[Chapter 250. Interception]

Searanox stood with Iris next to the tower. She pressed closely against him, her warm breath against his neck creating a contrast to the cool night air swirling around them. The faint violet light from the energy conduits pulsed rhythmically across her silver hair, making the strands glisten like spun moonlight. She pushed against him further, attempting to bring his back against the smooth black granite wall.

Her body molded to his, all lean muscle and curves pressing with insistent heat, but Searanox stood like a boulder in the wind, his posture unyielding. Her attempts didn't go unnoticed; he felt the deliberate pressure, the silent demand in her movements speaking of pent-up desire. He picked her lean form up with a firm squeeze of her rear, the motion effortless despite the weight of her armor.

She pressed her muzzle into his neck and brushed up toward his ear. Her lips parted slightly before her tongue slipped out, leaving a trail of fire against his skin that made him shudder.

"Take me now, right here," she whispered, finishing with a gentle nip on his ear. Her sharp teeth barely broke the skin but sent a jolt of electricity straight through his body. The scent of her arousal mingled with the metallic tang of the city permeating the tower's exterior.

He leaned her against the wall and pressed into her, pinning her with possessive strength. "Have I told you already that you have become a very needy girl?" he whispered, his voice low and gravelly with desire despite his attempts at control. Her ear twitched with each word he spoke, the delicate movement betraying her heightened arousal.

"Maybe we dial it down a bit. We can't just have sex whenever I have a minute to spare." His words were a weak protest, his body's response contradicting his stern tone. His hands roamed her curves, memorizing every dip and valley of her form as if it had been ages since he had last touched her.

Iris whimpered, pulling closer. Her claws dug into his armor plates with a scratching sound that echoed in the quiet night. "More." The single word was both a plea and a command, her movements adding layers of raw need that bypassed all language barriers. Her tail thumped against the wall behind her, twitching with impatience as she ground her hips against his, leaving no doubt about her intentions.

His fingers combed through her silver hair, the silken strands cool against his skin, when something pulled his attention away from the moment. His head snapped toward the west of the city, the movement so sudden it made Iris tense in his arms. He felt something—a soft pull, neither on his body nor his mind. It felt like the sudden gut instinct to check a pot on the stove just before it boils over, a primal warning screaming that something under his watch was about to go wrong.

Iris slid down as he loosened his hold on her, her body protesting the loss of contact with a soft whimper. His eyes narrowed as he looked into the distance, the red in them intensifying as they strained against the darkness. A bright flash illuminated the sky for a moment, brief enough that an ordinary observer might dismiss it as lightning, but he knew better.

"Something is off. Iris, you clear your dungeon. I'll be back." His voice was clipped. All traces of their earlier intimacy vanished, replaced by the cold efficiency of a commander on the brink of action.

He set Iris fully on the ground and pulled away. Before detaching completely, he gave her a kiss—brief and hard, a promise and a farewell pressed against her lips.

Then he was on his travel drone and heading toward the outer wall, the wind whipping through his hair as the machine surged forward with unnatural speed. He could already see flashes of light outside the wall, crimson intermingling with the deep blue of barriers holding against an assault. Before he could reach it, three explosions erupted, each sending a concussive blast that could be felt even from this distance.

He simply knew that three of the city's drones had just vanished. There was no mental connection between the drones and him, but he knew anyway—a hollow ache in his gut where their presence used to be, the sudden emptiness as tangible as a physical wound.

As he reached the wall, the night air growing thick, he spotted the figures to the west of the city. They stood in a tight formation, there were more than there had been when he encountered Kandora and her squad. With a quick glance, he counted nine: a perfect tactical formation that spoke of disciplined training and purpose.

He summoned multiple drones that flashed into existence as he crossed the thick outer wall, their pale blue materialization casting eerie shadows across the battlements. The machines hovered around him like silent sentinels, their metallic surfaces gleaming in the faint moonlight as they prepared for battle.

They swarmed down below the height of the wall, their sleek forms cutting through the night air with deadly grace, and engaged the targets that had just destroyed his patrol drones. The assault drones led the charge, their weapons systems primed, while the defensive drones positioned themselves to absorb whatever punishment the intruders could dish out.

The fight went just as it had against the salamanders in the Molten Core: a whirlwind of coordinated attacks and defensive maneuvers. Crimson and violet energy beams from his drones crashed against the light yellow and orange protective wall of their shield-bearers, creating brilliant explosions that painted the night in fleeting colors.

But unlike the salamanders, their shield barrier did not hold half as long. After the protective wall collapsed in a ripple of light, not even the spells they cast against his two defensive drones could turn the fight around. Their desperation became palpable in the increased ferocity of their attacks, but it was too little, too late.

The moment the wall fell, his drones shot them relentlessly, beams lancing through the darkness with precision. They avoided vital shots, deliberately incapacitating rather than killing—a calculated decision to allow for interrogation later. The offensive drones unleashed a barrage that severed limbs and shattered the intruders formation.

Next came the healing drone. It hovered over, its emerald glow casting an eerie light across the battlefield as it prepared to mend the damage they had sustained—just for the assault drones to repeat the process.

As Searanox was about to follow the drone toward where his forces were softening up the squad for questioning, something caught his eye. A flicker of movement away from the main battle didn't fit the pattern of retreat or regrouping.

A figure stood alone in the fields halfway between the city and the squad of raiders, seemingly frozen in place. From a short glance, he could make out that she was female, and not nearly as tall as the others. Although she shared similar features with them, she lacked the wings and long horns that seemed common among these beings. She stood motionless, as if caught between fleeing toward her comrades or running away entirely.

Her horns were small and thin compared to the impressive, curved structures of her companions. Her posture was rigid with tension, the dark clothing she wore doing little to conceal the wiry strength beneath. His travel drone shifted above her, its silent form casting a long shadow across the moonlit field, and he simply let himself drop, landing right behind her with a hard thud.

"You're a beauty," he spoke softly. He reached out to grab her by the waist but halted, his fingers mere inches from making contact. Something was off—his instincts screamed that this wasn't just another combatant.

She was much smaller than the others—nearly half their size. "A child?"

The question hung in the air between them, tinged with disbelief and a growing horror that they would send children into an open warzone. Her small frame trembled. Not with fear, but with restrained fury. Her eyes flashed with defiance as she finally turned to face him directly.