Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1439: Do you really think you can escape from me, you bitches? This revenge is for my little brother

”A-Aether?”

Nightfire muttered the name in a fragile, hopeful tone, her voice barely carrying through the chaos.

She squinted through the blinding light, forcing her eyes to adjust as she searched for the familiar presence she wanted so desperately to see.

But when her vision finally cleared....

Before her stood no man, but a raging manifestation of reddish-golden flames. They roared like a living storm, twisting violently in the air, radiating heat and fury that pressed against her skin.

Thalia stood at the heart of those flames, her forehead split and bleeding, her body riddled with wounds that stained her clothes.

Still, she stood tall, one arm raised as power surged through her veins. A violent burst of reddish-golden fire erupted from her palm and slammed head-on into the blue energy beam firing from the tall metallic figure’s gun-shaped hand.

The collision lit the battlefield in blinding light, sparks and magical residue exploding outward as the opposing forces screamed against each other.

Thalia turned her head toward the two of them, a wide, almost reckless smile spreading across her bloodied face.

Her eyes gleamed with pride despite the pain twisting through her body.

”Look at you,” she said, ”Standing there, protecting your sister like that. I don’t know why, but seeing this makes something inside me feel lighter, even now.”

Her expression hardened as the flames around her pulsed, her gaze sharpening with brutal seriousness.

”Aether won’t always come running when you’re trapped or scared. If you can’t stand up on your own, you won’t be anything but a burden to him.” Her jaw tightened as memories flashed behind her eyes. ”Remember this. He made sure I never forgot what it meant to rely on him every single time, and how painful that lesson was.”

”Even so,” she continued quietly, ”I will still come for you. For both of you. For everyone.

Because that’s what sisters do, right?”

Nightfire felt her vision blur as tears welled up despite her efforts to stay composed. She nodded slowly, her lips trembling as she tried to smile back through the fear gripping her chest.

”Can I run now? Please tell me I can run.”

Selene and Thalia both blinked. Only then did they notice how Nightfire’s shoulders shook uncontrollably, her body betraying how close she believed she had come to dying there.

Thalia let out a slow breath, the corners of her lips lifting in a tired but reassuring smile.

”Take her out of here,” she said firmly. ”I’ll handle this. You don’t need to look back.”

Before she could finish, a massive metallic hand lunged forward and clamped around her body with crushing force. The blue beam shut off instantly as the figure hauled her upward, metal grinding and whining as it tightened its grip.

*Hahah... look at this bitch.*

Thalia let out a pained groan as she was pulled close, her face nearly brushing against the glass lenses embedded in the metallic face.

It felt like the thing was studying her...

*Damn, these monsters were fucking good~*

She struggled violently, slamming her forearm against its fingers as heat flared around her body. The metallic grip slowly tightened, plates shifting and locking as it began to crush her, each breath growing harder than the last.

Nightfire gently lowered Selene against a rock, her hands lingering just long enough to make sure she was steady.

”Stay here,” Nightfire said, ”Don’t move, no matter what happens.”

She turned without waiting for a response and sprinted toward the towering metallic figure.

Selene watched her go, her heart pounding painfully as she followed Nightfire’s movement with her eyes. Then her gaze dropped to her twisted foot, bent at an unnatural angle.

The sight alone made her chest tighten, pain surging so violently she nearly screamed.

She swallowed it back, biting down hard on her lip as tears threatened to spill. She refused to let them fall. She would not look weak in front of the others, not now, not when everyone was already risking their lives.

Her fingers trembled as she whispered, ”I-I should use my weapon... I should do something.”

The thought barely formed before panic surged again.

She shook her head sharply, breath hitching as she whispered, ”N-No. N-Not now. If I mess this up, I’ll just make it worse.”

Clenching her fists, she tore a strip from her skirt and shoved the cloth into her mouth to muffle any sound. Slowly, carefully, her shaking hands moved toward her injured foot, her face contorting as she braced herself for unbearable pain.

Meanwhile, Nightfire skidded to a halt and hurled a stone with all her strength toward the red glass embedded in the metallic creature’s face.

”Let her go, you fucking asshole!” she screamed as the stone shattered uselessly against its surface.

The impact didn’t leave a single scratch.

Snarling, Nightfire grabbed another stone, then another, throwing them again and again with reckless fury, refusing to stop even as her arms burned and her breath came ragged.

*This fucking bitch.*

The voice came out distorted and irritated as the metallic figure stomped down with crushing force, trying to smash her flat against the ground.

Nightfire’s instincts screamed, and she reacted without thinking, rolling sideways just as the impact shattered the earth where she had stood moments earlier.

She moved like a terrified cat leaping away from a giant human.

She bolted forward, weaving wildly, darting between the metallic figure’s legs.

Thalia blinked at the sight, stunned for a split second before a rough chuckle escaped her lips despite the pain. The distraction worked.

The crushing grip around her body loosened just enough for her to wrench one arm free.

BAM!

Her fist slammed straight into its metallic thumb with all the strength she had left.

The impact rang through her bones, pain shooting up her arm, but she grit her teeth and refused to stop.

The strike left no dent.

Still, she pressed on. While Nightfire kept the figure’s attention, Thalia drew deeper, calling upon the fire roaring inside her soul. Her eyes ignited with red-golden light, flames wrapping tightly around her clenched fist as power condensed into a single point.

BAM!

This time, the blow landed against the metallic joint with explosive force. The metal groaned, buckling inward as a visible dent formed, sparks flying outward from the impact.

For a brief second, Thalia tensed, worried the figure would turn back toward her.

It didn’t.

Nightfire had its full attention.

She twisted her body, shaking her hips exaggeratedly as she flashed a wicked wink at the towering figure,

”Oh, oh~ sore loser,” she taunted loudly, ”Hehe~ Did your mother get fucked to give birth to something this ugly?”

The metallic figure stiffened, its body vibrating as it slowly turned toward her.

It clearly didn’t understand the words, but the intent behind them was unmistakable.

*You bitch. Are you looking down on me?*

A furious mechanical roar erupted as it lashed out with its free arm, swinging wildly in a violent arc. Nightfire barely managed to escape, diving and rolling across the ground as the blow crashed down where she had been, the shockwave ripping apart the terrain.

Another strike followed immediately after.

Nightfire rolled again, the edge of the attack grazing dangerously close, close enough that she felt the wind shear against her skin. One more mistake and half her body would have been gone.

”Huff... huff...”

She staggered to her feet, lungs burning as she ducked behind a thick tree trunk for cover. Her chest heaved violently as she clenched her teeth, fingers shaking while she reached out through her connection.

/YOU FUCKING BITCHES! HOW LONG IS IT GOING TO TAKE YOU TO MOVE YOUR ASSES HERE?/

Meanwhile, far from the battlefield, Sera, Maelona, and Emberlyn pushed themselves forward as they struggled to keep running. Sweat soaked through their clothes, breaths coming in ragged gasps as they neared the halfway point.

”Ha... ha...” Sera wheezed, swallowing against her painfully dry throat. ”I should have... ha... trained my body more.”

Maelona could only nod in exhausted agreement, her legs trembling beneath her. This was her first time running such a distance without relying on Arcane energy, and her body felt completely drained, every muscle threatening to give out.

Emberlyn fared slightly better than the others, but even she was panting now, her steps growing heavier as she forced herself to keep pace despite the burning in her lungs.

From another direction entirely, Sandra sprinted across uneven terrain, her face drenched in sweat as she refused to slow down.

”Huff... huff...”

”Shit,” she muttered under her breath. ”We should have added at least one freaking dragon to each team.”

If the dragons had been with them, they would have taken to the skies and reached each other in moments. Instead, they were left racing against time on the ground, knowing every second lost could cost lives.

Since most of the population remained near the core of the Empire, the outer edges were nearly empty.

Sandra didn’t encounter a single civilian, not even a stationed soldier, as she moved through the barren routes at full speed.

She could have tried using the patrolling soldier, the one lying unconscious near the road. But he was still out cold, and she didn’t have the luxury of waiting.

Worse, he could wake up at any moment, and she couldn’t afford to slow down now.

Honestly, this situation was their mistake. None of them had anticipated things escalating to this extent, and they had only warned others to stay clear, not to mobilise or prepare for combat.

The tall metallic figure, instead of looking at the patrol to do the usual thing... it made a move on their team.

That alone meant their plan had failed before it could even begin.

Sandra leapt down into the valley, rolling hard as she hit the ground before forcing herself upright without pause.

Her face hardened as she kept running, her body holding up thanks to the brutal training she had endured under Master Snape. She knew she would be fine, but she couldn’t say the same for the others, who were already panting and close to exhaustion.

/I am on my way. Just hold on a little longer!/

The reply came almost instantly, Nightfire’s voice cracking as it echoed through the connection.

/Awweeee... I don’t think we have much time./

The fear in that sound made Sandra grit her teeth, her pace increasing despite the burn in her legs.

Meanwhile, back at the tower, Celestia staggered toward the entrance, her chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath. Sweat clung to her skin as she pushed inside, only to freeze at the sight before her.

The entire control panel had been forced open, metal plating peeled back as exposed wires spilled outward. Xara stood at the centre of it all, her body partially wrapped in glowing cables, while Lyirrs worked frantically, hands moving with desperate precision.

Xara glanced up when she noticed Celestia.

”Oh?” she asked casually. ”What are you doing here?”

”Nightfire’s direction,” she said grimly. ”A new type of metallic figure appeared. We need to do it now.”

Xara’s expression shifted instantly as she turned toward Lyirrs.

”Lyirrs, we don’t have time,” Xara said sharply.

”...”

”Lyirrs!” Xara snapped.

”...Give me... five more minutes,” Lyirrs muttered, her voice strained. ”Or... hmm... wait... no... that’s not...”

Hearing the uncertainty in her voice, both Xara and Celestia went pale.

Meanwhile, back with Nightfire, she pressed herself against the tree as she tried to steady her breathing.

Suddenly, the rough surface on her back vanished.

She fell backwards.

Thuck.

Before she could react, the tree was ripped clean from the ground, roots tearing free as it rose into the air. It ascended impossibly high before coming crashing down straight toward her.

”SHIT!!”

Nightfire screamed as she rolled desperately across the ground, her body spinning uncontrollably. Behind her, the massive metallic figure slammed the tree down, dragging it through the earth as it pursued her.

Slam!

Slam!

Slam!

The ground trembled violently under the sheer force. The tree shattered into splintered fragments as it struck, wood exploding outward in a deadly spray.

Chunks of debris slammed into Nightfire’s body, sending her flying. She hit the ground hard.

Bruises instantly appeared along her arms and torso as she struggled to move.

Her eyes widened in horror as she looked down at her stomach, where a massive broken log had pierced into her, pinning her body to the ground as blood began to spread.

”...Ah... shit. I should have run away,” Nightfire muttered as blood spilled from her lips, her breath coming out in wet, broken coughs.

A massive shadow swallowed her vision.

Her heart sank as she forced herself to look up, eyes shaking as they locked onto the towering metallic figure looming above her.

Its large red glass lenses stared down without mercy, reflecting her broken form on the ground.

*Haha... crawling like a cockroach. I guess now I understand why my little brother was wounded by a bitch like you. You monsters never deserved to live!*

The figure raised its arm slowly, deliberately, savouring the moment as its massive hand prepared to crush her into the earth. Nightfire squeezed her eyes shut.

Crack!

Thud!

A sharp metallic snap rang out, followed by a heavy impact. One of the metallic thumb fingers shattered and fell to the ground as Thalia crashed down, her landing unsteady, her knees buckling for a moment before she forced herself upright.

Nightfire’s eyes widened, a fragile spark of hope igniting in her chest despite the pain tearing her apart.

But that hope died instantly.

The metallic figure didn’t hesitate. It simply turned its massive body, instantly, as if half of its body literally rotated!

The fist that was meant to obliterate Nightfire swung instead, slamming straight into Thalia without restraint.

BOOM!!

”THALIA!!” Nightfire screamed as the punch connected, the sheer force caving the ground inward beneath them.

Shockwaves rippled outward, sending cracks spidering through the earth as debris erupted into the air.

But it didn’t stop there.

SSNNNNGGGGG!!

A furious mechanical whine shrieked from the figure’s arm as internal mechanisms screamed under strain. The fist lifted slightly and,

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

It began to hammer her into the ground repeatedly.

*Hahahaha... do you really think you can escape from me, you bitches? This revenge is for my little brother! Hahaha!*