The Queen Who Fights Back (by Lily Hastings) novel Chapter 94

Chapter 94

The AK series had long been Nova’s hallmark creation—a line of explosive devices she had meticulously developed and introduced every six months throughout her mercenary career. Each iteration pushed the boundaries of power and complexity, cementing her reputation in the underground arms world.

The latest and final model, the AK20, was the pinnacle of her work, completed just a year prior. Compared to its predecessor, the AK18, the AK20 boasted ten times the explosive force and was exponentially more difficult to disable. Yet, despite having completed all the rigorous field tests a year ago, the AK20 had yet to be unleashed on the market.

Nova was confident that once the AK20 fell into the hands of the major mercenary factions and armed coalitions, it would generate a fortune beyond imagination. The reason for its absence was painfully clear—Nova had been confined to Devil’s Isle, unable to oversee its release or develop any new models during the past year.

“Looking back now,” Nova thought quietly to herself, a flicker of determination lighting her eyes, “the moment I make my return, the first thing I’ll do is storm my weapons lab and launch the AK20 onto the global stage. After all, nothing is more important than money.”

What she never expected was to see an AK18 surface right here in Ravenport’s war zone trials. If she were just an ordinary schoolgirl, caught in this deadly environment, she would either be dead or forced to relinquish her place on the task force. There would be no other option.

Reflecting on the situation, Nova sensed the truth deep within her: “Someone is definitely coming for us.” Her thoughts sharpened as her eyes locked onto the surveillance camera mounted high in the corner of the room. She glanced directly at it, then curled her lips into a cold, mocking smirk.

“Whoever set this up must be both shameless and utterly foolish,” she mused, the sneer on her face spelling out her disdain perfectly.

Outside, near the container yard, Violet watched the live surveillance feed on a large screen. She caught sight of Nova’s icy, taunting smile and felt a mix of admiration and irritation. “So wild, so fierce,” Violet thought, both impressed and slightly exasperated by Nova’s audacity.

Nova’s nonchalant attitude, the way she spoke as if nothing mattered, made Vanessa feel like she was holding in a fart she desperately wanted to release—frustrated and uneasy.

From the sidelines, Vanessa snapped sharply, her voice laced with annoyance. “Who do you think you’re fooling with all that nonsense? You’re just a clueless little brat! Watch yourself, or that bomb’s going to blow you to bits!”

Vanessa didn’t take Nova seriously in the slightest.

To Violet, Nova was just another spoiled Blake heiress, a teenage brat likely putting on a show to mask her fear and appear tough. “She’s really going all out,” Violet thought, shaking her head.

“Violet, don’t waste your energy on her,” a voice beside her scoffed. “She’s just a kid playing games for attention.”

Since Violet was responsible for handling the ticking time bomb for their squad, the woman next to her treated Violet like the leader, even though they barely knew each other. The others competing for a spot on the task force were seasoned adults, so naturally, none of them bothered to take Nova seriously.

Adults had a knack for dismissing anything a child said. Whenever a kid complained about being bullied at school, grown-ups just shrugged it off as childish antics—not worth a second thought.

That was their specialty. To them, Nova was merely a rich girl pretending to be tough, playing at being a hero.

Inside the room, Andrew, Oliver, and Leanne shared this skepticism. Andrew tried to keep his tone polite, but the tension in his voice betrayed him. “Nova, do you… actually know how to defuse a bomb?”

When lives hang in the balance, there’s no room for doubt.

Earlier, Oliver had been all bravado, offering to teach Nova how to disarm the bomb. But now, his face had drained of color.

Oliver came from a Field Army background and had genuine bomb disposal training. He understood better than anyone the horror a bomb blast could unleash.

His voice turned icy, eyes narrowing sharply. “Bombs aren’t built to be defused—they’re designed to detonate. If the creator didn’t want anyone to get through, especially with something as complex as the AK18, there’s no way.”

“Do you really think you know the encryption the AK18’s designer embedded in it? Get real! Even the world’s top bomb experts couldn’t crack it—what chance do we have?”

“I’m done,” Oliver declared, his frustration palpable.

As their resident bomb specialist, Oliver’s words carried weight. Hearing him give up was enough to convince Leanne.

“I don’t want to lose my chance on this task force on the very first mission,” she said, her voice tight with tension. “But risking our lives isn’t worth it. I’m out too.”

The AK18’s countdown timer flashed relentlessly, each second slipping away faster than the last.

Only 3 minutes and 35 seconds remained.

Yet, Nova’s teammates didn’t hesitate—they surrendered immediately.

With odds like these, it was basically a death sentence. Their only recourse was to curse their luck for drawing the AK18, the nightmare bomb.

Encouraged by Oliver and Leanne’s defeat, Andrew scratched his head awkwardly, then shamelessly reached around to free his wedged underwear, not caring who saw.

He chuckled nervously. “Yeah, Nova,” Andrew said, trying to keep things light, “you’re just here to get that gun license. No need to risk your life.”

“Your brothers finally got you back. Don’t go getting hurt or missing again! We’re giving up. Why don’t we just leave together?”

He glanced at Nova, Oliver, and Leanne, waiting for her response.

But when they looked at Nova, they were stunned—so much so, they might as well have worn their underwear as hats.

While the others were still convincing themselves everything would be fine, Nova had already stepped forward to the AK18’s timer.

With swift, confident movements, she pried open the casing, her fingers deftly navigating the tangled maze of wires inside until she locked onto the detonator.

In the same instant, all three dove to the ground, belly-flopping flat in a desperate attempt to avoid being shredded by the blast.

Bang!

They hit the dirt, hearts pounding wildly.

Outside, dozens of contestants near the shipping containers covered their ears and dropped to the ground just as fast, every one of them silently praying the AK18 wouldn’t blow them to smithereens.

The ten-second countdown hit zero.

An eerie silence filled the air.

One second passed.

Then two.

Then three…

“Wait… nothing exploded?” Slowly, heads began to rise, confusion and disbelief plain on everyone’s faces.

Then, from the shadows of the shed, Nova’s playful voice rang out, teasing and triumphant.

“So, what’s the deal—face-planting on the ground just for fun now?” she quipped, amusement dripping from every word.

At that moment, Andrew, Oliver, and Leanne remained sprawled out, looking utterly bewildered. Around them, dozens of others—including Violet and the selection officer—lifted their heads, stunned and embarrassed.

Everyone watched as Nova casually stepped out of the shed, completely unharmed, holding a jumble of bomb parts in her hand as if they were nothing more than toys.

Clatter! Clatter! Clatter!

When she dumped the pile of components onto the floor, it was immediately clear—they were all pieces of the AK18.

“Wait, does that mean…”

“Nova didn’t just defuse the AK18 in seconds—she tore the whole thing apart like it was nothing, dismantling it like some kid’s plaything!” everyone murmured in shock.