The Queen Who Fights Back (by Lily Hastings) novel Chapter 168

Chapter 168

On the way to the armory, Yellowcat sidled up to Nova and whispered in her car, “Nova, you remember that guy Columbus, right?

“Looks like he’s in the Battle of Mura this time too.”

Nova rifled through years of memories before recalling Columbus. “Is he still rolling with his fifteen–man squad?”

“Yep.” Yellowcat said.

Columbus was a fellow soldier Nova had crossed paths with on the battlefield back in the day.

If Yellowcat hadn’t mentioned him, she probably would’ve forgotten all about him by now.

“Hey, what are you two whispering about?”

Nearby, street punk Vivian shot Yellowcat a dirty look. She still hadn’t forgiven her for hurting her hand last time.

Watching Nova and Yellowcat murmur to each other, Vivian couldn’t resist butting in.

“Oh? Got something you can’t say in front of all of us?”

“Aren’t we supposed to be on the same team now? Whatever you’re talking about, let the rest of us hear it too!”

Vivian’s hand, the one Yellow Cat messed up before, was finally out of the bandage, but it was still kind of stiff.

Her tone was all wrong for someone on a battlefield–like none of this was serious.

It almost felt like they were just a bunch of Zoria tourists on vacation in Uria.

“Nova, have these students always been this dumb?” Yellowcat couldn’t help but blurt out, not even bothering to lower her

voice.

Only Yellowcat would say it out loud, and only Nova would answer without missing a beat.

Nova said, “Yeah.”

Yellowcat snickered. “So that’s why you can’t be bothered by them, huh?”

By now, the group had reached the edge of the front lines, right in front of the armory.

More and more heavily armed soldiers streamed past, most of them moving in tight–knit squads.

Now that the war between the two countries was in full swing, the whole camp was crawling with not just Uria troops, but also all kinds of foreign support and mercenaries for hire.

This 5S–level mission wasn’t just for Nova and her crew from Zoria.

Most of the people here were top–tier elite soldiers from Uria, plus some big players from the international underground.

“You-” Vivian looked ready to explode, her cheeks flushed with rage.

She was seething inside, furious at how Nova and Yellowcat just trashed her like she wasn’t even there. ‘Do they really think I’m that easy to ignore?‘ she fumed.

Letting out a loud yell, Vivian stomped forward on one foot, about to demand answers from Nova and Yellowcat right to their faces.

“BOOM-”

A thunderous blast rocked the battlefield, like a lightning strike or a bomb going off, shaking everyone to their core as if the earth itself had been hit by an earthquake.

The ground clanged and quaked, making everyone’s teeth chatter.

“Ah! Earthquake! It’s an earthquake!” Vivian screamed, and a bunch of college kids who’d never seen battle before totally freaked out–hands over their heads, dropping to the ground, looking like disaster victims.

They were so terrified, their survival instincts kicked in and they hit the ground fast–like newbies at their first fire drill, scrambling to survive.

Mavis and Eric looked a lot calmer at first, but the second that deafening blast hit, their faces went white as sheets.

Yellow Cat rolled her eyes. “Come on, that’s just artillery from the front lines. Trust me, explosions like that–it’s practically background noise out here.”

“Seriously, you folks have less nerve than those war reporters who’ve lived in this chaos for years.”

Yellowcat couldn’t help but snicker, her tone dripping with mockery.

“The real front lines? They’re a thousand times harsher than whatever sugarcoated picture you got in your heads.”

“If I had anyone this soft on my crew, I’d kick their asses off the team before they even blinked.”

Nova stood at the front, slim and sharp–a lone teenage figure against the battlefield.

She wore a fitted all–black tactical suit that showed off her athletic shape, her long black hair swept up in a high ponytail.

When she spoke, her words came out cold as ice.

That fierce beauty seemed right at home amid the roaring explosions and ruined earth ahead.

It was almost like…

She’d been born for this war–torn world.

The idea sent a shiver through Vivian, Mavis, Eric, and all the other college kids.

“Please, who do you even think you are? Ever actually been in a real fight, or just talking big?” Vivian scoffed, her words loaded with sarcasm.

“Your crew, huh? Give me a break.”

“Pfft!”

Vivian’s true street punk attitude came out in full force as she rolled her eyes.

“Alright, folks, head into the armory and pick out your gear,” the translator said with an easy grin.

“Trust me–out here, these weapons are your lifesavers.”

The translator flashed Nova and her crew a friendly smile as he waved them inside.

Everyone filed in.

This place was the battlefield’s main armory, a giant weapons depot so big it felt just like a college library–except instead of books, every nook and cranny, every shelf front to back and top to bottom, was crammed with gear for all–out war.

The crew had just made it in, blinking at the sheer scale of the place.

No one had even started snatching up weapons yet.

“Move! Move, all of you!”

A sharp, urgent whistle pierced the air from outside.

Everyone not in that squad had no choice but to step aside.

Ten people burst in from outside, moving like they owned the place.

“Damn it! Damn it! This is a shitshow!”

“Those bugs from Orian actually brought in Brandon the God of War! Damn it! With Brandon running the battlefield, we’re as good as dead!”

“Shit! Shit! We already lost five brothers–no more screwups! Grab your weapons and get back in there!”

“This whole battle’s turning us into a bunch of amateurs. Just keep your head down, and if it gets ugly, run for it!”

The ten men who burst in were all big and imposing, some sporting long blond beards and looking rugged enough to crush a guy with a single punch.

They cursed loudly in Aurevian as they stormed into the armory, ignoring everyone around them like they didn’t even exist.

Aurevian was the universal language here, and since Eric, Mavis, and their crew had made it onto the mission team, they could all speak and understand it without a hitch.

When this squad of ten stormed in, everyone else had no choice but to clear out and let them have first pick at the weapons.

Their whole attitude and what they shouted made two things instantly obvious.

First, these ten were the top dogs–leading the charge right at the front lines for this crazy 5S–level gig, the real shot callers with everyone else falling in line behind them.

Second, this was no ordinary fight; the kind of enemy they were facing made winning feel like a total long shot–the odds

were next to zero.

“So those are the real elites…” Vivian found herself staring, practically transfixed, eyes full of longing for a shot at the real front lines.

For someone like her, even landing a 5S–level mission would just mean running errands way out on the sidelines–totally out of reach from the real battlefield.

Columbus was right there among those ten elite fighters, and honestly, he’d already made up his mind to bail if things got ugly.

He’d hashed out a plan with a handful of his crew–grab their weapons quick and get out before anyone could stop them.

Suddenly, Columbus’s deep brown eyes were caught by a familiar girl standing off to the side–he couldn’t help but be drawn to her, his attention completely stolen in that moment.

The world seemed to freeze for a split second.

Columbus just spaced out, totally still, for three seconds.

Then, everything snapped back to reality.

Columbus’s face went full–on over the top–he looked like he’d just spotted the savior of the whole damn war. Ditching his crew without a second’s hesitation, he practically dove across the room, stopping right in front of Nova.

He didn’t care who heard him as he burst out in a voice loud enough for the whole armory.

“My–my–my dear goddess… My goddess, is that really you?! Are you like, Heaven–sent or what? Did the gods drop you straight into this mess to rescue us?”

“We’re saved! I mean it–finally! My goddess is back in business!”

“Guys, with my goddess here, this 5S–level mission’s a walk in the park! Seriously, with her leading us, winning this battle is a