– Blue Marble Planet –

As the 10th anniversary of Ashton’s disappearance approached, the people of Last Bastion began to reflect on the legacy he had left behind. Ashton had been a brilliant leader, inventor, and strategist who had played a key role in humanity’s survival against the invading demons and angels.

Even though he had disappeared without a trace, his contributions to the war effort were still felt every day. The advanced weaponry and technology he had created had given humanity a fighting chance against the combined forces of their otherworldly foes. His tactics and strategies had been studied and emulated by the Grand Commanders who now led humanity’s armies.

Despite the absence of Ashton, humanity had not faltered in their quest to defend their home planet. In fact, they had only grown stronger in the ten years since his disappearance. The advancements in technology and weaponry that Ashton had helped create had given them the edge they needed to fight the demons and angels toe to toe.

But even as they fought for their survival, there was a sense of emptiness that lingered. Ashton had been more than just a brilliant leader and strategist. He had been a friend, a mentor, and a beacon of hope in dark times. His absence was keenly felt by those who had known him.

As the anniversary approached, the Grand Commanders met in private to pay their respects to the man who had helped shape the future of humanity. They shared stories of his brilliance, his kindness, and his unwavering dedication to the cause. And they renewed their commitment to continue the fight in his honor, to ensure that his legacy would never be forgotten.

In the end, it was not just Ashton’s contributions to technology and strategy that had made him so invaluable. It was the spirit of determination and resilience that he had instilled in the people he had worked with. And that spirit lived on, even ten years after his disappearance.

But even with the ceaseless advancement of Humanity, the fight for survival still remained challenging.

Although Humanity had progressed quite far during these ten years, the long history of Celestials and Hypogeans still gave them a deeper foundation compared to Humans.

Humans could now fight them yes, and most of the time, they’re able to push them back. Expelling them completely from their world, however, was something that they cannot do that easily just yet.

***

In the Outer Space of the Blue Marble Planet, several fleets could be seen.

A convoy of large ships in a battle formation could be witnessed surrounding the outer territory of the Blue Marble Planet.

These are forces of Humanity doing their jobs. They are protecting the world from the invaders, doing their best to not let them desecrate their land ever again.

During these ten years, Humanity was able to destroy the Qliphoth Root and the Laguna from their world. With these two bases gone, their world was safe from the corruption of the two races and they were able to focus on the rehabilitation of their land.

That being said, it doesn’t mean that the threats were gone.

To their surprise, they discovered that the Angels and Demons are now working together in attempts to suppress Humanity once more.

While they managed to kick them out of their world, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the fight was over just like that.

From a distance, more ships could be seen. These looked vastly different from what Humanity has.

These were the fleet of both the Celestials and Hypogeans, they were parked here, surrounding the Blue Marble Planet and harassing them from all sides in attempts to land in their world again.

This was how the past couple of years had been for Humanity. The battlefield shifted here and the stalemate remained like this ever since.

Alice, the Sword Empress and Grand Commander of Humanity sat in her office. Her attention was divided between the documents in front of her and the live feed of the ongoing battle. She couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt at not being out there with her fellow soldiers, but as one of the three Grand Commanders, her responsibilities were different.

Her eyes flicked back and forth between the papers and the screen, her mind racing with possible strategies and plans. She had always been a master tactician, but with the combined forces of angels and demons, even she had to admit that the situation was dire.

Suddenly, an alarm blared, causing Alice to jump to her feet. She quickly assessed the situation, her mind working at lightning speed. It seemed that a group of demons had broken through the front lines and were making their way toward a vital strategic location.

Without hesitation, Alice grabbed her sword and rushed out of her office, barking orders to her subordinates as she went. The chaos of the battle was overwhelming, but Alice was in her element. Her sword flashed through the air, cutting down any demons that stood in her path.

As she fought her way towards the strategic location, she could see that the demons were not alone. A group of angels had joined the fray, determined to take control of the location for themselves.

“Alice, go back. I’ll handle this.” She stopped in her tracks as she heard Blake’s voice.

She nodded at him and made her way back to her office. Whatever the problem was, she was confident that Blake could handle it.

And her confidence in him paid off. Not even five minutes later, the alarms were gone and order was being restored. It’s just a little oversight on their part so it wasn’t that serious. Plus, nobody died so that’s a plus.

As the sun set over the battlefield, the three Grand Commanders gathered in their war room to discuss the day’s events.

Alice paced back and forth, her sword still in her hand, as she recounted the fierce battles that had taken place. “We’re holding our own, but we can’t keep this up forever. The demons and angels are just too powerful,” she said, frustration evident in her voice.

Mary nodded in agreement. “We need a new strategy. Something that will catch them off guard,” she suggested.

Blake, the quietest of the three, sat deep in thought. Suddenly, he stood up and spoke, “I have an idea. It’s risky, but it might just work.”

The other two commanders leaned in, eager to hear what he had to say.

“We know that the demons and angels are powerful, but they also have their weaknesses. They’re not used to fighting together, and they have different motivations for being here. I say we exploit those differences,” Blake explained.

Alice raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “How do you propose we do that?”

“We target their leaders. If we can take out the demon and angel commanders, their forces will be in disarray. And we can use their differences against each other to cause chaos,” Blake continued.

Mary nodded thoughtfully. “It’s risky, but it just might work. We’ll need to plan carefully and coordinate our attacks.”

Alice smiled, feeling a surge of determination. “Let’s do it. We’ll hit them where it hurts and show them what humanity is capable of.”

With or without Ashton, the fight continues. Although this plan might have some risks, they might as well do it to break this stalemate.

Aria sat surrounded by a mountain of books, her eyes scanning the pages with intense focus. She had been holed up in the library for days, only taking breaks to eat and rest. It was the only way she knew how to cope with Ashton’s disappearance – to bury herself in knowledge and research.

As she flipped through the pages, she couldn’t help but glance over at the White Cloak and Scythe that Ashton had left her. They were mysterious artifacts that she still didn’t fully understand, but she knew that they were important.

And it’s not like she ever had the chance to use them since then…

She sighed and leaned back in her chair, her eyes drifting closed. She couldn’t shake the feeling of emptiness that had consumed her since Ashton’s disappearance. They had made a promise to each other ten years ago – a promise that he would return and they would continue to fight together for the survival of humanity.

But as the years passed, that promise seemed more and more distant. Aria watched as humanity had grown and evolved, becoming stronger and more advanced. But without Ashton, it all felt meaningless.

She misses him greatly. Not a day passed that she didn’t long for him. How long must she wait until he returns to him?

A knock on the door pulled her out of her thoughts. She opened her eyes and glanced at the clock – it was late. Who could be here at this time?

She got up and went towards the door. Upon opening it, she was greeted by a person that she hasn’t seen for a while.

That face, that frame, that smile, and that scent…no man could ever replicate it.

Before she knew it, her vision already turned blurry from her tears. A wracked sob was ripped out of her when she heard him say:

“I’m home.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep