch it, but Zinnia’s injuries were too grave. The device could only slow her decline.

Mandy’s voice broke as she screamed toward the heavens, "Lyra—!"

High above, Lyra’s attention flickered, despite being locked in combat with two Overarchings.

She heard the cry.

With superpower energy closing in on both sides, she formed a green spherical shield around herself and dove downward.

As she re-entered the atmosphere, she extended a finger. A precise beam of light shot downward, landing directly on Zinnia.

This time, she arrived just in time.

But Lyra herself paid a heavy price. Chains of molten lava and frozen ice wrapped around her, each imbued with immense cosmic energy.

Though they appeared no thicker than an arm, their combined force was overwhelming.

Unable to break free, Lyra could only maintain her shield as her assailants dragged her downward.

When she finally hit the ground, her impact resembled a falling star, shaking the earth with cataclysmic force.

It felt as though the very heavens might collapse.

From a distance, Frederick and the others paled at the sight. Even as they tried to assist, the residual shockwaves left them dizzy and disoriented.

Moments ago, Lyra had been humanity’s savior. Now, she was a captive.

Suspended within her glowing sphere, she gazed at Frederick and his allies. Her voice, calm yet laced with deep sorrow, broke the silence.

"Why can’t you just let me go?" Her words cut deeply, a painful reminder of her tragic existence.

Born with half Stellar Devourer genes, Lyra had been exploited by her family, manipulated by the Alliance, and hunted by nobility and Stellar Devourers alike.

Despite her unrivaled strength, she had always been used as a tool.

She sacrificed everything to save humanity, yet even now, they refused to show her mercy.