Intergalactic conquest with an AI

Chapter 199 The battle of Nakor. (11)



"What... What is this?" he muttered, his excitement rapidly giving way to confusion. He concentrated harder, but his teleportation still refused to activate.

His voice grew louder, more frantic. "What's going on?! Why can't I teleport? I still have energy to do it... this... this shouldn't be happening! What is this sorcery!?"

For the first time in years, Harlix felt a cold sensation creeping into his chest: fear.

Lilla remained silent, her calm demeanor unshaken. The glowing hands lifted Harlix higher into the air, their grip tightening. The once-confident Nexum commander now dangled helplessly, his arms pinned and sparks flying from his armor as the ethereal grip disrupted the flow of energy within it.

"You don't understand, do you?" Lilla finally said with her voice soft yet carrying an edge sharp enough to cut steel. She took a single step forward, her gray eyes glowing faintly as the air around her seemed to hum with an unseen power.

"You're not fighting a mere human, Harlix. You're fighting someone who exists beyond your comprehension. You can teleport across the battlefield, but in my eyes, you're always exactly where you're meant to be."

Harlix's glowing yellow eyes narrowed as he snarled. "You... you dare talk down to me!? I am Harlix! I have transcended mere mortal limitations! You're nothing more than a toy to me! A lab rat! Release me at once!"

But Lilla ignored his outburst. She raised her hand, and the glowing arms responded instantly, slamming Harlix into the ground with enough force to crater the rooftop. His armor screeched in protest as cracks began to spread along its surface.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Harlix groaned, stunned by the impact, but his pride refused to let him show weakness. "You think this is enough to stop me?" He spat, his voice venomous. "I'll—"

Before he could finish, one of the glowing hands pressed down against his chest, pinning him in place. The weight was immense, as though an entire mountain had been placed on him. For the first time, Harlix felt the cracks in his composure deepening.

"What... are you?" he whispered, his voice trembling ever so slightly.

Lilla took another step forward, the wind around her swirling in a steady rhythm as if responding to her presence. "You said earlier that my race is fragile," she began, her tone measured and deliberate.

"That we have no claws, no fangs, no natural armor to defend ourselves. And you're right. Humans are fragile. We are weak. But that's why we're strong."

Her words carried a weight that made Harlix pause, his struggling momentarily ceasing.

"Unlike you, Harlix," she continued, her glowing eyes locking onto his, "we don't rely on our bodies alone. We adapt. We endure. And when the world pushes us to the brink, we rise higher than you can imagine."

The glowing hands lifted Harlix again, holding him aloft as if presenting him to the heavens. Lilla's voice grew colder, sharper. "You think you've unlocked the secrets of humanity, but you've missed the most important one; we are more than the sum of our parts. You are not fighting a weapon. You're fighting a soul."

The weight of her words made Harlix's mind race. For the first time, his endless arrogance began to crack. "You... you're lying," he hissed, though his voice lacked its usual conviction.

Lilla raised her hand once more, and the glowing arms began to compress around him. Sparks erupted from his armor as the pressure increased, and for the first time, Harlix screamed, not out of anger but out of desperation.

"Stop this!" he shouted, thrashing wildly. "You don't understand what you're doing! I'll—!"

"You'll do nothing," Lilla interrupted, her tone cutting through his words like a blade. She took another step forward, now standing just a few feet away from him.

"You've spent your life experimenting on others, treating them as tools for your own gain. But now, it's your turn to be helpless. Tell me, Harlix... How does it feel?"

The glowing hands raised him higher once again, the light emanating from them intensifying. Harlix's struggles weakened as his energy reserves were drained, his once-mighty confidence now a flickering shadow of what it had been.

"Wait... Wait!" He gasped, his voice trembling. "We can work together! You don't have to do this! I can help you understand your power! I—"

Lilla's gray eyes narrowed, her expression unchanging. "You've already said enough."

With a final gesture, the glowing hands slammed Harlix into the ground once more, this time with a force that shattered the rooftop beneath him. The air filled with the sound of crumbling metal and stone as Harlix's broken form lay still, sparks flickering from his damaged armor.

The battlefield fell silent for a moment as the wind around Lilla calmed. She stood over him, her glowing eyes dimming slightly as she took a deep breath.

"This is what happens," she said softly, more to herself than to him, "when you underestimate the strength of humanity."

"Here I am talking about souls when I don't even have one," Lilla whispered to herself, her voice laced with a quiet bitterness. She let out a heavy sigh, the glow in her gray eyes fading as exhaustion overtook her.

"Sister, are you alright?" Her brother called out, running toward her the moment he saw her swaying on her feet. He reached her just as she began to falter, her body leaning dangerously to the side.

"I'm fine," Lilla said softly, though her voice betrayed her weariness. "I just used too much mental energy. I'll just... take a little... nap." Her words trailed off while she collapsed into her brother's arms, unconscious, before she hit the ground.

Her brother held her carefully, his face filled with concern. This was why the templars always ensured a female knight accompanied Lilla at all times to watch over her when the strain of her abilities became too great.

But for now, she was safe in his arms, resting after what had been a monumental effort to defeat Harlix.

Meanwhile, outside the facility, the chaotic battle between the Massive Mauler and Nexum's elite mecha suits was finally reaching its conclusion.

The Mauler, battered but unbroken, had sustained visible damage across its colossal frame. Scorch marks blackened its hull, and parts of its armor had begun to crack under the relentless assault of the mecha pilots. But despite their best efforts, the mechas had failed to deliver a critical blow.

The reason was simple, the Mauler was a machine, cold and relentless, incapable of fatigue or hesitation. The mecha pilots, for all their skill and superior mobility, were still organic beings.

Their reflexes dulled, their breathing labored, and their stamina dwindled as the fight dragged on. One by one, their evasive maneuvers grew slower, their attacks less precise, until finally, the Mauler's plasma cannons landed decisive strikes.

With a thunderous blast, the last of the Nexum mechas fell. The Mauler stood victorious, its massive frame looming over the battlefield like an unstoppable juggernaut. Though damaged, it was far from defeated. It let out a mechanized roar, signaling the end of its hunt.

On the other side of the battlefield, the fight between Gustav and the twins, was also nearing its conclusion.

Gustav had proven to be a formidable opponent, his raw strength and ferocity pushing the twins to their limits. But his inability to heal had become his downfall.

Every wound the twins inflicted on him, every slash, every bullet, slowly chipped away at his combat capabilities. Blood dripped from his tattered body, pooling around his feet as he panted heavily, his once-pristine golden fur now matted and stained red.

The twins, on the other hand, had a distinct advantage, Cleo's blood pills.

These pills, no larger than marbles, were small miracles of science. Each one contained a full liter of compressed blood, harvested from donors after rigorous health screenings in the underground city.

Once swallowed, the pill's protective coating dissolved in the stomach, instantly releasing its contents and replenishing the user's energy and healing abilities.

At first, the twins had struggled to adapt to the sensation of drinking so much blood so quickly, but with time and training, they had grown used to it. Now, in long battles like this one, the pills were indispensable.

"Sis, I've run out of pills! Gimme some of yours!" Nyra shouted while panting heavily as she dodged another of Gustav's furious swipes. Read exclusive adventures at empire

Lyra's eyes narrowed in irritation. "No way! This is why I told you to stop using that blood mist technique so recklessly, but do you ever listen to me? No!" Despite her protests, Lyra sighed and tossed a few pills to her sister.

Nyra caught them mid-air with a grin. "Heh, stop your bitching, will ya? I've almost got that flea bag handled! Just a couple more hits, and he's done for!"

She pointed toward Gustav, who stood in the distance, his body covered in deep gashes and cuts, blood dripping from his wounds. His missing eye had clearly thrown off his balance and reflexes, making him increasingly vulnerable.

"Well then," Lyra snapped, pointing her gun toward Gustav, "why don't you go suck his blood instead of stealing mine?!"

"Like hell, I will!" Nyra shot back, popping a pill into her mouth. Her crimson eyes flared briefly as the blood surged through her system, restoring her strength. She jabbed a finger at her sister. "The only manly blood I'll ever have inside me is Rex's! I'm not a cheater like you!"

Lyra's face turned crimson as she blushed furiously. "W-WHAT!? How am I a cheater?!" she shouted, her voice cracking slightly. "Even I only drink blood from female donors! I have standards!"

Nyra smirked mischievously. "Yeah, sure. 'Standards.' Whatever you say, sis."

The two of them began bickering loudly, completely ignoring the half-dead lion-man in front of them. Gustav, bloodied and enraged, growled deep in his throat as he watched the twins argue. His single eye twitched with barely contained fury.

"Can you two bitches shut up already?!" he roared, his voice shaking the ground beneath them.

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