The Queen Who Fights Back (by Lily Hastings) novel Chapter 113

Chapter 113

It was Nova!

She had cracked that tricky chemistry question in just half a minute!

Nova’s voice hit the room like a bolt of lightning, shaking everyone to their core.

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It was so intense that the competing students‘ hands trembled, and their pens slipped right out of their grip.

Clatter!

That was the sound of pens dropping to the floor all around.

Nova was an international mercenary, always surrounded by a crew of hardened soldiers.

People wouldn’t expect her to be this educated or knowledgeable.

But Nova was never satisfied with what she’d achieved, and her hunger for power was insatiable.

Most of the weapons on the battlefield–from rocket launchers down to grenades and landmines–depend on chemistry for their explosives.

If she wanted to really get a handle on all this, she needed to know chemistry inside out.

Maybe back then, Bloodforge couldn’t even read a word.

But after she created the Bloodblade Mercenary Corps, Nova spent years studying chemistry whenever she had downtime between missions and battles.

That’s why Nova is who she is now, able to pull off those insane calculations like it was nothing.

Stunned!

Dead silence.

In that instant, it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Zane, who’d just wanted Nova as his assistant, now looked like he’d seen a ghost–eyes popping out, totally

shell–shocked.

Everybody–including Casey, Rhys, Zack, and Holden–was staring at her like she’d just dropped a bomb.

Even the judges and referees were gaping, jaws practically on the floor as they all fixed their stunned eyes on

Nova.

It wasn’t just that Nova managed to crack that tough problem.

It was…

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She did it in a blink, not even jotting down a single note or calculation!

“Nova, you… you really are a science whiz too?!” Zane called out, totally crushed.

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The one thing he’d always prided himself on outshining Nova had just crumbled to dust. Zane buried his face in his hands, letting out a wry, defeated laugh.

“Did I get something wrong, sir?” Nova ignored him completely, her head held high as she turned with casual confidence toward the judges, reminding them of her answer.

“Well, yes! That’s right, that’s the answer!” One of the judges finally blurted out, still looking a bit dazed.

Almost instantly, the other judges chimed in with eager nods, confirming her answer.

“Alright, Saint Laurel Royal Academy takes first place in the research experiment competition!

“Everyone from other schools–bring up your draft sheets!

“Your ranking will depend on how far you made it with your calculations.

“Hand in your papers and wait to the side. The self–defense competition is coming up next–get ready!”

The referee stood in the middle of the hall and announced, his voice carrying through the crowd.

Nova waited near the gym for a while, watching the hustle around her.

Volunteers swarmed the basketball court, hauling away the dozen or so tables in record time.

Just like that, the whole court was empty.

Every so often, Nova could feel Natasha’s gaze landing on her, openly sizing her up without any pretense.

She simply lowered her eyes.

Then the referee called out, “Alright, everyone, the self–defense competition is officially underway!

“Here’s how it works: you can pick any student, except from your own school, to go up against.

“Win, and you move on to challenge the next person. Lose, and you’re out.

“The last one standing is our champion.

“Everyone else will be ranked by how far they get.”

As soon as the rules were laid out, the whole crowd hesitated.

No one repping their school for the self–defense competition wanted to jump in first.

Everyone wanted to hang back, size up the competition, and figure out their next move.

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So for a good while, nobody moved an inch.

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Natasha fixed Nova with a bewitching, almost hypnotic gaze.

She was the very first to step forward, striding boldly right up to Nova and issuing her challenge.

“Nova Blake, I pick you!” Natasha called out, her voice loud and clear.

It was about to go down!

The whole place went dead quiet–students and teachers alike held their breath, nerves stretched tight for what was coming.

Nova saw Natasha’s challenge and strode up with zero hesitation–no fear, no backing down. She was more than ready.

Nova and Natasha faced each other, eyes meeting in an intense stare.

“Natasha! Natasha! Go, Natasha!”

“Natasha was last year’s teen self–defense champ in Morales–the number one fighter in the state! And she’s going up against that girl? Is she out of her mind? Does she have a death wish or something?”

“Natasha, you’re my hero! You’ve got this!”

“Flatten that loser from Saint Laurel Royal Academy–leave her looking like a squashed frog!”

The whole stadium was cheering, but all the energy was behind Natasha.

But nobody seemed to notice that when Nova faced off with Natasha, something subtle shifted in the air.

With her keen senses, Nova caught the faint bead of sweat forming on Natasha’s forehead–a telltale sign she was actually nervous, maybe even scared of Nova.

But Natasha just flashed a strained, flirtatious smile, forcing herself to keep up appearances.

Nova took note of the detail in Natasha’s expression, quietly staying alert.

“Why did Natasha pick Nova of all people to challenge?” Casey squeaked, practically shaking with nerves.

She was so panicked, she almost crushed Zack’s arm in a death grip.

“Natasha’s the reigning champ from Morales–and Nova’s up against her first? That’s nuts!

“This is not good… not good at all…”

Honestly, Casey just couldn’t see Nova as anything but a regular student–there was no way in hell she could take down someone like Natasha.

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Chapter 113

“Roar!”

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Even with the crowd buzzing, scheming and eyeing each other, the referee blew the whistle to kick things off

“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!”

The self-defense match was on, and Natasha wasted zero time–she made the first move.

She shot forward like lightning, sprinted two steps, and her right hand twisted into a razor–sharp claw, reaching straight for Nova’s throat.

From the start, Natasha went all out–she wasn’t treating Nova like some random girl. She clearly saw her as a serious threat.

And those moves she was throwing? No average high schooler could ever pull that off.

This wasn’t some basic school self–defense…

This was a kill move ripped straight from the underground fight scene!

Nova’s eyes flashed with danger, her whole demeanor turning razor–sharp.

Now she was dead sure–Natasha was a top dog in the international underground circuit.

Since Natasha came out swinging with a straight–up kill shot, Nova knew there was no holding back anymore.

Nova wasn’t about to pull any punches either.

The tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife, and every single student and teacher had their gaze locked on the showdown.

Two heavyweights from the underground circuit went toe–to–toe, setting off fireworks that left everyone’s blood running cold..

To the teachers and students watching, all they could see were two blurs flashing across the court.

But in reality, the two had already gone through several rapid–fire exchanges.

As Natasha lunged with her clawed hand, Nova caught it in mid–air, her grip like iron.

But Natasha, undaunted, spun out of Nova’s hold, twisting free like a slippery snake.

In the blink of an eye, as Nova glanced sideways, Natasha launched a ruthless high kick straight for her head, aiming to knock her out cold!

Nova twisted aside, dodging the attack with sharp, decisive movements.

“This is it!” Natasha’s eyes lit up, adrenaline surging through her veins.

In a heartbeat, she lunged at Nova, going for a single–arm takedown–one slick move to flip her straight onto the ground.

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Chapter 113

But then–bam!-just as she went for it, Nova vanished right before her eyes.

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A prickly sense of danger crept up Natasha’s spine, warning her–someone was closing in from behind.

‘No way!‘ Natasha panicked, but it was already too late.

Out of nowhere, Nova was behind her, clamped a steel grip on the back of Natasha’s neck, and swung her up into the air like she was snagging a ragdoll.

Nova’s grip tightened mercilessly. In that instant, Nova’s killing intent burst out–she really wanted to finish Natasha right then and there.

‘She dodged a few moves–definitely not just some random girl,’ Nova noted, staying sharp.

‘And after she’s tried to mess with me over and over…

‘Anyone who’s a real threat… I never let them walk away. Nova’s resolve was absolute.

Nova’s grip tightened mercilessly–she really was about to finish Natasha, right here, right now, snapping her neck like she was wringing the life out of a helpless chick.

Natasha clutched desperately at Nova’s hand around the back of her neck, her struggles frantic but utterly useless.

Nova shifted, ready to break Natasha’s neck from behind with cold precision. Suddenly, Natasha’s voice- piercing and desperate, like an electric shock–cut straight through Nova and exploded across the whole

arena.

“Cough… Nova… Nova! It’s me… You forgot me? Five years ago… it was you…

“You saved me… in the International Slave Market… at Kylentia’s Castille… Cough… Cough… I came—all this time–I just wanted to repay you…”