Chapter 564: No Choice

Chapter 562

[Anime weeb: Anybody know who she is?]

[Perverted sage: Oh gosh.... she’s sexy. She sexily destroyed the Aberrants.]

[Random commented: Bro has lost the plot.]

[Daigeto; But seriously though, who’s she? She suddenly appeared from the ground? And wait, Shadow ability? I don’t think I have ever seen that before.]

[Viewer 123: Meh. I don’t really care about who she is. I just want to know how come she’s strong enough to do that to Two-Spined Aberrants?! This is crazy.]

[Nonchalant meta; Agreed. Just when you thought you have seen it all.]

Straightening herself, Layla glanced at the Aberrants that had attempted to crush her brother. Their enormous bodies writhed on the rain-soaked ground, blood mixing with the water as they struggled with their injuries.

She turned her head and looked at Kai, who was glaring at her.

"Why did you come?! Do you want HIM to discipline you after te—"

Layla scoffed.

"—Oh please. He already came out from his seclusion briefly, and he has seen that you are here. He instructed me to come help you and possibly bring you back."

"...."

Kai felt his heart pound furiously as his sister’s words sank in.

His expression darkened, and images of his grandfather flashed through his mind.

’Fuck, fuck, fuck. Why did he come—wait. ’Briefly’? Has he gone b—?’

"—Yes. He has gone back. But he said this one will be much shorter, so you have no choice but to return to us after this is over."

"No, I can’t return. My-My friends! I can’t leave them!" Kai shouted, jumping back to his feet.

The rain washed away the dust clinging to his skin, revealing his features once more. Even standing before his elder sister, Kai retained his unnaturally striking appearance, something that made Layla silently scoff for a moment.

"I-I finally made good friends, and you all want me to throw that away and come join the family business? Come on, I don’t want to! That’s why I ran away."

"You have no choice, lil bro. You know that no one can defy HIS orders. You know how HE can get when that happens. Don’t make him hate you, bro. He loves you de—"

"—Mehn! Screw his love! I want my own life. I want to live on my own terms and not follow the path HE has laid out for me. And my path and life are with my friends. So, no, I’m not going back at all! You’ll have to drag me back, kicking and screaming, before you get me there.

"Even if I can’t beat you in a fight, I doubt my friends or Captain Raze will allow you to take me. Fuck the Captain, Ray will definitely not let you take me—"

"—Ray? That’s the name of the new Lightning wielder, eh?" Layla questioned, tilting her head to the side.

"Was he the one you asked to start a war with the Immortal Flame Family for? Was he the one you wanted to kill the youngest Immortal Flame heir for?"

"...."

Kai blinked for a few seconds, his eyes drifting towards the drones hovering nearby and the chaos unfolding around them.

"I-I... that was in the past. Now, he doesn’t even need my help to take out Berg. And don’t dare change the topic. I’m not going back, and that’s final!"

Layla stared at her little brother for several moments.

The dark expression on her face gradually softened, eventually giving way to a small smile.

"I want to be jealous because others have a place in your heart that was supposed to be for me....for us, but then I—"

BANG!

Layla snapped her head around as a figure blurred through the air and crashed into a building, bringing the already weakened structure down with a thunderous CRASH.

"Trisha!" Kai shouted in panic.

Even so, the Ice Queen stubbornly pushed herself upright, refusing to remain on the ground despite the pain coursing through her body.

But as she tried to stand, her legs gave out beneath her, and she collapsed onto her knees.

That wasn’t all.

An Aberrant hurled something through the air with all its might, the projectile striking Van with enough force to knock him out of the air and send him crashing into a wall.

BANG!

Part of his mech suit shattered on impact, breaking apart into dozens of mechanical spiders that scattered in different directions.

Blood poured from Van’s mouth as his consciousness flickered in and out. His body struggled to respond, leaving him momentarily vulnerable amid the chaos.

Meanwhile, Chloe jumped onto a rooftop and dashed through a narrow crevice between the surrounding structures. She continued supporting her cohort, unleashing arrow after arrow at the Aberrants.

Unfortunately, the rain was making it increasingly difficult to aim accurately. The relentless downpour obscured her vision and interfered with her ability to find clean shots. Even when her arrows struck their targets, the resulting explosions weren’t nearly as powerful as they should have been.

Caster was facing a problem of his own.

His speed had always been his greatest advantage, allowing him to confuse opponents, evade their attacks, and strike before they could react. But now, that same advantage was working against him.

Four Aberrants had surrounded him from every direction, cornering him in such a confined space that he could barely move freely. With so little room to manoeuvre, he couldn’t exploit his speed the way he normally would.

The only person still fighting with relative ease was Captain Raze, whose expression had grown grim as he surveyed the state of his squad.

Not everybody could handle a Two-Spined Aberrant.

With the boost provided by their exo-suits, the teenagers could go toe-to-toe with a Two-Spined Aberrant.

The key word was *one*.

But they weren’t fighting one at a time.

They were constantly being surrounded by dozens upon dozens of these creatures, and the relentless pressure was pushing them to their limits. They had already been fighting for hours, their equipment was deteriorating, and their bodies were beginning to show the consequences of the prolonged battle.

Even with their abilities and technological advantages, they couldn’t keep this up indefinitely.

"Sis, sis, please help them," Kai pleaded.

Layla turned towards him, one eyebrow arching slightly.

"Why should I risk my life for them? I came here for you and nothing else. I don’t care about them."

"But I care about them! They are my friends, my family."

"And the Larsons? What are we to you?"

"My family. You are all my family. I care about you all equally. But I’m a Larson," Kai replied, grinding his teeth as purple crystals formed around him at an astonishing rate.

"You are a Larson, which is why I asked you to come home. To your real family. Stop putting yourself in danger to play hero."

"...."

Kai’s gaze shifted towards his friends.

Despite their injuries and exhaustion, they continued fighting against the Aberrants, refusing to give up even though they could barely hold on any longer.

He clenched his fists.

"A Larson always protects their dear ones and eliminates those who threaten them. Isn’t that what Grandfather used to say?"

Layla’s expression remained unchanged, but the shadows clinging to her twisted uneasily around her body as the rain continued to pour.

For a moment, she said nothing.

Then she finally relented.

"Fine, I will help if you agree to return after this is over. No arguments, no protests. You will quietly follow me back."

Kai turned his gaze towards Trisha.

The Ice Queen was using the last of her Meta-Force to freeze the rain around her before launching a devastating attack that forced the surrounding Aberrants backwards.

Nearby, Van’s suit had more cracks than ever before. He jumped towards the ground, throwing himself against the wet earth to avoid a crushing punch that swept past him.

"Hurry up, kid bro. You don’t have much t—"

"I ACCEPT! I will return if you—"

"Say no more."

Layla grinned like a devil.

In the next instant, she sank into the shadows and vanished from view.

But at that exact moment, a trail of shadows could be seen snaking across the ground at lightning speed.

They crossed metres in a matter of moments, spreading rapidly towards the battlefield.

Kai clenched his jaw as a sudden ache settled in his chest.

He had made his choice.

And now, he could only hope his friends would forgive him for it.

’Ra-Ray, I-I’m sorry. I had no choice.’