Intergalactic conquest with an AI-Chapter 330: Hive City War. {8}

Before he could react, a Khryssari warrior burst from the ground beneath him, its razor-sharp claws slashing toward his chest.

The Grand Elder moved with the speed of a seasoned warrior, leaping backward and slicing the creature into four clean pieces with a single swing of his cane-sword.

But as the pieces of the Khryssari warrior fell to the ground, more began to emerge... dozens, then hundreds, their chitinous bodies glistening in the dim light. The Grand Elder's army, once a formidable force, now faced a new and terrifying enemy rising from beneath their feet.

Ys floated higher, her laughter ringing out like a melody. "Oh, Grand Elder～, you might want to rethink your strategy. My army doesn't need numbers... it just needs me."

As the words left Ys's lips, a sudden, otherworldly glow emanated from her forehead. The air around her seemed to shimmer, and from the light emerged a crown.

This one was made entirely of emerald-green energy, its form flickering and pulsing like a living flame. Ys eyes glowed with an ancient, almost sentient intelligence, and her wings spread wide, casting an eerie green hue over the battlefield.

The Grand Elder froze, his cane-sword halfway raised. "What... is that?" he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Ys giggled, her voice light and playful, but her eyes glinted with something far more sinister. "Oh, this? This is just a little gift from my mother. You see, Grand Elder, you're not just dealing with me anymore. You're dealing with her."

Ys spread her wings, and suddenly, the air grew heavy, as if the very atmosphere was bending to her will.

The Khryssari warriors, still emerging from the ground, seemed to grow more frenzied, their movements sharper, more coordinated. It was as if the crown presence had awakened something primal within them.

Lilla, still floating above, watched the scene with a serene smile. "The plan is proceeding as expected," she said; her voice was calm but carried an edge of finality. "The Grand Elder's army will fall, and the Hive City will be ours."

The Grand Elder's mind raced. He had faced countless enemies in his long life, but this... this was something entirely new. The crown energy felt... alive, as if it were feeding off the chaos around it.

He tightened his grip on his cane sword, his instincts screaming at him to act, but for the first time in decades, he hesitated.

Ys tilted her head, her wings fluttering as she floated closer. "Don't look so worried, Grand Elder. This will all be over soon～."

Lilla, still hovering above, closed her eyes and raised her hands. The air around her shimmered, and the faint sound of bells grew louder, almost deafening. "Let's see how long you can last," she said softly, her voice carrying an eerie calm.

The Grand Elder rose into the air, his cane sword glowing faintly as he floated a few meters away from Ys and Lilla.

Below him, chaos reigned. His army, once a disciplined force, was now under siege from the black, chitinous monsters that had erupted from the ground.

The Supreme Commander's forces weren't faring any better; both sides were being torn apart by the relentless Khryssari swarm.

And then there was the silence. The thunderous roar of artillery had ceased entirely. The Grand Elder's sharp eyes scanned the horizon, noting the absence of his once-deadly barrage.

It didn't take long for him to piece it together. "Hohoho," he chuckled, though his voice carried a hint of unease.

"I must admit, I wasn't expecting this kind of event. And by the look of it, you two are from the fleet besieging the planet, am I right?" He stroked his beard thoughtfully, his gaze shifting between Ys and Lilla.

Lilla smiled faintly, her hand delicately covering her mouth as she spoke, the sleeve of her dress swaying gently in the breeze. "I must praise your discerning eyes. It's true, we arrived with that fleet. And so? What about it?"

The Grand Elder's chuckle deepened. "Hohoh, well then, I think there's been a misunderstanding. You see, I was planning to surrender to you—"

Ys cut him off with a wave of her hand, her butterfly wings fluttering impatiently. "I think you're the one misunderstanding something. Our objective here isn't to conquer this world. It's to take it over and place the legitimate ruler in power. After all, she's already sworn her loyalty to my darling～." Her voice was sweet, almost sing-song, but her eyes glinted with malice.

Before the Grand Elder could respond, Ys pointed a finger at him, and the sky erupted with movement. Dozens... hundreds of Khryssari Skydancers descended upon him, their wings slicing through the air like blades.

The Grand Elder's eyes widened as the swarm closed in, their razor-sharp claws and bioplasma attacks lighting up the sky.

"Tsk! Everyone, hear my order! Attack the monsters that dared to interrupt our battlefield! They're invaders!" the Grand Elder shouted out, his voice carrying across the chaos. But even as his soldiers scrambled to obey, he was forced to retreat, darting through the air to evade the relentless swarm.

"Don't even try to run away!" Lilla's voice rang out, calm but commanding. She raised her hand, and a massive, glowing white palm materialized in the air, slamming down toward the Grand Elder.

He raised his cane-sword, blocking the attack with a grunt, but the force of the impact halted his escape just long enough for the swarm to catch up.

In an instant, the Grand Elder was engulfed in a writhing ball of teeth, claws, and acid. The Khryssari Skydancers attacked with frenzied precision, their bioplasma shots lighting up the sky like fireworks.

Yet, even as the swarm closed in, the Grand Elder fought back with the ferocity of a cornered beast. His cane sword flashed, cutting through the creatures with deadly efficiency. The bodies of Khryssari rained down from the sky, torn apart by his relentless strikes.

"How long do you think you can trap him there?" Lilla asked, her voice calm as she floated beside Ys, watching the chaotic scene unfold.

Ys closed her eyes, her emerald crown glowing brighter as she concentrated. "Mmm, by the look of it... 8 minutes. Maybe 10 if I focus hard enough."

The crown's energy pulsed, its connection to the swarm allowing Ys to possess and control the Khryssari with terrifying precision, a power inherited from her mother.

Lilla's expression remained unreadable, though a flicker of concern crossed her features. "I just hope it's enough time for Rex to deal with the Supreme Commander. Otherwise, fighting two Tier 4 peak masters at once will be... problematic."

Ys opened her eyes, her gaze fixed on the swirling mass of Khryssari. "Don't worry. My darling can handle it. He always does～."

While Ys and Lilla kept the Grand Elder occupied, Rex and the Supreme Commander clashed a few kilometers away.

Their battle had begun in the air, with Rex's superior aerial combat skills forcing the Supreme Commander to rethink his strategy.

Realizing he was outmatched in the skies, the Commander made a tactical retreat to the ground, landing with a thunderous crash that sent shockwaves through the battlefield.

This content is taken from freёnovelkiss.com.

Rex had no choice but to follow. The moment his feet touched the ground, the Supreme Commander shouted an order, and a barrage of gunfire erupted from the surrounding soldiers.

While the bullets posed little threat to Rex, the constant assault was an annoyance, draining his energy shield bit by bit. To minimize the damage, Rex stayed close to the Supreme Commander like glue, forcing the soldiers to hold their fire for fear of hitting their leader.

"Hahah! What's the matter? Is this all you've got?" the Supreme Commander taunted, a triumphant grin spreading across his face as he finally landed a solid punch on Rex's jaw. The impact sent Rex skidding back a few feet, but he quickly recovered, wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Bold words for someone who keeps running to his daddies for help!" Rex shot back, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

He lunged forward, his blade flashing as he closed the distance between them. The two clashed again, their blows sending shockwaves through the air.

While the Supreme Commander's superior technique and decades of combat experience gave him an edge, Rex's raw power and adaptability kept him in the fight.

Meanwhile, Mini Cleo hovered nearby, her tiny form glowing with energy as she controlled two flying swords. The blades danced through the air, cutting down soldiers with ruthless efficiency.

{Pew pew! Take that, you cannon fodder!} she chirped, her smug grin widening with every enemy she dispatched.

After several intense minutes, Rex saw an opening. With a swift, calculated strike, he drove his blade through the Supreme Commander's shoulder.

The Commander let out a roar of pain, his eyes blazing with fury. Without hesitation, he severed his own arm to free himself, leaping back to create distance between them.

"Haaaaa! How dare you?!" the Supreme Commander bellowed, clutching the stump where his arm had been. Blood poured from the wound, but his rage seemed to outweigh the pain.

Rex smirked while lifting his sword triumphantly. The Commander's severed arm was still impaled on the blade like a macabre trophy.

"What? That's all you've got? And here I thought you were something special, given how big your mouth was just a few minutes ago. But now you're giving me arms as gifts? You're such a nice guy～," Rex teased him while waving the arm like a flag.

The Supreme Commander's face twisted with rage, his remaining hand clenching into a fist. "You'll pay for this, you insolent brat!"

Rex's smirk widened. "Oh, I'd love to see you try. But let's be honest, you're running out of limbs to lose."