Chapter 34: The Clash of Hearts

The Battlefield

The frozen battlefield was a cacophony of destruction. Explosions lit the horizon, sending shrapnel and debris flying in every direction. Ministry forces clashed against Zophar’s rebels, their Archons and soldiers locked in a deadly dance of survival.

In the midst of this chaos, Lyris stepped out of her gleaming mechanoid suit. The suit stood like a towering sentinel, its polished frame covered in the scorch marks of battle, but Lyris abandoned its protection without hesitation. Her tall frame strode forward with purpose, her glowing blue eyes fixed on one target: Aria.

On the other side of the battlefield, Aria noticed the movement and stepped away from her brigade. Her petite figure was almost swallowed by the towering Archons around her, but her commanding presence remained undeniable.

They met in the center, the sounds of war fading into a distant hum as the tension between them crystallized.

“Aria,” Lyris said, her voice cold and measured. “You betrayed him. You betrayed me.”

Aria’s expression softened, but her voice was firm. “And what about you, Lyris? You left him alone. You abandoned him for this.” She gestured at the battlefield around them. “What makes you any different?”

Lyris’s fists clenched, her glowing eyes narrowing. “I never lied to him. I never pretended to be something I’m not.”

“And I suppose you think that makes you better?” Aria shot back, her tone sharp. “You think your absence didn’t hurt him? You think your silence didn’t cut him deeper than any lie ever could?”

The tension reached its breaking point. Lyris lunged forward, her fist swinging with incredible force. Aria dodged to the side, her movements quick and precise.

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The Fight Begins

Portillo / Eternal Code /

Portillo / Eternal Code /

Lyris swung again, her strikes heavy and unrelenting. Each missed blow sent shockwaves through the frozen ground, the sheer force of her attacks leaving cracks in the earth.

Aria ducked and weaved, her petite frame a blur of motion. “Is this how you solve everything, Lyris? By brute force?”

“You don’t get to talk to me about solutions,” Lyris snarled, her voice trembling with anger. “You lied to him, to me. You manipulated him!”

Aria countered with a low kick, forcing Lyris to stumble back. “I was trying to protect him! To keep him safe from you!”

Lyris recovered quickly, her glowing blue eyes burning with fury. “Protect him? You mean control him. You never gave him a choice!”

“And you think you did?” Aria shouted, blocking a powerful punch that sent her skidding backward. “You think dragging him into this was giving him a choice?”

The fight intensified, their movements blurring as they exchanged blows. Lyris’s strength was undeniable, each punch and kick delivered with calculated precision. But Aria matched her, blocking and countering with equal skill.

Their fists finally collided mid-air, the impact sending a shockwave through the battlefield. Lyris’s eyes widened in shock as Aria stood her ground, her strength revealed in that single moment.

“You…” Lyris whispered, her voice trembling. “You’re an Archon.”

Aria didn’t respond, her expression hardening as she pushed forward with a flurry of strikes. “I did what I had to do, Lyris. For him.”

“Lies!” Lyris roared, her anger boiling over. She swung again, her attacks growing more erratic as her emotions surged. “You don’t love him! You only wanted to use him!”

“And what about you?” Aria countered, her voice cracking with emotion. “You left him to perform, to fight in your war. You think that didn’t break his heart?”

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The Emotional Collision

As their fight raged on, the pain in their voices became more evident.

“You confused him!” Lyris shouted, her punches landing harder. “You made him doubt himself, doubt me!”

Portillo / Eternal Code /

Portillo / Eternal Code /

Aria blocked another strike, her arms trembling under the force. “And you—” she gritted her teeth, “—you were so wrapped up in your mission that you didn’t see him falling apart!”

Their blows became slower, their exhaustion matching the emotional weight of their words.

“I love him,” Lyris said, her voice breaking. “And I let him down.”

Aria’s gaze softened, tears threatening to spill. “So did I.”

For a moment, the battlefield seemed to freeze. The two women stood there, battered and bruised, their artificial blood dripping onto the frost-covered ground.

Lyris’s chest heaved as she looked at Aria, her voice a whisper. “Then why didn’t you tell him? Why didn’t you let him choose?”

Aria shook her head, her own tears falling. “Because I was afraid. Afraid he’d choose you.”

The vulnerability in her words struck Lyris like a blow. For the first time, she saw the truth in Aria’s eyes—a truth that mirrored her own.

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The Battle Around Them

Their confrontation was interrupted by an explosion nearby, the sound of war crashing back into focus. Rebel Archons and Ministry forces continued to clash, their numbers dwindling as the fight dragged on.

Aria turned her head, her brigade faltering without her leadership. “This isn’t over, Lyris.”

Lyris stepped back, her glowing blue eyes never leaving Aria. “No, it’s not.”

Aria retreated to her forces, her heart heavy as she gave the order to regroup. Lyris returned to Zophar’s side, her mind racing with conflicting emotions.

As the battlefield erupted into chaos once more, both women prepared for the next stage of the fight—each determined to protect the man they loved, even if it meant destroying each other.

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Portillo / Eternal Code /

Portillo / Eternal Code /

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