Battle Of Planets
Chapter 77: Checkmate

Chapter 77: Checkmate

Edward’s expression darkened as he gazed at the diary in Tyson’s hands. Seraphina remained speechless, absorbing what she had just heard.

Meanwhile, Tyson appeared completely at ease, casually flipping through the pages of some documents as if the fate of Elria wasn’t hanging in the balance.

Edward’s fingers curled slightly. He recognized this method. He had been searching for it just days ago, and now—here it was, laid out in precise, undeniable detail.

"This is the same method Coco used on Blue’s Meta-bot," Edward muttered, more to himself than to anyone else.

"Exactly," Tyson confirmed, keeping a close eye on him.

Seraphina finally found her voice. "How do you think this will help us, Tyson?" she asked with hesitation. "If they discover we possess something this powerful, they’ll attack us right away. Forget about political isolation and resource restrictions—Babylon will crush us before we even have a chance to use it."

"I know that," Tyson said immediately.

Edward smirked. "I see what you’re getting at. You want me to power up and take them down instead... I like that idea."

Seraphina groaned, clutching her head. "Oh my God. No."

"No!" Tyson said firmly.

Seraphina sighed in relief as she yanked the diary from Edward’s hands. "I’d better keep this away from you, Dad."

Edward appeared truly surprised. "No? Then what do you have in mind?"

Tyson leaned forward, his eyes sharp with determination. "Sera, you mentioned that our resources from the eleven mines aren’t sufficient, correct?"

Seraphina nodded. "Exactly. We frequently need to import Power stones from cities such as Babylon and Utopia."

"Great! We can proceed with the business," Tyson smiled.

Seraphina narrowed her eyes. "Business?"

"We only have two and a half years left. Eventually, this method will need to be shared," he said, pointing them out. "We have to be stronger for the tournament."

"That’s right," Edward acknowledged.

"So we do this on our terms." He tapped the diary. "We copyright this method, register it, and then charge royalties for every successful power-up."

Seraphina and Edward shared a glance, realization beginning to dawn on them.

"T-That’s actually possible..." Seraphina whispered, her lips curling into a slow smile. "That way, we can gain resources, and people will try to curry favor with us—putting Babylon in a tight spot."

"Exactly," Tyson said. "We can subtly control who gets to increase their power points while securing power stones in return."

Seraphina smiled with delight. "That’s a brilliant strategy, Tyson."

She hugged Tyson tightly, laughing as she turned toward Edward.

The old general’s expression changed: first surprise, then amusement, followed by a broad grin.

Edward smirked and said, "Well, well... Now, let’s see how high you can really fly, Albert."

---

The leaders of Utopia, Babylon, and Daria appeared on the line, their holographic images shimmering in the softly lit conference room.

Among them, the oldest man from Daria—Julian, the second-strongest human alive—sat on a mat with the calm demeanor of a monk, his serene smile unwavering as he spoke to Edward.

"Edward, you seem full of life," Julian mused, his tone light yet knowing. "It appears you’ve found your successor."

Max scoffed, leaning back with his typical smirk. "Successor? He has two sons, unlike you, Julian."

Julian exhaled slowly, shaking his head. "Maybe... age is starting to catch up with me. I feel like I’m forgetting a lot of things lately."

"Indeed, you are getting older," Edward said, smiling. "You should pass on your legacy before you drift off in your sleep... or do you intend to die like I want In battle?"

"Death is random," Julian replied, his smile unwavering. "But it’s great to see you, my friends. You’ve done remarkably well since we got back from the Tournament."

Albert cleared his throat, bringing the conversation back to the point. "Julian, we need to concentrate on the meeting," he said smoothly. "We’re here to hear Edward’s decision. Will he protect humanity... or destroy it by harboring criminals?"

Julian’s calm gaze turned towards Edward. As a monk, a warrior, and the second-strongest human alive—boasting an incredible 86 power points—his role was to consider the greater good of humanity.

"Politics," he murmured, almost to himself. "I’m no longer interested in these games. I’ve already surpassed all your leagues, and I just hope that before I die... you all discover a way to unite instead of divide."

Albert seized the moment, turning to Julian with a practiced, sheepish smile. "That’s exactly what I’m trying to tell Edward!" he said. "I just want the girl, and then I’ll be on my way. She’s important to me."

His voice dripped with manipulation, and his words were carefully chosen as he attempted to sway Julian to his side.

Edward let out a sigh, rubbing his temples.

Seraphina, sitting upright next to him, observed the Generals. She was quiet yet sharp, her presence stubborn as she stood behind her father-in-law. A file rested in her hands—her own weapon in this battle of words.

"Edward... we don’t want bloodshed, son," Julian spoke again, his voice gentle yet firm. "We must keep the peace. A far greater battle lies ahead, and we can’t afford to lose our people over trivial disputes."

Edward gestured to Seraphina, urging her to approach. She inhaled deeply, collecting herself. Stay calm, she reminded herself. Now, she was about to speak to the strongest men in the world—individuals who had influenced humanity’s destiny.

"I understand," Edward continued, his voice steady. "That’s why we created a new method—one that will benefit everyone."

Max raised an eyebrow, skeptical.

Julian coughed, his face revealing nothing.

However, Albert narrowed his eyes.

What is this nonsense? he pondered. Why introduce something as pointless as a ’new method’ in such a significant meeting?

It didn’t make sense. The only research facilities that mattered were in Babylon. The greatest minds of a world worked there, under Babylon’s watchful eye. Elria? They no longer had any real research teams. The brightest minds had long been taken away, absorbed into Babylon’s system.

So what exactly might they have invented?

Edward interrupted his thoughts. "She’s my daughter-in-law and the daughter of Edmund," he said, turning to Seraphina.

She inhaled again and bowed slightly. "Seniors," she greeted, offering a polite yet nervous smile.

Julian sighed and shook his head. "Ah... Edmund. The news of his passing truly affected me."

"Me too," Max said with a nod. "I hope you’re doing well, Seraphina."

"Yes, seniors, thank you for asking," she replied, keeping her composure. "I’m doing well."

Albert studied her intently. So... the President couldn’t break her after all?

He had specifically instructed his puppet President to make her position as challenging as possible, to shake her to the core. Yet here she was—standing firm, addressing them with confidence.

Albert’s lips curled slightly. "That’s interesting."

"Speak, child. What do you have to say?" asked Julian.

"This method was developed by one of our emerging talents," she said, carefully concealing the truth that it was Victor’s discovery. "But before I present it to you, as the President of Elria, I must prioritize my city first."

Max and Julian nodded in acknowledgement.

Albert, however, grimaced as his jaw tightened. Still, he remained silent—for now.

"If we are all in agreement that this method will shape humanity’s future," Seraphina went on, "then Elria needs to formally register it in our name. From now on, Elria will earn a 30 percent share from every successful enhancement."

The room became utterly silent.

Max’s gaze shifted to the file in her hands, his curiosity sparked.

What did they actually discover?

Had they somehow altered human capabilities? Had they developed a way for warriors to optimize their potential in battle?

Was it a serum, or something else entirely?

Babylon had spent years attempting to create enhancement serums for Rangers, but the results were disappointing. At best, the serums offered temporary boosts, but they had no long-term effects—rendering them useless in tournaments.

The best Babylon ever achieved was rubberized battle suits that marginally improved performance, but nothing that genuinely altered a person’s fundamental strength.

And now, Seraphina stood here, claiming Elria had something new—something real—and she wanted 30 percent of every enhancement?

Albert chuckled, shaking his head. "Thirty percent? Are you kidding, little girl?"

His sneer was cutting. "You lack a Research Department like Babylon’s. Regardless of your methods, we will handle the work—we will oversee enhancements, materials, and any failed experiments. And you dare to ask for 30 percent?"

Seraphina remained unflinching. "Yes," she replied plainly. "And there’s one more condition."

Albert’s smile disappeared.

"We will not hand this method over to Babylon," Seraphina declared. "Instead, we propose relocating the Research Department branch to Utopia, where all future enhancements will occur—for anyone who wishes to undertake them."

Albert’s eyes grew wide with understanding. There it was. She wasn’t merely negotiating; she was strategizing for the long term.

By giving Utopia control over the enhancements, she had positioned them directly against Babylon.

For years, Utopia had aimed to take the R&D branch from Babylon’s control, but Victor’s influence had consistently made that impossible. After all, he had been one of their key researchers.

Now, Victor was gone, and Seraphina forced Babylon into checkmate.

"Y-You... how dare you?!" Albert slammed his fist on the table, his face twisted with rage. His typically composed demeanor shattered, fury radiating from him in waves.

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