Battle Of Planets

Chapter 46: Formation V
”Wow, I never knew you could speak so well,” Tyson said with crossed arms.Blue smirked and shook his head. ”At some point, I suppose I should take you seriously.”

As he spoke, memories of their past encounters flashed through his mind—the relentless battles, his narrow escapes, and the way Tyson fought with sheer determination despite the ten-point power gap between them. And yet, somehow, Tyson had always managed to push Blue to his limits; not to mention now, when the gap had increased to 12 power points, yet here he was.

If he could do it, then why couldn’t Blue? After all, he was more remarkable and smarter than Tyson—or at least that’s what he told himself.

”What? You didn’t take me seriously?” Tyson exclaimed,

Shaun chuckled but quickly diverted his gaze when Tyson shot him a glare.

”He’s got a long journey ahead,” Alex murmured as he observed the scene.

Seraphina gave a small, knowing smile.

But their moment of lightheartedness was cut short when Coco finally spoke, his voice filled with cold amusement.

”Do you believe your so-called unity will make a difference?” His eyes scanned them, brimming with contempt. ”The harm is already irreversible. The message I intended to convey to the world has been sent—whether you approve or not. The struggle between Rangers and Rogues will never end.”

”It doesn’t matter,” Tyson replied instantly. ”We’ll sort it out, just like we always do. You don’t need to worry about it.”

Coco let out a breath, his eyes growing somber. In an instant, an aura resembling purple flames burst forth around him, crackling with untamed energy.

”If I were you, Seraphina,” he said, his voice ominously calm, ”I would leave this place in ten breaths.”

The Lieutenant raised his hand, prompting a line of Rangers to step forward and form a protective barrier around Seraphina. Meanwhile, others began escorting her to safety.

”Shouldn’t we fight?” Tyson pursued them, slightly staggering as he walked.

Shaun glanced at him, his expression momentarily indistinct. Tyson’s body appeared battered and bruised, yet he was eager to fight. Shaun felt truly helpless in understanding Tyson.

Blue, on the other hand, surveyed the battlefield, his eyes darting from one spot to another, moving here and there.

”Are you looking for something?” Tyson asked,

”Yeah... a friend,” Blue muttered, still searching. Finally, his gaze landed on her—Raine. She leaned against a ragged piece of concrete, struggling to stay conscious.

”Raine?” His breath caught as he hurried toward her.

Tyson and Shaun instinctively turned to see what had caught his attention, but before Tyson could react, Alex spoke up.

”Our priority is Seraphina,” Alex said firmly, drawing Seraphina closer as they moved her to safety.

Tyson nodded; he knew her safety was more important since other Rangers were fighting with Coco.

Alex walked silently, but thoughts chomped at him—why had Coco waited all this time? Why had he allowed Seraphina to talk everyone out of his plan?

This was the same man who had executed the President and Dex in cold blood, without hesitation. Had Coco chosen to go all out from the beginning, survival would have been impossible for the three of them.

And yet, he had waited. Why?

Blue knelt beside Raine, worry filling his eyes. He could see her struggling to keep her eyes open while the dwindling reserves of nanoparticles in her Meta-bot desperately worked to stop the bleeding from her severed leg.

”Raine?” Blue whispered, his voice just above a murmur. ”Are you okay? Look at me.”

”B-Blue?” she whispered, reaching to touch his face. ”I’m okay... just need a break.”

”Keep your eyes open,” he urged, transferring all his remaining nanoparticles to her. ”Channel them to your leg—fill the wound.”

The tiny metallic and nano particles surged toward her wound, sealing it and numbing the pain that had haunted her all this time.

She slowly opened her eyes, her gaze locking onto his. ”I... I thought I was going to die like a dog.”

”You won’t,” Blue assured her with a smile, catching a glimpse of the old Raine. ”Besides, I don’t think these Rangers have what it takes to take you down.”

”Right!” she chuckled, but then immediately winced in pain. ”I’m glad you’re safe.”

”Me too,” Blue smirked. ”That I’m safe.”

Raine laughed, shaking her head.

Their moment was interrupted by a sudden shout. They turned their heads just in time to see the Rangers and Rogues finally launching their attack on Coco.

”He’s incredibly powerful—nearly at General rank!” the Lieutenant yelled. ”Be careful with your actions! Fight strategically!”

His piercing gaze moved to the Rogues, silently urging them to grasp the situation. A one-on-one battle was futile, but their odds of victory would increase significantly if they fought together.

”Rangers, formation—V!” he commanded.

The Rangers quickly positioned themselves, forming a V-shape. The strongest warriors led the charge, while the others followed closely behind to maintain a solid front. At the center stood the Lieutenant, prepared to coordinate their assault.

As one, they charged.

The first two Rangers lunged at Coco, forcing him to react. He struck at them, but they concentrated entirely on dodging, baiting his attacks. The second wave seized the opportunity, countering with precise strikes and creating gaps in his defense.

Then, the next group of Rangers sprang forward, striking at him in perfect synchronization.

Finally, the Lieutenant charged in, unleashing a powerful blast that sent Coco backward.

”What is that formation?” Tyson wondered aloud from the sidelines.

As Shaun answered, Alex and Seraphina listened in silence. ”It’s Formation V—highly effective against a single opponent. Since we can’t overpower him alone, we use our numbers to wear him down.”

Tyson raised an eyebrow. ”You really know your stuff.”

Shaun tilted his head. ”I thought every aspiring Ranger knew this—especially a sergeant.” His gaze shifted between Alex and Tyson.

Seraphina also turned to Alex and asked, ”You don’t know?”

Alex scoffed. ”I don’t need to know; I take everything head-on.”

Tyson scratched his head with a sigh. I suppose it’s finally time for him to study Ranger’s Theories.

The purple aura shimmered through the debris as Coco emerged, almost unscathed. He glanced at the approaching Rangers in their tight formation.

He struggled to maintain the tight formation but noticed the Rogues. He stood up and suddenly sprinted toward them.

Seeing their target within reach, the Rogues swarmed around him like ants attacking a wounded snake, striking from every direction without hesitation. Meanwhile, the Rangers hesitated; their formation felt ineffective now that their opponent was already engulfed in chaos.

The lieutenant cursed under his breath, realizing that Coco had intentionally thrown himself into the ranks of the Rogues to disrupt their strategy. With no way to escape, he opted to fight using his brute strength. However, Coco had miscalculated; although the Rogues lacked coordination, they attacked relentlessly as if they had nothing to lose.

Coco countered, sending foes flying with each strike, his aura enhancing his power hits. Even as he fought fiercely, he understood the truth—he couldn’t take them all on indefinitely. The overwhelming numbers pressing against him were becoming too much, yet he had no choice but to push forward.

Coco seized the opportunity and leaped out of the fray, creating distance between himself and the swarm of Rogues. He landed, huffing; he knew he had to keep them at bay—if he allowed them to surround him again, their relentless attacks would wear him down.

His gaze flicked toward the towering structure where Seraphina and her mother had taken shelter earlier—the same building where the president had made his announcement. Without hesitation, he dashed inside, prompting the Rogues and Rangers to pursue him.

”Don’t let him escape!” one Ranger shouted.

But instead of running away, he faced them. The narrow confines of the building caged others while the advantage shifted back to Coco. The walls and corridors limited their movements, but he no longer needed to protect himself against attacks from all directions.

He forcefully hurled his foes into pillars and walls, leaving no one able to flee his hold. Each collision reverberated through the building, creating cracks in its foundation—initially minor but becoming increasingly obvious to onlookers outside.

”Damn, it’s a trap!” Tyson swore as realization hit him. ”He’s trying to bring the entire building down on them!”

Alex clenched his teeth and tightened his fists. They could see the Rangers desperately trying to push inside from a distance, unaware of the impending collapse.

Suddenly, the lieutenant came crashing through the side of the building, slamming hard into the adjacent structure as if Coco had hit him. He staggered, struggling to regain his balance as debris rained around him.

”We need to warn him!” Alex insisted.

”Lieutenant!” they all shouted, but the Ranger was having trouble standing and didn’t seem to hear them. His eyes were fixed on the fight as if he were getting ready to charge back in.

”He can’t hear us,” Tyson mumbled, feeling helpless.

”Hey, Lieutenant, you bastard!” Shaun suddenly shouted.

The lieutenant paused, observing the youngsters. The entire group froze.

Tyson’s head whipped around to Shaun, whose face had turned pale like he had seen a ghost.

”He... he heard that,” Shaun swallowed hard. ”You said he couldn’t hear us...”

”Yeah, it’s a miracle,” Tyson smiled, aware that Shaun had poked the beehive.

”It can’t be!” Shaun grabbed Tyson’s shoulders and shook him in panic. ”What should I do?! Am I dead?!”

”You have to get away from there!” Alex shouted, his eyes widening as he noticed the expanding cracks along the building’s structure.

The lieutenant scarcely had time to register his words before a deep groan echoed within the walls. The side pillars buckled under the strain, crumbling inward like the building had released a final, agonized breath.

A deafening crack split the air as the entire structure tilted, teetering sideways like a wounded giant. The upper floors slammed violently into the neighboring building, sending shockwaves through the surrounding area. Shattered glass and concrete chunks fell like rain, forcing those nearby to shield themselves.

For a brief moment, the massive structure appeared frozen in time, leaning against the adjacent building—until gravity prevailed. The weakened walls collapsed, redirecting the fall.

Tyson’s breath caught in his throat. ”It’s heading right for us!” he shouted.

The massive steel and concrete structure lurched forward, now falling directly toward them.

”Move!” Alex roared.

Dust and debris exploded into the air as they scrambled in different directions, the once-marvelous building crashing down with a thunderous roar, engulfing everything in its path, in a minute swallowing everyone who stood unaware beneath it.