Battle Of Planets

Chapter 73: political pressure
”Who is this Ryuk, anyway?”Nancy sighed. ”I have no idea. They just mentioned he’s a Prime or something.”

Seraphina leaned back and exhaled sharply. ”Unbelievable—54 power points at that age?” She shook her head. ”If Alex and Tyson discover his potential, they’ll exhaust themselves trying to reach new heights.”

A small, wistful smile played at Nancy’s lips. ”That’s the Rangers for you... always chasing the impossible.”

Seraphina noticed the change in her expression but wouldn’t let the conversation drift.

”That’s exactly what I’m trying to tell you, Nancy,” she said, returning them to the real reason she had called Nancy here. ”They enjoy chasing the impossible. That’s what motivates them.”

”Or destroy them,” Nancy finally said, her voice trembling. ”You think I don’t want to be with him? I do, Sera. More than anything. But not at the cost of pushing two cities to the brink of war. I won’t allow blood to be spilled because of me.”

Seraphina sighed and shook her head. ”That’s noble of you, Nancy Winters... but, you see, there will be blood either way.”

Nancy’s breath caught in her throat.

”If you give in to them, they’ll take control of the entire city. And then what?” Seraphina’s voice was calm but cutting. ”An insane man will rule Babylon—the very place where you grew up. The place your family called home. The city your father fought for.”

She gave a small, knowing smile. ”I was no different, you know. It’s overwhelming—thinking that one choice could lead to the downfall of everything. But someone has to make that choice, Nancy. And if you don’t...” She leaned slightly forward. ”Someone else will make it for you.”

Nancy stayed silent.

”The uprising will die if you side with them,” Seraphina continued. ”Those who care about your family and your father’s legacy—they’ll be cast out. Or worse... killed... all because you chose to let them do as they wish.”

”What if I refuse to comply?” Nancy asked. ”They’ll come after all of Elria... They’ll come for him.”

This time, Seraphina was the one who went silent.

”I-If I go there, maybe... I can find a way to—” Nancy hesitated, her words catching in her throat. Even she wasn’t sure what she was trying to say. ”It’s my problem anyway. I don’t want to drag the people I care about into this mess.”

She stood up, prepared to leave.

Seraphina didn’t stop her, but just as Nancy was about to reach the door, Seraphina spoke up. ”What about him?”

Nancy froze.

”If he were in this kind of mess,” Seraphina continued, still not looking at her, ”what would you do?”

Nancy swallowed hard, her voice barely above a whisper. ”I should... let him handle it himself.”

Seraphina smiled softly, glancing over her shoulder. Nancy didn’t look back; she walked away.

The door had just barely closed behind her when another figure stepped inside.

General Edward.

He hesitated under Seraphina’s intense gaze, avoiding her eyes as if he sensed a storm in her expression.

”H-How are you, my daughter-in-law?” he asked awkwardly.

”I’m fine, Dad,” Seraphina replied, her voice tinged with frustration. ”But tell me honestly—what were you thinking when you shared everything with her?”

Edward sighed, leaning back and scratching his beard. ”I—I wanted her to understand her circumstances.”

Seraphina let out an exasperated sigh and stood up, pacing. ”She’s not a soldier, for God’s sake, Dad! She’s still in university. She’s not trained for political games, and she’s not ready for this—she’s just a civilian who wanted a normal life!”

Edward shook his head. ”She’s more than a civilian, Seraphina. She is Victor’s daughter and Tyson’s future wife.”

”Exactly!” Seraphina turned sharply, glaring at him. ”And now look what’s happened! They split up! And she’s determined to return to Babylon to sacrifice herself—all because you frightened her into believing she had no other options!”

Edward cleared his throat, shifting uneasily. ”I didn’t scare her. I just... wanted to see what she would do.”

Seraphina crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. ”You wanted to test her?”

He muttered something quietly, resembling a child being reprimanded.

”I’m sorry,” he exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. ”But look at the bright side—Tyson is handling it well.”

Seraphina sighed, ”It’s no surprise Alex became who he is.”

”What does that mean?” Edward asked, frowning.

”Nothing,” Seraphina said quickly. Then, changing the subject, she asked, ”What happened in the meeting?”

Edward sighed. ”Just as you predicted, the matter ended up in your hands.”

Seraphina nodded, unbothered. She had advised him to stay calm and delay the discussion until they had no option but to hand over the decision to civilians. To her.

”But Albert won’t make it easy for you,” Edward cautioned.

”I know,” Seraphina said. ”I’ll take care of it.” After a brief pause, she added, ”In the meantime, I’ll speak to Tyson again. He must know the truth—before that girl does something reckless.”

Edward exhaled. ”Yeah... do that.”

----

The video call was established in the President’s office, and the atmosphere was tense. Seraphina flipped through the file, her eyes growing wider with each line she read.

The President of Babylon sat comfortably on the screen, his face adorned with a bright smile.

”This is unbelievable,” Seraphina exclaimed, her grip tightening around the pages. ”You can’t do this! High tariffs? Resource limits?”

The man’s smile remained steady as she kept scanning the document.

”You’re even using political hostages!” She slammed the file down on the desk.

Babylon had made its move. They weren’t merely imposing tariffs; they were crippling Elria’s economy. Essential exports, particularly power stones, were being cut off. And now, they were holding Elrian researchers hostage—scientists working under the RD division used as leverage.

They were pushing too aggressively.

Seraphina’s hands clenched into fists. ”This isn’t a negotiation; this is sanction warfare.”

The man chuckled and shook his head.

”Dear, we have all the cards.” His smile widened. ”All we’re asking for is one girl. Extradite her to Babylon, and all of this... goes away.”

”She is a citizen of Elria,” Seraphina stated firmly. ”And you haven’t provided proof that she is a criminal deserving extradition.”

The man’s expression darkened.

”Listen closely, girl,” he said icily. ”You’re inexperienced in politics and lack the knowledge of how things operate. I’m allowing you one week—either you comply, or you’ll witness Elria fall into economic ruin.”

Before Seraphina could respond, the screen went dark. Silence filled the room. Her fingers tightened around the file before she pushed it aside in anger.

How could they do this? The more she pondered it, the more tangled everything became. Babylon wasn’t negotiating—they were choking Elria into submission.

A tentative knock on the door. ”M-Madam? Are you alright?”

Lucy cautiously peeked inside, worry flickering on her face.

Seraphina clenched her jaw, suppressing the fury that burned within her. But that wasn’t enough. With a swift motion, she knocked the metallic hourglass off the table.

It struck the floor with a dull clang, rolling across the quiet room before resting in the corner.

Seraphina exhaled, gripping the edge of the desk for support. This wasn’t merely politics; it was war. Babylon had crossed the line.

Seraphina understood that Albert was motivated not merely by greed but by fear.

It was no secret that his position was at risk. Whispers circulated that someone from within his own battalion was biding their time to remove him. Someone with terrifying potential—someone who could one day eclipse even the strongest warrior standing at an impressive 79 power points.

Albert realized that the only way to influence others and reinforce his power was by leveraging Nancy Winters, the daughter of his former rival, Victor Winters.

Even after surviving the Tournament, he never thought he would have to depend on Victor’s legacy to get by. Yet here he was, reaching for control, using his enemy’s bloodline as his final, desperate lifeline.

Seraphina clenched her fists. She had to stand up to him if she wanted to protect Nancy.

Nancy was no longer just a girl caught in political turmoil—she was a symbol, a pawn in Albert’s power game. And now, Seraphina wasn’t merely her friend; she was a leader, responsible for the lives of every citizen in Elria.

Nancy was one of them. More than that, she was family, and Seraphina would not stand by and watch a family member suffer.

Not for politics. Not for power. Not for anything. But the question was, how?

Seraphina could feel the tides shifting, and at that moment, she saw only two options: either allow Babylon to suffocate Elria under economic and political pressure or let Nancy go.

Neither choice felt right to her. Then there was Tyson. What if he found out? How would he respond?

She hoped to buy time and negotiate while maintaining connections within Babylon’s inner circles. However, it was becoming evident that Albert and his puppet President were not interested in diplomacy.

They were cornering her and pushing Elria to the brink of desperation.

They wanted Elria to break and hand over Nancy willingly...