Battle Of Planets

Chapter 55: Tyson’s team
”Silence!” A sharp, authoritative voice echoed through the hall.Another lieutenant stepped forward; his tone sent a chill down the trainees’ spines. The murmurs immediately died down.

The lieutenant on the podium continued, ”We hereby declare that you will officially be ranked as Cadets and must adhere to the Rangers’ regimen for at least half of the week from now on.”

An eruption of protests ensued, even more intense than before.

”Why?” someone yelled. ”I haven’t even graduated!”

”This is illegal!” another voice protested.

Amid the whispers, a trainee nudged his friend. ”Doesn’t being a Ranger mean endless drills?”

His friend swallowed hard, glancing at the sergeants nearby. ”Yeah... Look at them.” He gestured toward the higher-ranked Rangers. ”It’s as if they’ve already seen everything. And now... we’re going to stand among them.”

Ken, silent until now, muttered just loud enough for his lackeys to hear. ”Why didn’t my father tell me about this? He should have warned me. Then I...” He trailed off, and his frustration was evident.

Lara observed him quietly.

Shaun, however, chuckled. ”Coward!”

Ken’s glare snapped in his direction, but before he could say anything, Shaun smirked and pointed at Tyson. ”I’ll tell him to hit you.”

Lara burst out laughing at the unexpected moment, which eased her heart somewhat. Several heads turned in her direction, surprised by the sudden outburst in such a grim situation. Why was she laughing? Had she gone insane?

Lara quickly lowered her head, feeling embarrassed. ”Sorry,”

”Your schools will be informed accordingly. Ensure you attend these drills—failure to do so will result in punishment under the rules,” the Lieutenant declared. His piercing gaze scanned the crowd, silencing any further murmurs.

Then his tone shifted slightly. ”And to the 23 new Sergeants, we welcome you into our ranks. I hope you will continue to work hard and further improve yourselves.”

Tyson and Alex sensed the lieutenant’s gaze lingering on them. They both nodded in acknowledgment, noticing the faint smile on his lips.

”I’m proud of you and your service in the recent operation.”

The lieutenant beside him began to clap. Then, he shifted his piercing gaze downward, silently commanding the new cadets to do the same.

Initially, the applause was hesitant. Some people clapped out of obligation, while others, like Shaun and Lara, applauded sincerely, their admiration shining in their eyes.

They were genuinely inspired by the event and the bravery displayed by the sergeants on the upper floor. They were there fighting for them, ensuring the city was safe and sound.

Tyson stood still, but as the applause echoed through the vast hall, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of his journey.

”Cadets, for now, please go and register your names. We will assign a group leader from among these excellent sergeants.” The lieutenant gestured for them to move. A large door opened behind him, leading directly to the second floor, where the sergeants were stationed.

As the trainees exited, the lieutenant smiled and came toward Tyson and Alex. ”There you are. I haven’t introduced myself yet—I’m Marsh, Power Point 41.”

”It’s great to meet you again, Lieutenant.” Tyson eagerly shook his hand, while Alex offered a respectful nod. ”Thanks to you, we were able to handle Coco.”

”I should be the one saying that,” Marsh chuckled. ”You all helped me see where I was lacking.”

Surrounding them were the other newly promoted Sergeants—the same warriors who had fought alongside them in battle.

Although many Rangers participated in the battle and earned power points through their meta-bots as a reward for their hard work, only a select few gained enough valuable experience to meet the strict requirements for becoming Sergeants. As a result, only those few were chosen for promotion, while the others remained at their current ranks, continuing to train and improve for future opportunities.

However, Alex and Tyson’s situation was different. They had already achieved the power level needed for Sergeants but had intentionally avoided official enlistment to evade the endless drills and strict responsibilities associated with the rank. They were satisfied operating just below the threshold, free from the added stress. But now, due to the latest changes, there was no more room to maneuver—they had been formally drafted into the ranks of Sergeants, and there was no way to escape it.

”W-What about me?” Tim raised his hand. ”I helped too! The General said he was proud of me as well.”

Marsh rolled his eyes, ”Yeah, yeah, you too, Tim.” He barely glanced at the injured Sergeant Tim, known for his mischief and love for street racing, despite being prohibited by the law, before returning to the recruits. ”You’re technically their senior now, so make sure you set a good example in that drill.”

Tim puffed out his chest. ”Damn right, I’m their senior! and i will lead them well.”

”Don’t get ahead of yourself; I haven’t forgiven you for the car theft that day,” Marsh said. Tim stuttered. ”I won’t care about reasons.”

A different lieutenant stepped forward and shook Alex’s hand. ”We’ve heard a lot about you two... Thank you for protecting the city.”

Alex nodded. ”It was our duty.”

”Mine too,” Tyson said before changing the subject. ”About the drill... are we able to choose our team members, or...?”

”Yes. Do you have someone in mind?” Marsh asked.

Tyson didn’t hesitate. ”Shaun, Lara, Ken, and their friends.”

Alex paused before speaking. ”I’m taking Shaun, and—”

”Sorry, I called his name first,” Tyson smirked. ”You just need to stand behind me like last time.”

Alex paused, and just as he was about to argue, a lieutenant standing in the back suddenly stepped forward, his expression shifting from curiosity to relief.

”Ken?” The bald-headed lieutenant’s eyes widened. ”That’s my son! Thank goodness he caught your attention.”

Tyson’s smile wavered as he studied the man in front of him. Marsh, sensing the change in his expression, hesitated. What was he thinking?

Alex, on the other hand, felt a sudden chill. He’s up to something.

Tyson’s grin grew even wider. ”Yes, he caught my attention. He and his friends welcomed me with open arms.”

The lieutenant’s face darkened immediately, recognizing his son. He realized he must have upset Tyson. ”That bastard!”

Marsh chuckled, shaking his head. ”You sure you want that team? You can change your mind...”

”No,” the lieutenant suddenly interrupted, his voice resolute. ”I implore you to discipline my son as you deem appropriate.”

The room fell silent as the other lieutenants exchanged knowing smiles. The sergeants nodded, now understanding why the man was concerned about his son.

Tyson smirked. ”Great. Then I have permission.”

Meanwhile, below, Ken was in the middle of a conversation when a sudden chill crept up his spine, sending goosebumps across his skin.

It felt like the Devil himself had just cast his gaze upon him.

”You are in charge of their training and tasks,” Lieutenant Marsh declared. ”We will award marks according to which team performs the best.”

”Fine, then I’ll kick your ass this way,” Alex smirked.

”Dream on,” Tyson retorted. ”I’ll take you down before you can even punch me.”

Marsh sighed, ”Yeah... I probably should’ve brought this up earlier, but this isn’t about fighting but leadership. No Sergeants are permitted to do the tasks themselves.”

Silence followed his words.

The other sergeants burst into relieved laughter. Some even patted each other on the back, celebrating their narrow escape. ”Oh, thank the heavens,” one muttered. ”I thought we were doomed to compete with those two monsters.”

Meanwhile, Tyson and Alex’s faces turned into statues.

”Huh?”

Leadership? THEM? Leading PEOPLE?

Tyson slowly turned to Marsh. ”Can I... change my team?”

”No!” The bald lieutenant, Ken’s father, smiled far too politely. ”My son is in your care, young master. Please... help him become a strong warrior.”

Tyson’s face darkened.

Alex nearly laughed—until he realized he hadn’t even picked his team yet. ”Oh, crap...”

”How are we supposed to find team members?” Alex asked eagerly, already planning how to assemble a dream team to defeat Tyson.

Meanwhile, Tyson gazed at the ceiling as if he were pondering his life choices. ”W-Why?”

”You can either let me know who you want or go pick them yourself,” Marsh said, giving Tyson a sympathetic pat on the back. ”But your team has already been selected. You must choose one of Ken’s friends since the limit is five for a team”

Tyson attempted to smile, but it resembled more of a grimace instead.

Marsh chuckled. ”Ah, poor guy. You had the opportunity to build a dream team, but no—you just had to be dramatic. Look at you now, stuck with Ken and his crew.”

Tyson groaned inwardly. This was karma striking him at lightning speed.

”Just you wait!” Alex smirked before racing down the hall. ”I’m going to recruit the best of the best!”

The other sergeants instantly panicked. ”OH HELL NO!” They bolted after him, knowing even the leftovers would be valuable. It became a full-blown race, with grown warriors shoving and tripping each other to grab the best recruits before Alex could.

Marsh shook his head and laughed. ”Well... this is going to be interesting.”

Tyson, still staring at the ceiling, whispered to himself, ”I should’ve just picked Shaun and Lara...”