In a distant star sector, the fleet of Earth's Expeditionary Force was slowly navigating through space.
Inside the command room of the Frieza, Launch, seated in the captain's chair, wore a gloomy expression.
During their recent battle against the Magus Babidi's army, the Earth Expeditionary Force hadn't suffered significant losses. Instead, they had taken advantage of their initial surprise attack to eliminate a considerable number of enemies.
However, this wasn't because their forces were stronger than the opposition—rather, Launch had decisively ordered a retreat the moment the real powerhouses on the enemy's side took action.
As the commander of the expedition, Launch had undoubtedly made the correct tactical decision. However, on a personal level, she was deeply frustrated.
Being forced to retreat with her tail between her legs was nothing short of a humiliation!
If this had been the old Launch, she wouldn't have cared who the opponent was—even if it were the King of Heaven himself, she would have fought them head-on!
But after years of battles, Launch had matured. She understood that recklessly indulging in her own impulses would only lead to unnecessary sacrifices among her subordinates. So, despite her fury, she had no choice but to endure.
The atmosphere in the command room was tense, with everyone remaining silent, fully aware of Launch's sour mood—until, finally, three figures suddenly appeared: Vegea, Sharuru, and Celipa.
"You're finally here!"
Launch's previous frustration vanished instantly as she stood up.
"Just the three of you?"
"Hmph, the three of us are more than enough," Vegea scoffed.
"Sirus, Kakarot, and those guys decided to experience some boring school life on Earth. They're probably just now receiving your message," she added with a dismissive snort.
Launch frowned but quickly let it go.
"Well, three it is."
"This is your latest transformation? How's your power?"
She nodded, then closely examined Sharuru and Vegea.
Sharuru's appearance hadn't changed much—aside from the black patches on his armor turning golden. Vegea, on the other hand, was much more dramatic. Her hair had exploded into a wild, towering mass, making for an eye-catching transformation.
Visually, they looked impressive. But since both had restrained their energy, Launch couldn't gauge their actual strength.
"Want to test it out?" Vegea smirked.
"No way. If you want to test it, go find someone else," Launch refused without hesitation. She wasn't about to set herself up for a beating.
Still, their arrival reassured her. Vegea and Sharuru had already been strong before, and now, with their evolved forms, dealing with Babidi's minions shouldn't be a problem!
"Commander Launch, weren't there supposed to be powerful enemies? Why can't I sense them nearby?" Celipa asked from the side.
"We just managed to shake them off. At their speed, they'll probably take some time to catch up," Launch replied.
"You have a squad of fairly strong Red Silk Girls under your command. What kind of enemies are we dealing with that even they couldn't handle, forcing you to call us in?" Sharuru asked.
"It's a guy named Babidi. He uses some kind of strange magic."
"Although his own strength isn't impressive, he has a few troublesome subordinates."
"According to radar scans, those subordinates have incredibly high energy levels. None of our forces are capable of matching them."
"I see. So, we've finally got some interesting prey to hunt," Sharuru mused.
"Tch, only a living weapon like you would say something like that," Vegea muttered.
"We have recordings of previous battles. You should take a look before they catch up," Launch suggested.
Feeling refreshed, Yuujin walked out of Snake Princess's office.
If he remembered correctly, it should be P.E. class by now. Rather than returning to the classroom, he strolled toward the sports field.
"Sirus! Where the hell have you been? The teacher's been looking for you!"
As soon as Yuujin appeared, Elisa, Videl, Gokumi, and Broly all gathered around.
"Snake Princess had something to discuss with me, so I got delayed a bit," he explained.
"A bit? You've been missing for several periods already."
"Also, isn't it weird how often Snake Princess calls for you? You two aren't secretly doing something… inappropriate, are you?"
Videl rolled her eyes, while Elisa, looking highly suspicious, even leaned in to sniff Yuujin.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Snake Princess was just discussing academic matters with me—don't slander our reputations!" Yuujin quickly pushed Elisa away, forcing himself to stay calm.
"Yeah, right. Even if you two were bold, you wouldn't dare do that at school," Elisa chuckled, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "Sorry for doubting you. Hahaha…"
Yuujin could only smile awkwardly.
Sorry, Elisa, but you actually guessed right. I really was doing exactly that with Snake Princess in her office. She's probably still lying there, sighing in exhaustion…
"Gather up! Everyone, assemble!"
At that moment, the teacher's voice rang out, calling the students together.
"This class, we'll be practicing baseball. Let's go over the rules first."
The P.E. teacher, a burly man, began explaining the game in detail. Even though most students already knew the rules, he still went through them carefully.
"Alright, now split into teams and start practicing!"
With a clap of his hands, the teacher signaled the students to begin.
As the teenagers enthusiastically threw themselves into the game, Yuujin remained indifferent.
To him, their strength and technique were laughable, making the game painfully dull to watch.
Only Videl managed to catch his attention. As a martial artist, her strength and reflexes far surpassed the average student, making her performance stand out.
But even with her impressive skills, most of the students either ignored her or scoffed. Only Elisa and Gokumi cheered for her.
Videl was used to this kind of reaction. In the past, only Elisa supported her. Now that she had Sirus and Kakarot as well, she felt genuinely happy.
"Player number 8! You're up!"
With the next match starting, the teacher called out.
"Sirus, you're number 8. It's your turn," Elisa reminded him.
A smirk tugged at Yuujin's lips as he stood up.
"My turn already? Guess I'll give it a shot."
To be continued…
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