Reborn: My Two Systems at War

Chapter 127: Trap, trap, and one extra trap!

The fist smashed into the kinetic shield with a thunderous crash, sending shockwaves rippling across its shimmering surface, like a stone thrown into a still pond.

Simultaneously, the scene erupted into chaos. The ten crewmen, their eyes glowing eerily, leaped towards her with inhuman shrieks. Their advance was cut short as beams of purple particles lanced through the air, striking them with lethal precision, leaving gaping, smoldering holes where they pierced.

In the chaos, the three remaining crewmen rushed for the exit, shooting blindly behind them.

Amidst the cacophony of light and sound, Tia retreated, her mind already whirring with the strategy for her next move. The officer, undeterred by the failed assault, charged again, the glass floor fracturing under the sheer force of his leap.

Tia's response was a flash of deadly intent. She conjured a blade of kinetic energy, enshrouded in roaring flames, and thrust it towards the officer's legs. He dodged with an almost supernatural agility, his body contorting mid-air over the fiery blade.

Without missing a beat, Tia unleashed a rapid succession of fire blades. The air crackled and sizzled as they whizzed through. In flashes of light, the blades sliced cleanly through the officer's legs, which plummeted to the floor, searing and smoking.

"Gaaaa!" The bisected second officer's agonized scream tore through the air as he fell to the floor.

"Now, let's see what you're hiding," Tia murmured coolly, her eyes sharpening into slits as she readied herself to completely incapacitate him. Her determination was ironclad, and her mind was set on not dropping her guard again.

'His arms are next'

Suddenly, the officer's screams ceased. His head snapped up, eyes ablaze with a sinister, golden glow, morphing his agony into a maniacal grin. The abrupt change sent a shiver down Tia's spine.

A pulse of alarm surged through her. 'This expression! He hasn't surrendered!' Her battle-hardened instincts flared to life, sensing an imminent and unknown threat.

Splitting her focus into three parts, she acted with lightning speed. One part of her mind unleashed a brutal wave of kinetic force at the officer. The other two simultaneously reinforced her protective barrier and propelled her body backward, rocketing towards the exit in a strategic retreat.

'I need space.'

Then, in a sequence of deafening roars, Karkoskak and his men erupted in a series of plasma explosions. The blasts were like miniature suns, consuming everything in their immediate vicinity with unrelenting fury.

'Those lunatics!' Tia screamed internally as she rushed out of the room.

Behind her, the command center was engulfed in a blinding inferno, with waves of heat and force rippling through the entire structure.

The shockwaves collided with her barrier like a battering ram of fire. She could feel the heat searing the air, the roar of the explosions drowning out all other sounds.

Propelled by the explosion and her own kinetic energy, she crashed into the cold, marble floor of the corridor.

Despite the burning sensation on her skin, a rejuvenating energy coursed through her veins, bringing a wave of relief. She watched in fascination as her palm, raised before her face, transitioned from painfully red back to its healthy, pale hue.

'I didn't even need any potions. This is just the power of my cells,' she thought with a mix of awe and satisfaction.

[Imposter eliminated x 11]

<Basic Telekinesis VI (138%) --> (145%)>

< <Basic Pyrokinesis III (22%)>--> (35%)>

'So it was like this.'

Turning her gaze back to the command room, her eyes widened at the sight of utter devastation. The elite imperial commandos were all kneeling, their armored boots sinking into the visibly warped floor as they braced against the shockwave. Their ornamental armors glowed with the residue of intense heat.

The bridge was a scene of ruinwalls bent and partially melted, every screen and pane of glass shattered into oblivion.

'It's all gone.' A wave of panic surged in her chest as she grasped the full extent of the disaster aboard the ship.

'They are all fanatics. No, madmen with powers that are not scared to die.' Slowly regaining her composure, Tia rose to her feet, smoothing her skirt and straightening her posture.

With eyes glowing a fierce combination of red and blue, she raised her gloved hand high. Her gaze landed on the first officer and the two surviving crewmen in the corridor.

"You think you can trick me again?" she declared, her voice echoing with authority. With a swift, decisive motion, her arm swept downward, unleashing a fiery kinetic explosion. It surged forward, crossing the distance between them in an instant.

Their eyes briefly flashed golden before the storm of raw kinetic force and fire engulfed them, tearing and melting the corridor along the way.

[Imposter eliminated x 3]

<Basic Telekinesis VI (145%) --> (148%)>

< <Basic Pyrokinesis III (35%)>--> (39%)>

"Trap within a trap within another trap. How devious," Tia mused aloud, her voice tinged with a mix of amusement and disdain.

After a moment's pause, she exhaled deeply, collecting her thoughts.

'The way they ran out the moment the fight startedas if they knew of the explosion. Also, they didn't even flinch when the second officer attacked me.' Her mind, honed by high stats and adaptations, meticulously pieced together the clues.

She witnessed how fast the attackers were, yet she was supposed to believe that the crew could survive for so long.

She almost burst into laughter as she thought deeper into the entire situation. 'Their stances, positions, and all when I entered felt a bit odd too. Standing in two formations on two opposite sides of the room? Too orderly and pretty.'

"The bridge is gone, and the flight crew is dead. Where is the next place we can use to take back control?" Tia's voice cut through the settling dust as she addressed the commandos, who were now rising from the ground. Their purple visors, unscathed, shimmered through the swirling air.