Transmigrated as the Villainess Princess - Chapter 251

Chapter 251: This is the Start

It was a peaceful afternoon, almost too calm. The kind that made the soul ache with longing for something undefined. The golden sun hung above the domed shields of the Sirius interstellar city, radiating warmth over the metallic structures and verdant gardens that had become Ahcehera’s home.

Peace was rare and often deceptive after the chaos of missions, loss, and dark memories that refused to fade. Ahcehera had just finished reviewing restoration plans for the western district when her comm-bracelet buzzed with a sudden message.

[Meet me? Interstellar Mall. The usual spot. – Eros]

She blinked at the name. Eros rarely initiates meet-ups these days. They’d grown quiet since the war ended, two ghosts passing through their own lives, bonded by memories and losses too deep to speak of.

But once, they’d spent hours together wandering aimlessly, cracking jokes in dusty libraries, browsing alien trinkets in old marketplaces, or chasing flavors from food stalls no one dared try. Their bond had been like a soft string, not tied too tightly, but always present.

Curious and a bit uncertain, Ahcehera made her way to the meeting spot.

The artificial weather simulation was scheduled for sun and breeze, yet the sky felt heavy, as if the heavens were holding their breath. She arrived to find Eros already seated at a quiet corner of the tea lounge nestled within the massive Interstellar Mall.

A pot of rose-honey blend sat steaming between them. Eros gave her a faint smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“You really chose today?” she said, sliding into the seat across from him.

“I don’t know,” he replied softly. “Something told me we should talk. Maybe I just…missed this.”

She blinked. Eros wasn’t the type to get sentimental. She studied him, the rigidness of his shoulders, the subtle tension in his fingers as he poured her tea. Something was off. But before she could ask, the sharp ring of screams shattered the stillness.

They both jolted. Glass exploded somewhere nearby. Shouts erupted, followed by stampeding footsteps. Without a word, Ahcehera stood, already pulling a blade from her belt as they rushed outside the tea lounge.

The once orderly corridors of the mall were now flooded with panicked civilians. Security bots tried to form a line, but their barriers were failing. From the upper level, something leapt, a massive shadow of segmented limbs, armored plates, and serrated fangs.

Zergs.

Not just one, but several. Dozens.

Ahcehera’s breath caught. “This shouldn’t be possible. The outer colonies were their problem. We cleared them from this sector months ago.”

Eros narrowed his eyes, drawing his dagger in a smooth motion. “They’re not natural-born Zergs. Look at their chitin. They’ve been… tampered with.”

Before she could ask what he meant, a low tremor shook the building. The skylights above fractured with a deep crack, and then the sky turned black.

A void split the clouds like a wound. A massive, spiraling portal ripped open in the heavens, casting unnatural shadows over the entire city. Energy shimmered at the edge of the vortex, and within its swirling depths, writhing silhouettes moved, more Zergs, and something worse. Something they’ve never seen before.

Ahcehera’s eyes widened. “A rift portal? But that technology was banned…”

“I know,” Eros interrupted grimly. “This isn’t just an invasion. It’s a breach in dimensional law. Someone opened this on purpose.”

They heard the heavy march of booted feet. Military forces stationed in the area had begun to gather, forming formations, erecting energy barriers, and attempting to clear civilians. Gunfire and explosive wards were deployed, but the Zergs didn’t fall easily. They were stronger. Smarter. It wasn’t a wave, it was an organized strike.

Ahcehera took a step forward, hand crackling with suppressed magic. The old urge surged in her veins, even though her powers had never fully recovered. But just as she moved to join the soldiers, Eros grabbed her wrist.

“No.”

She turned to him, startled. “They need help.”

“You’re still healing, Ahce. You’ve been hiding it, but I know. You can’t cast properly, and your reflexes are slower. One wrong move, and they’ll tear you apart.”

Frustration boiled in her chest. “So you want me to stand here while others die?”

“I want you to survive,” he said, his voice hard. “You have Liliana. You have people to return to. I’ll go.”

“Eros…”

He let go and turned, his expression unreadable. “I’m not asking. Stay near the civilians and guard the south wing. If they break through, they’ll reach the evacuation tunnels.”

Then, with a flare of energy and a blur of motion, Eros dashed toward the battlefield.

Ahcehera hesitated, teeth clenched. Part of her screamed to run after him. To fight beside him, like old times. But another part, the part that had seen death claim too many, knew he was right. She couldn’t cast her strongest spells anymore. Not since her encounter with the Celestial Flame Sealer. Not since the Western mission drained her core.

She moved instead to the lower wing, summoning what energy she had left to create a partial barrier for escaping civilians. The air around her hummed with tension as the Zergs struck again, one slamming through a military tank like it was paper. And yet, Eros was a storm.

He moved with lethal grace, weaving between blasts, slashing through limbs and scale and chitin like water through sand. His dagger glowed with antimatter infusion, and his strikes were precise, efficient. Where others stumbled or fell, Eros advanced.

He climbed the broken infrastructure with ease, landing atop a fallen structure like a predator. With a powerful chant, he released a shockwave that sent a dozen Zergs flying. Soldiers behind him regrouped, rallied, and reinforced the line.

Still, more kept coming. The portal above had not stopped. The rift pulsed, and another massive creature emerged, this one unlike the others. It had a semi-humanoid structure, fused with Zerg appendages, and eyes that glowed with an unnatural light.

Ahcehera’s blood went cold.

“That’s not just a Zerg,” she whispered. “It’s a hybrid.”

And if that was true… the implications were terrifying. Someone had begun weaponizing the Zergs, merging them with human-like DNA. Possibly even using fallen soldiers.

She reinforced her barriers as civilians poured through the southern tunnels. Some military drones had joined her, and though she fought with only a fraction of her former strength, her mind remained sharp. Strategic, swift, precise. That, at least, hadn’t changed.

She caught glimpses of Eros, blood-splattered and unwavering, eyes focused like a hawk, every movement a dance of violence and resolve. His determination sent a strange ache through her chest. He had changed, too. There was no hesitation in him anymore. Only purpose.

Still, the hybrid was closing in.

Ahcehera looked up at the rift, her gut twisting.

Who opened this?

And more importantly… what was coming next?

Because this wasn’t a random attack.

This was a message.