Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1105: End of Third Trial: Part-2

The Second Collision: Aerionis Zephyra and Elysiumis Aurora.

Both Empires—a great floating world of civilisation and legacy—were slowly drifting toward one another.

Since it was nighttime, most of the citizens couldn’t clearly see what was happening outside. But they could feel it—subtle shifts in their homes, an unnatural pull in the air. Most chose to remain inside, quietly praying, hoping everything would go well.

TRRRRRRR!!

The two colossal Ebon Stones at the cores of both Empires began spinning rapidly, picking up momentum as the edges of the landmasses began to touch.

CRACK!

TTTRRR!!

A strange, invisible wave pulsed through both Empires. It was almost like a heartbeat—sudden, wide, and trembling. The ground jerked. Buildings creaked. Houses groaned under the brief quake as the energy ripple passed through them.

”Hold it together,” Aether muttered, tightening his grip on the lever of the main controller.

Below him, the thrusters that supported the Aurora Empire began slowly activating, rumbling as they pushed the entire landmass upward in a controlled motion.

”Lyirrs,” he called, his tone sharp and focused.

Lyirrs, across the command connection, gave a silent nod. She reached for the controller on Zephyra’s side and began gently lowering her lever. Slowly, patiently, carefully.

At the bottom edges of both Empires, massive pieces of rock began to break away, falling off like loose gravel, revealing strange interlocking shapes beneath the surface—an enormous puzzle that had been hidden until now.

Aether looked at the monitor.

He stared.

The puzzle edges matched.

Perfectly.

”I’m rotating Aurora five degrees to the right,” he declared. His hands moved fast and precise, shifting a secondary lever that adjusted the cone angles of the thrusters. Then, he pushed the main flame lever forward.

The thrusters roared, their jets adjusting the angle of Aurora Empire. The entire floating mass tilted ever so slightly.

SSSSSSNNNNNNNGGGG!!!

The shift was subtle, but every citizen of Aurora felt it. It was as though the wind had changed. No one fell. No buildings crumbled. But everyone felt the slight lean of the world.

People clutched their walls, held each other, and raised their hands toward the sky—not sure if they were praying to their gods... or to the one man guiding the heavens themselves.

Aether.

Whatever they believed in, every heart was hoping—desperately hoping—for the collision to end in harmony.

Lyirrs, her eyes locked on the alignment, called out, ”They’re in position. I’m initiating the descent.”

Her hands moved smoothly as she lowered her lever. The flames beneath Zephyra Empire’s thrusters slowly dimmed, cooling. The Empire began its slow descent... a divine fall in perfect rhythm.

And across both Empires, people stepped outside, cautiously watching the edge of their world.

From the outer sky, Dora hovered high above the academy, scanning the convergence. Her sharp eyes traced the slow, silent connection below.

On the other side, near the surface, Delphine stood alone—expression unreadable, her gaze locked on the meeting edges.

Inside the control chamber, Aether leaned forward, eyes locked on the screen. He could barely breathe. Neither could anyone else.

And then—

TUCKKKKK!!!

A final, satisfying sound echoed through the atmosphere as the edges connected like puzzle pieces locking into place.

A pulse spread through the ground. It wasn’t destructive. It was grounding—an energy seal confirming the union.

TRRRRR---!

The two massive Ebon Stones, which had been spinning violently, suddenly halted. Their rotation ceased as thick energy roots beneath them pulsed and tightened, fusing the Empires together.

The edges.... slowly healed, connecting them.

There was silence... Breath held.

And then—

”YYYYAAAAYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!”

Cheers exploded across both Empires.

People screamed with joy. Families embraced. Soldiers who’d stood on edge finally let go of their weapons. Priests fell to their knees. Children laughed.

There had been no collapse... No fire... No deaths.

Just perfection.

”AETHER!!” Sera screamed as she rushed toward him, wrapping her arms tightly around his body—so hard it almost cracked his ribs.

Aether chuckled softly, a rare warmth glinting in his eyes as he opened his arms to Helena too. She hesitated—just for a breath—but then moved forward, and he pulled both of them into a tight, wordless embrace.

!~Ding~!

[Forbidden Language: 90↑%]

Across the room, Maelona, Kaelen, Aria, Liora, and the rest of the crew clapped and shouted. It was a celebration.

Relief.... Victory.

But then—

/...Aether/

His smile faded slightly. That voice...

He flinched, recognising the soft telepathic hum in his mind. /Delphine?/

/The Principal wants you to look at the sky. Now./

Her tone was flat—but something about it was off.

Serious.

Aether’s brow furrowed. He gently unwrapped himself from the embrace and stepped outside the station with a sharp, unreadable expression.

”What’s going on?” Sera called out after him, her tone now tense.

”This is over... right?” Helena asked, worry creeping into her voice as she followed.

But Aether didn’t answer. He was already walking, eyes turned toward the dark sky above.

Aether looked up at the sky, scanning its vast darkness—but at first, there was nothing.

Only silence. Only stars.

And then... something flickered.

His eyes narrowed. A faint glimmer—red.

Aether squinted harder, and the moment he recognised it, his expression twisted.

”Shit!!” he cursed aloud as he kicked the ground, launching himself into the sky. His body soared, cutting through the air like a blade, rising swiftly toward the outer sky.

And there... he saw it.

Far off, beyond the upper edge of visibility, two more Empires—massive connected Empires—were approaching fast.

The Pyra Empire and the Naiadae Empire.

Aether’s heart dropped.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he teleported back to the station in a blink of light.

”Lyirrs!!” he shouted the moment he reappeared, his voice sharper than ever. ”The Pyra and Naiadae Empires are approaching fast—they’re about to collide!!”

All celebrations stopped.

Lyirrs, who had been laughing with relief only moments ago, froze. So did the others.

”What?!” she gasped.

Aether immediately activated his mental link. /Raven, Sandra. Are you seeing this?/

High atop their palace, Raven and Sandra stood on their balcony, eyes locked to the skies. Their faces were pale, serious.

Their silence confirmed it.

They saw it too.

Suddenly, an invisible force jerked both Empires—the joined Aerionis Zephyra and Elysiumis Aurora—causing tremors through the ground.

It was as if no one had felt a thing until this exact moment—but now, it was undeniable.

The distant Ebon Stones of Pyra and Naiadae had begun to spin... violently.

”You need to get out of there! Move, now!!” Aqua’s voice boomed from the edge of the Empire, echoing like a warning bell.

”Wake up, you bastards!! Fly—fly as far away as you can!!” Thalia’s voice echoed next, laced with panic as she pushed the people into action. Around the borders of their Empires, people started pouring into the streets, confused, terrified, many of them still half-asleep as they tried to flee into the skies.

Inside the station, Lyirrs’s voice trembled, ”What should we do now?! We didn’t prepare for this!” Her hands hovered over the controls in panic. ”W-We should contact Her Majesty immediately!”

Aether gritted his teeth.

To be honest... this wasn’t something he’d fully predicted.

He had suspected that one Empire might approach and collide with another. He’d also considered the possibility of a three-way conflict. But this—two Empires, already merged into one, now facing a sudden, high-speed convergence from two more Empires?

No.

He hadn’t expected it to be this fast... or this chaotic.

”We didn’t build thrusters for this scale...” Aether hissed through clenched teeth, sweat beginning to form on his brow. He had assumed they’d have time—time to analyze, to adapt, to strategise.

Now, time was slipping through his fingers like dust.

He clenched his fists tighter.

He didn’t even know how they would collide—would it be from the side? From the front? Would it be angled, or head-on? There were too many unknowns. Too many variables.

”Unless I can get to space again...” Aether muttered under his breath, eyes hardening.

”Huh?” Helena blinked, stunned.

”Wait—what do you mean space?” Sera asked, her voice rising with alarm.

Aether ignored them. He tapped the mic.

”Aria. Kaelen. Liora,” he called firmly. ”All three of you, go to the three outer edges of the Empire. Now. I need you there immediately. Await my signal.”

The trio didn’t hesitate. ”Understood!” they replied in unison before vanishing into motion.

Turning to Helena and Sera, Aether raised his hand and summoned Snowflake,

”You three—same instructions. Head to the remaining edges. Get there, stay alert, and wait for further orders.”

They nodded, determination sparking in their eyes as they turned to go.

But just before disappearing, Sera stopped. She turned slightly, not looking at him but still speaking.

”Please... don’t do anything stupid,” she muttered, then vanished into the night.

Helena ran a few steps but paused, too, turning around, her eyes glossy with worry. ”Y-You better not, Aether!” she shouted, her voice cracking as she took off.

HISSSS~

He chuckled softly, the sound low, dangerous, almost amused.

A faint glint flashed in his eyes—a dangerous light that hadn’t been there before.

”Looks like...” he muttered to himself, ”I’m going to visit outer space again.”