I’ll be the Red Ranger
Chapter 97 – The 6th General

- Sebastian -

The thud of the fist hitting the table reverberated in the conference room, drawing the attention of all the generals present. The soft lighting reflected off the metallic walls, casting tense shadows over austere faces. Sebastian rarely lost his composure, but the situation demanded an exception. Coming from an arrogant young descendant of one of the Great Houses, such behavior was unacceptable.

"Immediate expulsion," Sebastian growled through clenched teeth, his gaze fixed on the holographic projection floating above the table. "I will not accept someone like that entering a Ranger Division. That's my vote, and even if I lose this vote, he will still be banned from the Yellow Division."

The five had been gathered at NEA headquarters to discuss new talents and possibly begin the evaluation process of the third stage, as well as to discuss potential allocations among the divisions. However, while they were holding the meeting, images from Arena 12 were shown to the group.

The other generals exchanged glances, nodding in silent agreement. They all understood the gravity of the situation. Mordred's behavior was not just reckless; it was monstrous. He had just assassinated an NEA pilot during the exam. He could have used his powers to incapacitate or paralyze the mecha, but instead, he tore the machine apart with such force that there was no chance to save the pilot.

"Remember, he is one of the main Heirs and is supposed to compete for the Emperor's position; this could destroy your career," Camille reminded them.

She was one of the calmest generals in the meeting. It wasn't uncommon for her to handle such situations; being the General of the Pink Division, she had developed the ability to calculate the value of each person's life within an operation to achieve maximum efficiency.

With her long silver hair cascading over her pink armor, she seemed to many a symbol of innocence, but to those who knew her, she might be the most feared general among the five.

"I agree with Sebastian; it's impossible to accept such behavior," Quinn supported her colleague. However, Sebastian knew that this was a bad sign. Being one of the most impulsive among the five, it indicated that he might lose that argument.

Sebastian turned to Jason, seeking approval. Jason was reclining in his chair, eyes closed. The General of the Black Division looked as if he had been sculpted from stone, with muscles visible even beneath his armor, which was as black as his skin.

Like the others in the room, his expression showed disgust at what had happened; however, he preferred not to voice his thoughts.

Before Jason needed to speak, Wiz interrupted the exchange between the generals. "At this moment, we should be evaluating the talents approved from the first exam, not discussing a situation like this," declared the general of the Blue Division, his eyes shining with a mix of wisdom and impatience.

"But what can we do?" Sebastian inquired, still boiling inside.

"You're underestimating the Emperor if you think he hasn't already been informed about the incident. Undoubtedly, he has eyes and ears on the exam," Wiz commented.

The four generals turned their attention to Wiz, recognizing that he was the most experienced among them. Silence settled in the room as they pondered his words.

Sebastian took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, and set the matter aside, at least for now. He knew that hasty decisions could have disastrous consequences.

The meeting room at the top of NEA's Central Tower offered a stunning panoramic view of futuristic Miami. The intelligent glass windows displayed a vibrant metropolis, where drones crossed the skies in orderly routes, and advertising holograms projected intense colors through the urban haze. Sebastian diverted his gaze to the bright ads, trying to push the incident still on his mind away.

"Who else caught your attention?" Camille asked, breaking the tense silence that hung in the room.

"We had a Nameless in Area 23. He seemed quite interesting to me," Wiz commented, adjusting his glasses.

"But he would have lost if the match had continued," Jason recalled, his deep voice resonating in the room. His arms crossed over the black armor highlighted his imposing posture.

"Even so, luck is an important attribute in the field," Wiz replied with a slight smile.

Sebastian noticed Camille's face harden upon hearing their exchange. The Ranger knew that Camille's niece had lost the arena to this boy, which had made her furious a few hours earlier.

The final scenes of the arena reappeared on the central hologram, and Sebastian recalled the young competitor. He turned to Quinn, who had seemed oblivious to the discussion until then. "Wasn't he on that rescue mission you carried out?"

Snapping out of her thoughts, Quinn looked more closely at Oliver's face projected on the hologram. "Oh! Yes, he was. He was one of the three we rescued from the Orks."

"That's a great sign. He's lucky to have come out alive. But not only that, he survived six months of torture; if his brain hadn't turned to jelly in that time, he might have enough grit to be a Ranger," Sebastian commented.

"Alright, who would like to have this talent?" Jason asked, casting an inquisitive look at the others.

Only Wiz and Sebastian raised their hands.

The record was immediately added to the system. If the boy managed to advance in the following two stages, they would prioritize him to be allocated to the Blue Division or the Yellow Division. He would still have bargaining power or could argue to join another division, but for those two, a spot would already be available.

The images on the hologram changed to another arena winner, but none of them had time to watch the recording to the end. The door of the meeting room slid silently open, revealing another participant.

A man in white armor entered, walking slowly to the head of the table. Though less ornate than the other generals', his armor emanated an aura of power and authority. The smooth, gleaming plates reflected the ambient light, and a small medal hanging on his chest demonstrated his position above even his fellow generals.

His graying hair, perfectly slicked back, matched his serious face. His penetrating eyes scanned the room, briefly fixing each person present as if evaluating every detail and movement before he settled into the chair.

Sebastian had seen him only a few times. However, the Ranger knew he didn't need to speak; his presence was a statement in itself.

"Stewart, it's good to see you again. It's been a while since you've been in a selection," Wiz commented with a cordial smile.

"Yes. It's good to see you're well, Wiz," Stewart replied with a slight nod.

Wiz seemed to be the only one comfortable in the presence of the Sixth General, dressed in immaculate white armor. The others shifted discreetly in their chairs, each trying to find a more appropriate posture in the face of the unexpected appearance.

"Are you going to select someone for your division?" Wiz asked, curious.

"Yes, but not only that," Stewart explained. "I also came to bring a message from the Emperor."

The five generals slightly raised their eyebrows, surprised by the speed of the decision.

"Mordred Lot will not be prevented from entering the Ranger divisions," Stewart declared bluntly.

Sebastian felt an urge to protest, but the words died in his throat under Stewart's piercing gaze.

"However, there will be a punishment. He will not be able to be part of the Red Division," Stewart added, finalizing the verdict with a definitive tone.

"Is the Emperor sure about this? It will undermine Mordred's political power; this could cause problems in the Senate," Wiz questioned, a look of concern crossing his face.

"Yes. If there's any questioning from Great House Lot, they can discuss it directly with Great House Meridius," Stewart responded.

Sebastian understood the political game in progress. House Meridius was the Emperor's former house. The next emperor could not come from his lineage since he had been the last to occupy the throne. Therefore, they would need to support another house. If Mordred tried to cause any problems, House Meridius could easily support one of his opponents.

Even so, Mordred would suffer a slight political blow, possibly being one of the few heirs unable to enter the Red Division. It was rare to find people like John York, who chose to join other divisions even while being heirs of a Great House.

The Yellow Ranger was not satisfied but knew that at least there would be some consequence, and the heir would not come out completely unscathed, however small his punishment might be.

"Alright," Wiz confirmed, trying to return to the main subject. "You said you were going to select someone for your division; does that mean you found a new Unique Z-Crystal?"

Stewart nodded. "We found one on Olympus and another that the Heir of the Yorks found on Marea Alpha. We are still negotiating with him the possibility of acquiring the Z-Crystal, but we have at least one spot in my division."

Wiz nodded excitedly; Sebastian knew how thrilled the Blue Ranger was at the possibility of researching one of those rare crystals.

"Alright. Who's next?”

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