Chapter 228 Confrontation. (9) Sacrifice.

Words : 1116 Updated : Oct 5th, 2025

xytrallia's eyes widened slightly at his response, and for the briefest moment, a flicker of surprise crossed her face. then, her lips curled into a slow, dangerous smile. "you are such a fascinating little human," she said with her voice practically dripping with delight. "bold, confident, and utterly unshakable. it's almost enough to make me forgive your audacity..." she leaned back in her seat, tapping her fingers rhythmically against the armrest of her throne as she considered his offer. "alright, rex," she said after a long pause; her tone was still playful but carrying a hint of sharpness. "after speaking with you for just a few minutes, i think i've come up with the perfect way for you to repay me for that last favor," xytrallia said with a sly smile, and before rex could process her words, the ground beneath him gave way, and a massive hole swallowed him up. "whoa! what the—?!" rex shouted as he fell, his body flailing uncontrollably. he barely had time to register what was happening before he landed with an unceremonious splash into a thick, amber colored pool. "damn it, i thought i was going to die!" rex grumbled as he surfaced, his armor dripping with the golden liquid. the substance clung to him like some sort of weird gelatin. "what the hell is this stuff?" he muttered while activating his plasma shields to stand on the goo's surface. but even with his tech, balancing on it felt like trying to walk on half-melted marshmallows. a familiar voice chimed in from behind him. "hehehe, are you ready to pay for that favor now~?" rex spun around and froze. there was xytrallia, standing on the edge of the pool... stark naked. his brain short circuited for a moment, and he reflexively raised one hand to block the view. "uh—uh—what?! xytrallia, seriously, what is this?! where am i? and why... why are you not wearing anything?!" her grin widened as she stepped gracefully onto the amber surface, completely at ease. "relax, darling~. this is my private nutrient pool, filled with all the minerals and organic material one could ever need for health and vitality. i refined it myself, you know." she twirled a finger through the air as if showing off her craftsmanship. "that's... great, but also not answering why i'm here!" rex stammered, trying desperately not to look anywhere inappropriate. he could feel the heat rising to his face, even through his helmet. "and can you, uh, please stop trying to pull my helmet off? i kinda need it to breathe!" he batted away her hands as she made a surprisingly determined attempt to remove it. "oh, don't be such a baby," xytrallia teased him with her tone dripping with amusement. "see those algae over there?" she pointed to glowing green patches along the pool's edge. "they produce oxygen, and those membranes surrounding us? they keep this space isolated from the vacuum of space. you'll be fine." with a quick tug, she successfully popped his helmet off. rex took a deep breath, realizing she was right. the air here was oddly refreshing, with a faint minty aroma. "okay, fine. but that still doesn't explain why i'm here. or why you're here. or why you're, uh..." he gestured vaguely in her direction, avoiding eye contact. "...not dressed." the trading station itself, though incapable of launching direct attacks, was no soft target. two military-grade energy shields hummed with power, enveloping the station in a protective bubble, while a plasma honeycomb shield clung tightly to the exterior like a second skin, an extra layer of defense in case enemy fighters breached the energy barriers. surrounding the station, a network of weapon platforms stood ready to light up the void. while their firepower couldn't dent medium-sized enemy vessels, it was more than enough to swat down fighters like flies. cleo's commands extended to the fleet and the weapon platforms, but inside the trading station, the twins lyra and nyra were in charge of the militia and their blood legion, which had been stationed there to repel any siege pods or boarding attempts. "sis, are you nervous? 'cause i really am," lyra admitted while clutching her stomach, which had started to ache from anxiety. "mmm?" nyra mumbled, not even looking up as she casually munched on an energy bar. "i'm not really nervous. it's not like this is the first time we've fought on the front lines, you know?" lyra sighed, exasperated. "i knew you were going to say something like that, sis. but... it's different now, you know? before, we were just commanding machines—soldiers we could repair or revive as long as their main memories stayed intact...." "but now, we have civilians here... people. real people. if they die, they're gone. for good." she gazed at the militia members working tirelessly alongside the blood legion to build barricades, her worry etched into her face. nyra finally looked up, locking eyes with her twin. her usual playful expression was gone, replaced by something steely and unyielding. "you're right about that," she said, her tone unusually serious. "but here's the thing, we just have to do what we're ordered to do. i'm not saying you shouldn't care for your troops or show mercy when you can, but those are things only the strong have the privilege to do." nyra paused, her gaze unwavering. "and i hate to break it to you, lyra, but we're not strong enough for that yet." for a moment, lyra was stunned. she had never seen her sister this serious before. "i'm... surprised," she admitted with her voice soft. "i didn't expect you to call yourself weak." "oh, shut it!" nyra shot back with her usual spark, returning. "i didn't say i was weak! i said we're not strong enough yet. there's a difference, you dummy!" before lyra could respond, nyra grinned mischievously and delivered a sharp smack to her sister's butt. "hey!" lyra yelled, spinning around to retaliate, but before she could do anything, nyra scooped her up and slung her over her shoulder like a sack of flour. "put me down!" lyra protested while kicking her legs, but nyra just laughed and kept walking, ignoring her twin's protests. the sight of the two sisters' playful bickering brought smiles to some of the soldiers and militia members working nearby. for many of them, this moment of lightheartedness would be the last bit of levity they would see.. war had a way of stealing those little moments.

Chapter 228 Confrontation. (9) Sacrifice.

Comments (0)