Cleaning up the rest wasn't difficult.
After all, once they witnessed how their Generals died, their morale pretty much took a solid hit and they collapsed entirely. On the other hand, humans were even more energized after the deed so killing the rest didn't turn into a huge problem.
Sufficed to say, Humanity won this clash. They proved that they could survive the relentless assault of the invaders and could continue to flourish.
This victory was celebrated by everybody, but underneath the celebratory mood, many people knew that this isn't the end. If anything, the real battle just started.
But that's a matter for later. Right now, they should just feel relieved that they didn't suffer much damage.
There were casualties on their side too. Some people died even with Ashton's blessings. It is disheartening but this is an expected outcome, after all, the invaders are strong, and that much is proven from what everybody saw in the broadcast.
Ashton tasked Jerry to prepare arrangements for the family of the deceased. He also prepared a burial to honor them. Their service to Humanity won't be forgotten or ignored.
As much as it pains him to lose people, he knows that this is something that will always happen whenever they're up against the invaders.
While the memorial was being prepared, Ashton recalled his men back home. They were received with loud cheers and praises. Everybody saw how they fought bravely against the enemy, risking their lives for the sake of keeping their homes safe.
As for Ashton, he used this moment to go after the corpses of the fallen invaders.
Bringing out his scythe, he allowed it to consume the rivers of corrupted blood that accumulated just outside of Last Bastion.
If he left it here like this, it may attract some unwanted attention. Perhaps it might even be used to breed new forms of invaders. He obviously didn't want that to happen so he allowed his scythe to consume everything.
Plus, doing this helps in preventing from being reincarnated ever again. Their souls will be trapped in the scythe and unless Ashton willed it so, they won't escape that place. Given time, all of these souls will be digested by the scythe and turn into its nutrition, thereby making it even stronger.
Ashton eventually reached the corpses of both St. Francis and Labolas.
Holding his scythe that's still siphoning the blood around him, he looked sternly at Labolas' corpse.
"Huh...it looks like they missed something. Fortunately, I decided to come here."
Ashton then crouched down and pushed the carcass to the side, revealing the underbelly of the great beast. His eyes landed on the corpse's reproductive organ and saw something spasming in there.
Using Psychokinesis, he ripped whatever it was from the corpse and hovered it before him.
"Ugh, you look disgusting..." he scowled.
Looking at it closely, it seemed to be a writhing and rotting flesh that contracts as if it was a heart. Its body was covered in putrid black goo and large veins too.
It just looked eerie, uncanny, and just downright wrong. Not to mention, it releases some seriously threatening levels of corruption.
Ashton couldn't bear to look at it any longer than he already have so he took out his gun and shot it with a Purifying Shot.
The organ...or whatever the hell it was, released a piercing shriek that nearly blasted his eardrums. Ashton never expected that at all so he was caught off-guard.
And Surprisingly, whatever this was, showed some serious resistance against his purification, which piqued his interest.
'...this isn't Labolas' heart.' Ashton mused, yes he knows this demon's name.
'I'm certain that I melted that down when I shot him with a rocket earlier. So what in world is this? And how come it didn't die when Labolas died?'
Also, he ripped this thing out from the reproductive organ of Labolas so there's no way that it'd be a heart.
'...don't tell me his dick is alive? If so, then I think another rocket shell should solve this problem.'
Ashton's eye twitched when his brain fed him this ridiculous notion. But honestly, what else should he think?
Technically, the thing doesn't look like a dick. It doesn't even come close to it. But one could truly never know, you see. After all, the biological composition of the invaders is different from what Humans have.
"Hu...man!!!"
'Oh shit! A talking dick! Wait, no!!'
Ashton shook his head and ignored his intrusive thoughts. He focused on whatever the hell this thing was since he was pretty sure that the voice come from it.
"You will...die, Human!!"
Peng!
Ashton shot it again. He wasn't thinking of shooting it to be completely honest but his hands just moved on their own.
He winced when he heard the piercing shriek of this thing again. To be fair, he caused that so he shouldn't complain. But still, this thing looks so ugly that he would very much like it to disappear forever.
"I...will...kill you, Human!! Remember me! You...will pay...for what you did to my beloved pet!!"
'Oh...ooohhhhh.' Ashton gets it now.
This thing was supposed to be an Avatar or a Clone of whoever Labolas pledged his loyalty to.
It's a parasite that was planted on Labolas' body, possibly without his prior knowledge or participation. Whatever its purpose was, Ashton couldn't care less.
All he knows is that this thing cannot be left alive in this world. Or else it might pose some serious problems for him.
Peng! Peng! Peng!
Ashton shot it with his guns again, this time he did it intentionally. The creature shrieked painfully as the white flames gnawed at its being from the inside out.
The creature cursed him again and again, repeatedly threatening him to no avail. Ashton on the other hand just watched with cold and calculating eyes as the creature slowly died.
"Man, it would be nice if your true body was feeling this too." Ashton thought out loud as he unloaded more shots into the creature.
Ashton made sure to watch over the creature. Not even once did he peel his gaze away from it since he doesn't want it to escape. Despite looking bored, in truth, he was prepared for anything that this creature might do.
He had already resolved himself into ensuring the death of this creature. Not even the arrival of god could prevent him from killing this thing.
Ashton saw as the creature gradually turned weaker and weaker. It was still cursing him to death but its voice was becoming hoarse and its breaths are becoming more labored.
"...I will...make sure...you die a horrible...horrible death...one day...we will come and I will...make you regret...living!!"
"Sure, sure. Whatever you say I guess." Ashton shrugged, it was clear that he wasn't taking these threats seriously at all.
Ashton lifted his scythe and hacked the creature down. The blade of the scythe, which was steeped in the many virtues he gained enlightenment from, sliced the creature in half.
With one final shriek, the creature died. The Bone Scythe voraciously drank the corrupted blood of the creature while also trapping its soul in there.
Once the deed was done, Ashton heave a sigh of relief. He then turned around and started healing the land using the Virtue of Life.
All manner of corruption melted like snow under the summer's heat. Grass, trees, and flowers started growing en masse.
It didn't take him long before he completely restored life around this area. Due to his bloodline, the vegetation here possesses an inherent quality to resist corruption, so they would be fine even if he left them like this.
Once he was done with everything, he nodded to himself and said:
"All according to plan. Now, it's time to take it easy for a while and let further developments happen on their own."
Outer Space — Hypogean Camp (Main), Imperial Palace of Lust.
"Damn! Fuck! Shit! ARGH!!!"
The entire palace shook visibly, scaring all of the guards and servants tending to it. That being said, none of them thought about doing anything reckless. They obediently waited for whatever was going to happen next, hoping that their lord wouldn't release his anger on them.
Boom!
The Palace shook again fiercely after they heard a loud explosion. Others were pretty sure they saw smoke and fire somewhere but they didn't dare to move.
Somewhere deep in the palace, a shadow twisted and writhed, twitching ever-so-slightly out of sheer frustration.
Numerous pairs of scarlet-tinted eyes glared at a space which is now smoking.
Everything went silent for a bit, and if one looked closely at this shadow, one would notice that there is a missing piece of flesh on its chest that was now sewing itself close.
There were traces of tiny white flames there previously that this creature snuffed out.
"...I swear, I will kill that Human!!" The creature snarled as it stomped out of its room.
Once it was out, everybody was still. The creature glared at pretty much everybody around and then it released several tentacles out.
The tentacles grabbed as many people as they could, dragging them into a room that was forcibly closed once they entered.
As the creature ravaged its servants, the image of the human that offended it plagued its mind.
And now, the creature was plotting this human's death.
