Battle Of Planets

Chapter 74: hard choice
”Y-You bastard!” Ken groaned, his arms shaking as he fought to maintain his plank. Meanwhile, Tyson sat on his back, deep in thought. ”How much longer do I have to do this?!” Ken shouted.Next to them, Lara and Bee remained in the same position, holding their planks. Lara continued to steal glances at Tyson, while Bee did his utmost to ignore the searing pain in his body.

A few feet away, Shaun sat cross-legged, gazing at the notes in his hands—Victor’s method. His eyes widened with disbelief as he went through them.

”This is insane!” Shaun blurted out, quickly clamping a hand over his mouth. ”I mean—the possibility of gaining four power points?!”

A hush settled over the group. Ken almost collapsed when Tyson finally got up.

”Did I hear that correctly?” Lara asked, scrambling to her feet. ”Four power points?”

”S-So what?” Ken murmured, rolling onto his back, totally overtraining. ”I can raise ten if I want to.”

”Boss, why are you still at seven?” Bee interjected.

Ken struck him. ”How could you speak to me like that?”

”Truth hurts”—another blow.

”It’s possible,” Tyson said. ”If we utilize this method, we could boost at least four to five power points in just one day.”

The group looked at him, their expressions frozen in disbelief.

Everyone understood how difficult it was to earn even a single power point. It required months of relentless training—or worse, risking your life—to gather enough sub-points to move forward.

And now Tyson was saying they could gain four to five points without any of that? He had to be lying.

”Impossible,” Ken scoffed. ”You might fool them, but not me—I’m smarter than them.”

No one acknowledged him.

Lara flipped through the diary, her brows knitted in concentration. She wasn’t an expert, but the way it was written—the detailed breakdowns, the diagrams—made it appear... possible.

”If this gets out,” Tyson said, his voice fading.

”There will be another disaster,” Shaun muttered grimly.

”Worse,” Lara added, shaking her head. ”Other cities might attempt to take it—or insist we share it with them.”

”Sharing isn’t even the issue,” she continued. ”It’s deciding who to share it with... and who not to... that’s where things get dangerous.”

She was correct. Sharing this secret with one city and denying it to another would guarantee a conflict. Whole nations would do anything to acquire this method.

”Even Utopia doesn’t have anything like this,” Shaun whispered.

A hush enveloped them. This wasn’t merely a discovery; it was a ticking time bomb.

”So what are you going to do, Serge?” Shaun asked, aware that Tyson had to make a choice. The group turned to look at him.

”Don’t tell anyone about this,” he said as he took the diary. The group nodded. ”I’ll figure something out,”

”Fine, it’s not like my father would believe me anyway,” Ken lay flat. ”Who wants to raise just four power points? Tell me if there’s a method to make me the strongest in the world.”

Lara rolled her eyes. Classic Ken.

”You go home,” Tyson said, ”It’s almost time.”

The group nodded as Lara glanced at him before leaving the training room.

Tyson stared at the dairy in his hand, struggling to decide how to use it. It was more powerful than he had anticipated, and he needed to explore his options now.

---

The door slid open, and Tyson walked into Edward’s office.

The murmur of conversation quickly faded away. His eyes darted to Seraphina and Edward, who appeared astonished to see him.

”T-Tyson! Hey!” Seraphina exclaimed, quickly adjusting the files as if trying to conceal them.

”Do you need something, my son?” Edward asked, forcing a smile. But Seraphina could tell it was fake; he was a terrible actor.

”We were just... talking about the government,” Edward added, perhaps a bit too casually.

Tyson raised an eyebrow. ”Should I come back later?”

”No!” Edward exclaimed a bit too quickly. ”Come, take a seat.”

Tyson narrowed his eyes but sat next to Seraphina, his gaze drifting toward the files she clearly tried to hide from him.

”What’s happening?” he asked, his voice steady. ”You both seem troubled.”

”Nothing special,” Seraphina said quickly, forcing a smile. ”I was just stressed about some things, so I thought I’d come talk to Dad.”

Tyson raised an eyebrow with a playful grin. ”Really?” He chuckled softly. ”Well, that’s a first—someone turns to Dad when feeling stressed!”

”I know, right?” Seraphina laughed, joining in. ”Now I realize... it was a mistake.”

Edward stayed silent as they relentlessly mocked him.

”He’s more of a stress-giver, not a stress reliever,” Tyson smirked.

”Exactly!” Seraphina nodded. ”That’s why I have a completely new headache now.”

Edward chuckled and shook his head. ”You know I can hear both of you, right?”

”Yeah, yeah,” Seraphina waved him off. ”We’re just having a regular conversation—unlike you, Dad, who only seems to know how to stir up trouble.”

Tyson turned to her. ”What trouble has he caused?”

Seraphina and Edward both froze.

”Alright, I can’t keep doing this,” Edward sighed, running a hand through his hair. ”I’m sorry, Tyson. There are things we’ve been hiding from you.”

Tyson’s body tensed. ”Again?” His voice grew harsh. ”Dad, I told you—no secrets.”

”I know,” Edward said, guilt heavy in his tone. ”But this time... I might have made things worse.”

Tyson’s brows knitted together. ”Like what?” He looked at Seraphina.

”It’s not completely his fault,” Seraphina added quickly. ”Everything is so twisted—it’s difficult to explain. But... yeah, you can blame Dad for your breakup.”

”Hey!” Edward protested. ”That’s not fair! You said we were in this together!”

Tyson went quiet as they explained everything—why Nancy had spoken to him that way, why she had caused him pain, and the truth behind it all.

The threat was real, and they had no way to counter Babylon.

Elria was weaker both militarily and politically. Its resources were spread thin, and its influence was restricted. It couldn’t afford a war, yet it was being forced into one.

Tyson leaned back in his chair, remaining silent. This felt hopeless.

Edward watched him. ”She made that choice so you wouldn’t have to,” he said, his voice firm. ”She understood you’d be caught between duty and love. She lifted that burden off your shoulders.”

Seraphina wanted to speak up, to protest, but she held back. She understood this wasn’t merely a conversation; Edward was imparting knowledge to Tyson.

And now it was his turn—to rise or stay where he was.

”Now you see why it’s so tough to be a Ranger,” Edward continued. ”If you were a Rogue, you would’ve disregarded orders. You would’ve said you don’t care about duty; You would have chosen the one you loved. But you’re not a Rogue, Tyson.”

Tyson stayed silent. Seraphina observed Edward’s gaze. Was he intentionally provoking Tyson to think like a Rogue? Or was he testing him again?

”Things have never been easy for us,” Edward said, his voice heavy with experience. ”And now, my son, I’m allowing you to decide for yourself.”

”Duty or love?” Tyson paused, contemplating.

If he chose Nancy and prioritized her above all else, Elria would face the consequences. The people, the civilians, his comrades—they would all suffer because he couldn’t let her go.

But they would take her if he chose duty and let her go.

Those monsters would torment her, shatter her spirit, and abuse her like a pawn in their cruel game. She would be at their mercy, and he would feel powerless to intervene.

Her life would be destroyed, and he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself.

”D-Dad, you’re...” Seraphina started, but Edward raised his hand, silencing her.

His expression was serious.

”In life, we are often faced with impossible choices,” Edward said, his voice collected. ”And this is where you have to make your decision.”

He met Tyson’s gaze. ”Whatever you choose, my son, I’ll stand with you—even if that means going against the whole world.”

”W-Why...?” Tyson’s voice was low, almost breakable. He could not comprehend the gravity of it all, but it seemed impossible. His body burned, and his heart felt like it was on a flame. No matter what he chooses, he knows he will regret it.

”Why does it have to be like this?” he whispered, his voice rough. ”Dad... can’t things just be easier?”

But he already knew the answer...there was no easy way out.

His decisions would stick with him for the rest of his life. It would ache within him, torment him, and fill his nights with nightmares. He had no idea what kind of person it might make him in later years.

All he ever wanted was to be with Nancy. From the start, duty never mattered to him. He never wanted to be a Ranger.

But life had compelled him to change. The past had seared the truth into him—the world had etched it into him.

Being a Ranger wasn’t merely a title but a burden and a sacrifice.

It meant carrying the weight of every consequence—in the present, in the future, forever.

Now, he had to prove it.

To himself...To everyone...To the world.