Chapter 67: The Moonlight Reckoning 2!

Chapter 67: The Moonlight Reckoning 2!

The air around them crackled with tension, charged by the cold menace that emanated from General Rwald Dune's towering frame.

His eyes narrowed as he studied Tessa and her group, a dangerous gleam reflecting off the moonlight that covered them. The flame of destruction his forces had ignited was now quenched, and the sight of it being undone by a mere flick of Tessa's hand had rattled him more than he let on.

But Dune, ever the tyrant, wasn't one to bow to intimidation. His voice, laced with venom, slithered through the tense atmosphere. "Surrender quietly, girl, or these students will die before your very eyes."

Tessa's stance didn't falter. Her eyes burned with the kind of intensity that made Adrian's heart skip. He wanted to reach out to her, but he stopped himself, trying to keep his focus. They had to stay sharp, focused—but that didn't mean he'd let the opportunity to lighten the moment pass by.

Adrian smirked, casually stepping forward, "Wow, such a crybaby," he teased. "He was boasting a minute ago, and now look at him—hiding behind the skirts of little children."

Ecdy, who'd been simmering with rage, clenched his fists, shaking with the need to attack. But before he could act, Nymff cut in, her usual playful tone dripping with mockery. "Really, General? You were going to wipe us all out a second ago, and now you need hostages to make threats? I thought you were supposed to be some big bad warlord, not a glorified schoolyard bully."

Ecdy grumbled, clearly too worked up to appreciate the banter, but Nymff leaned closer to him with a sly grin. "Relax, musclehead. We've got this. You can punch things in a minute."

General Dune's expression darkened, his patience wearing thin. "Enough!" His voice boomed, echoing across the desolate school grounds. He turned to his soldiers, a wicked glint in his eye as he snarled, "Start killing the students, one by one, until she comes to her senses."

The soldiers stepped forward without hesitation, weapons drawn, ready to carry out his orders.

But Adrian and Nymff were already in motion, their bodies flickering in and out of the moonlit glow like living shadows. Tessa's power surged through them, wrapping them in an ethereal shield that shimmered with the silver light of the moon. Adrian felt it in his veins—something new, something alive. His strength had multiplied tenfold, and he couldn't help the small grin that spread across his face as realization hit.

He leapt forward, closing the distance between him and one of the soldiers in the blink of an eye. His fist came down like a meteor, smashing into the soldier's chest. In an instant, the man turned to ash, disintegrating before anyone had time to react.

Adrian chuckled, glancing down at his glowing hands. "Huh. I gotta talk to Tessa about this later," he mused, casually wiping the ash off his jacket. "But first, looks like I've got a war to fight."

Nymff, darting beside him with a twirl of moonlight, rolled her eyes. "Always the drama king," she teased, swinging her spear at a line of soldiers that sent them flying into the rubble like ragdolls. "But seriously, let's try not to hog all the fun."

Ecdy, who had been watching from the sidelines, snapped out of his fury-induced daze when he saw the two already in the thick of battle. "Oh come on, you guys left me out!" he yelled, finally charging into the fray. His massive frame smashed through a line of soldiers, sending them sprawling. "Next time, save some for me!"

General Rwald Dune's face twisted with pure fury, his hands shaking as he realized his men were no match for the enhanced abilities of Tessa's team. With a furious shout, he turned toward the cybernetic Deadly 30, his eyes blazing. "Enough! Kill them all!"

The Deadly 30, standing motionless like statues until now, snapped into action. Their movements were a blur, faster than human eyes could track, as they launched themselves at Tessa and her group. They moved like flashes of light, their cybernetic bodies built for death and destruction.

But Tessa's shield—the glowing barrier she had summoned—stood firm. The first wave of attacks struck it like a battering ram, but the force was absorbed effortlessly. The shield rippled, shimmering with an unearthly energy, holding back the devastating blows.

Adrian and Nymff exchanged glances, their confidence renewed by the unshakable defense surrounding them. "Well, looks like we're in good hands," Nymff said with a playful wink, her gaze flicking toward Tessa.

Tessa's eyes, however, were locked on the Deadly 30. Her jaw clenched, fury simmering just below the surface. She had put up with enough from these invaders, and now it was time to show them the true power they were up against.

"Let them come," she muttered under her breath, her voice barely a whisper but filled with steely resolve. "We're just getting started."

General Rwald Dune's mind raced as he watched his once formidable soldiers fall like paper dolls. Every breath felt like a hammer to his chest, his fury mounting as the battlefield rapidly shifted in favor of these otherworldly invaders.

One by one, his men were cut down—Adrian's fire-fueled fists turning them to ash, Nyala's spear strikes so precise they seemed to slice through the very air, Ecdy's hulking frame smashing through ranks like a battering ram, and Nymff's effortless grace, her spear slicing with a dancer's precision. Abdel fought with a cold efficiency, his strikes deadly and swift.

The battlefield was a symphony of chaos, but somehow, through the storm of combat, General Rwald Dune's eyes locked onto Tessa.

She stood still, the calm center of the storm, her moonlit shield wrapping around her team like a guardian angel. Her face was a mask of unyielding resolve, but her eyes glowed with the fury of someone whose patience had been pushed too far.

And then it clicked in Dune's mind: Tessa was the key.

She was the core of this whole operation, the source of the glow that protected her team. Without her, the shield would fall, and the battle would be his once more.

All he needed to do was take her out, and this fight would be over. His heart pounded as he formed the plan. Take her out, take them all down, he thought. Victory was still within his grasp.

But as he plotted, the scene around him deteriorated further. His soldiers fell like rain, Adrian's flaming fists and alien-enhanced strength turning the once disciplined army into mere cannon fodder. Adrian's laughter rang through the battlefield as he hurled fire with wild abandon, the moonlight somehow amplifying his every move.

Nyala and Nymff were a deadly duo, their weapons blurring in a synchronized dance of destruction. With every flash of their blades, more soldiers fell. Ecdy was like an enraged beast, smashing through lines of men, his roars shaking the ground beneath their feet. Abdel, cool and composed, was the epitome of precision, dispatching foes with a chilling calm.

In mere minutes, all that remained were the Deadly 30—those cybernetic monstrosities, still hammering uselessly against Tessa's shield—and the increasingly shocked and desperate General Rwald Dune. His mouth hung open in disbelief. His entire army, his years of military dominance, reduced to nothing. He could barely comprehend it.

Adrian, noticing Dune's expression, couldn't help but quip with a smirk, "You look like you're trying to catch flies over there, General. Didn't anyone tell you it's rude to leave your mouth open for too long?"

Nyala, slashing through the last of the soldiers, glanced at Dune and raised an eyebrow. "I think he's finally realizing he backed the wrong horse."

Nymff grinned, twirling her sword as she casually approached Dune. "Should we close his mouth for him, or let the flies handle it?"

General Dune's face twisted in rage, but his mind remained focused. He ignored their taunts and turned to the Deadly 30. They were his last hope. "Kill her!" he roared, his voice carrying a desperate edge. "Target Tessa! She's the core of their defense! Kill her and end this!"

The Deadly 30, almost mechanical in their obedience, turned their glowing red eyes toward Tessa. In unison, they lunged, faster than before, their movements blurring into streaks of light. They pounded against her shield, slamming with brutal force, but the barrier held firm. The moonlight shimmered brighter, reinforcing the shield with every strike.

Tessa remained still, her face unreadable as the Deadly 30 hammered at her defenses. She knew what they were thinking, how they saw her as the weak link in the chain. But she also knew something they didn't.

Adrian stepped up beside her, his fiery aura simmering as he cracked his knuckles. "You want to take the lead on this one?" he asked, his voice casual as though they weren't in the middle of a battlefield.

Tessa finally moved, her lips curling into a faint smile. "I've had enough of this game."

With a single thought, the moonlight surrounding her pulsed. It shot outward like a tidal wave, crashing into the Deadly 30 and halting their attacks in an instant. The force was so strong that even Dune had to steady himself.

General Rwald Dune's eyes widened in disbelief. This... This wasn't supposed to happen!

Before he could process what was happening, Tessa's voice cut through the chaos, cold and commanding. "You thought you could beat us by taking me out, didn't you? You thought you'd win this war by breaking one link." She stepped forward, the glow of the moon now radiating brighter, wrapping her and her team in a brilliant aura. "But you're wrong, General. You were never in control here."

Dune's mind raced. He could feel the tide slipping further from his grasp, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Desperation clawed at him, but before he could act, Tessa lifted her hand. The moonlight shot forward, crashing into the Deadly 30 with the force of a thousand suns. The cybernetic warriors crumbled, their metallic bodies shattering like glass under the weight of her power.

Adrian, standing beside her, couldn't help but let out an appreciative whistle. "Well, that was impressive."

Nymff, leaning on her sword, glanced at the remnants of the Deadly 30. "Remind me not to get on her bad side."

Nyala grinned, nudging Ecdy. "Think we're still gonna need backup?"

Ecdy, shaking off the last of his rage, smirked. "Nah. She's got this."

As the dust settled and the battlefield fell silent, General Rwald Dune stood frozen, his plan in tatters, his army in ruins. He stared at Tessa, trembling with rage and fear.

"You... You can't win," he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Tessa's eyes locked onto his, her voice calm but filled with the weight of finality, "I already have."