When the clock hit 11:00, the door opened and the six Generals making up the new Resistance Council walked on stage, with Nathaniel Carter at their lead. As the higher-ups of humanity''s only military force as well as its governors they had a duty to answer the questions of their people, but in truth, their participation was nothing but a show.


    A few secondster the new Head General entered the scene. Though the man didn''t know it himself, the air surrounding him was different from the other Generals, and the two Valkyries following behind him only helped amplify it further.


    As he took his seat at the center of the Council, the drones hovering in the air captured the entire event with utmost precision, broadcasting the footage all across the human settlements. Almost everyone was glued to their screens, waiting to hear what questions would be asked and the answers their leaders would provide.


    ~[ ]~


    "Damn it…" Sara gritted her teeth. "I should''ve been there right now!"


    In the outskirts of the First Settlement''s first district, the reporter was in her small apartment, sitting in the corner as she smoked one of her remaining cigarettes. Juni was still looking around, her excitement at visiting such an unfamiliar ce clear. Ingrid on the other hand was much more restrained.


    "You know, we could''ve made it in time." Said the Nephilim. "We can teleport, remember?"


    Sara stared at her for a couple of seconds before her eyes widened.


    "You should''ve said that earlier!!!"


    "Well, we probably wouldn''t have been allowed toe back here afterward. Anyway, the old man is about to appear. Let''s focus on the show for now.


    ~[ ]~


    After a few moments of silence, Sam stood up from his seat and spoke, his voice amplified so it would be heard all across the conference hall.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us today. As we gather here, I want to express our gratitude for your continued dedication to the truth andmitment to transparency, coboration, and progress. Our shared journey towards a better future requires open dialogue and the exchange of ideas so I look forward to addressing your questions and worries as we head toward a new era."


    The round of apuse shook the conference hall, but it did little to lower the tension felt by the attendees. One Sam took his seat once more, Melissa who was standing on the side raised her mic and announced the start of the event. As the moderator of the event, it was her job to choose the order in which the reporters get to ask questions.


    A woman from Dawn, a big news website from the Third Settlement, received the signal on her smartwatch and stood up after a couple of seconds.


    "Head General Sanderson, as I''m sure you''re already aware, many believe the end of the war was too sudden. The public learned of the Nephilim''s existence only recently, and the details of the peace deal remain unknown to most. If possible, we ask that you divulge more information regarding your negotiations with the Nephilim queen."


    The reporter took her seat and a few seconds of silence passed. Keeping a polite smile on, Sam leaned toward the plethora of mics ced in front of him and spoke.


    "You are correct in that the end of the war was too sudden. I''m sure no one would''ve expected it, especially after the attack on our organization''s previous headquarters. As for the peace negotiations, once it was revealed that Odin orchestrated everything behind the scenes, neither side saw any need to continue the conflict and so it came to an end."


    In order to soften the blow, Sam made sure to inform the public about H''s capture and the subsequent peace negotiations. Doing so helped convince the masses that the faction supporting the war was defeated, and that the new queen who ascended to the throne right after was someone who always supported a peaceful solution.


    Of course, the truth was a little different, with Thor having no interest in war, peace, or politics before she was forced into the leadership position. Most of the Nephilim who supported H''s genocidal campaign apanied her to thest battle where they were ughtered by Loki long before the trio from the forty sixth base arrived at the scene.


    With them out of the scene, there was no one to rail up those who remained leading to the peace negotiations proceeding smoothly.


    The same reporter raised her hand, signaling that she wanted to ask for rification. Standing up after receiving permission, she red at Sam and spoke with a slightly agitated tone.


    "My apologies but I don''t think anyone would believe it''s that simple."


    Before she could say anything else, the reporter''s eyes met Zero Five''s. The Valkyrie still had her usual stoic expression on, but something in her eyes sent shivers down the reporter''s spine severing her line of thought.


    "It goes without saying that there is a lot more to the story. Enough to fill an entire book, in fact." Noticing the fear taking over her, Sam decided to give his reply before anyone noticed. "If I had to give you a summary, the terms included our side receiving some important technologies, such as dimensional travel. In exchange, we would provide assistance in the search for Odin.


    Other than that, both sides have agreed to form a united front and provide military aid when needed."


    As he spoke thest few words, the other Generals couldn''t help but remember the footage they saw during their first meeting with the Nephilim queen. The Cmities have already brought war to a level beyond theprehension of a normal human, and the Awakened raised it to an even higher level than that.


    In the end, their only choice was to rely on the aliens to protect them, and even when their world''s first generation of Awakened reached the same heights, humanity would still be at risk of being erased.


    In just a few decades, normal humans will be obsolete.