The days passed very slowly.
As the fight expanded to the surrounding areas, Airon directed the course of the battle against the walkers towards the Georgia side.
After much work, a safe route was established and gradually the walkers were directed towards special places that the S.C.T. organization called 'shelters', where all the walkers were safely gathered.
With this, all these undead would serve to turn them into energy. Airon had a serious plan for them, and for those who didn't serve him, they would be turned into energy.
Inside the city of Columbia.
Every trace of the undead had disappeared from the streets, abandoned cars were also gradually moved to the border to serve as a provisional wall against the walkers. Now, any trace of trash was something that couldn't be seen around, and everyone seemed to have awakened from a nightmare. Some buildings were put into operation, where families and couples were given a home independently.
Airon assigned Joel and his brother Tommy along with Reginald as the leaders of this place, who would help the stability of this new world. All the survivors without exception accepted to be part of the plans, and in a short time, everyone had their tasks.
From Georgia, 500 real trained policemen were sent, and more than 1000 border soldiers were distributed among different checkpoints to the north where the organization's dominion was constantly expanding.
The people of this place were gradually moved to Georgia, and through open surveys, many decided to come to South Carolina to work on opening this new territory as it was being done in Alabama.
Everyone was impressed by the arrival of numerous memories, soldiers, and personnel to South Carolina. They also saw how the military bases were taken, the provisional posts cleaned up, tanks removed, and helicopters removed from the city.
Airon took advantage of these to take important military bases and managed to find incredible military resources. Additionally, there were numerous factories where they could produce with the right people the necessary ammunition to continue the fight in South Carolina and not depend on Georgia.
But even though he trusted Joel, Tommy, and Reginald a lot, Airon designated Liam as the general leader, having total control over what was happening in this place and the course of the battle that had to be taken.
All this new formation was accepted by everyone, and although some openly complained about the random tests and interrogations that were being done, everyone concluded that it was necessary.
Work, study, points that were the money currently used in the organization, different jobs that no one ever thought would be seen again, took shape, and gradually the city came to life.
Reginald saw the crowd walking back and forth carelessly, while others moved resources, some greeted the policemen patrolling the streets. As long as the police were present, everyone knew there was no need to carry high-powered weapons in their daily lives.
Everyone trusted the new government once again!
Just as the city was so busy, there were some people chatting at the road junction outside the city.
"Hahaha, I never thought there would be a new government that is actually doing things right."
Five heavily armed men belonging to the cleaning group in the sectors that still contained walkers stood on the main avenue, and behind them was an armored vehicle containing special sensors.
Merlene, the leader of the Fireflies, looked at Tommy, who was right in front of her, and said, "I never thought the SCT would have such power, they took the city completely in less than a month..."
"Do you think we can beat the CRM?" Looking at Merlene in front of him, Tommy asked her concerns.
"I've seen the CRM destroy communities of a hundred thousand people, real survivors like you, I really admire everything you have achieved, but it's hard to say." Merlene was not lying, the CRM was incredibly powerful but what she didn't know was that Airon knew his future enemy very well and was prepared to face them at any time.
If he is now expanding his dominion, it is because he has the power, time, and resources to do so. He could even afford to enter the sea now and hopefully recover some cruisers or ships. But of course, these are just some of his plans.
The first thing was to eat up as much ground as he could and gather people to build an army, only then would he be sure he could defeat the CRM.
"Do you have anywhere to go?" Tommy asked something he didn't know.
"There is still a Fireflies base in Arkansas, I will meet with my people and tell them everything I have discovered, we also have this." Merlene pulled out a metal box and said, "I never thought that while someone died for something other than a walker bite, which is what activates the virus in our bodies, we could not turn into walkers."
"That is certainly incredible..." Tommy nodded.
"Do you know what this means?" Merlene whispered, "A future without walkers, a safe place, while we are hidden and have this vaccine circulating in our veins, walkers will eventually cease to exist..."
"Airon will take the reins of the future." Tommy was sure of that.
Merlene just smiled, looked at her most loyal men, and said sincerely, "Thank you..."
"Don't mention it."
Tommy knew what Merlene meant, she was grateful that he spoke for her so that the rest of the Fireflies could peacefully join Airon's organization.
"Airon deposited his trust and something very important, victory to defeat the CRM in you, Merlene."
Merlene nodded and said, "With the SCT building the future, I'm sure the world will return to what it was before."
"Okay, it's time for us to go."
After some people talked for a while, Merlene looked up at the sky and said it was time to go, then looked at Airon in the distance and said, "I promise I'll be back."
Upon hearing Merlene say that, he just nodded indifferently.
"There will always be a space for people who want to keep living."
"Yeah..."
After that, a group of people got in the car, and Merlene and her group drove away.
Seeing Tommy staring at him for a long time, Airon slowly walked to his side and said quietly, "Let's go back..."
Tommy looked at Airon's back and didn't understand how this man could agree to let Merlene go without fear of her betraying him. But what Tommy didn't know was that Airon had sent Drones to observe the place that Merlene had told him about, and everything from now on was under his plan.
In fact, having the power of the Fireflies and what they know about the CRM is something that will serve Airon well when he faces that organization that even at the end of the original story was unknown.
The comic does not mention an organization called CRM, so Airon only knew what he had learned throughout his journey in this world. Therefore, now that he is not afraid of the CRM, what is stopping him from taking confidence and going more aggressively towards the future?
The CRM can come whenever they want, but Airon was now prepared to resist the attack of any enemy that knocked on his door.
...
Three days later.
Central base.
Gabriel, dressed in a black religious attire, was reciting a prayer to watch over all the lost souls in the reconquest battle in South Carolina.
Many of the people who lost someone were near the graves, kneeling in front of the names of those they considered important in this unpleasant life.
A girl was crying breathlessly in her mother's arms. Her father died in the end, and her mother was diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer that would soon take her life.
As for the rest of the losses, everyone understood what was happening in South Carolina.
As a result, many turned to religion to pray for those soldiers who were now giving their lives for the future of humanity. Both men and women were on the battlefield reclaiming what was once considered lost.
Airon had a cross around his neck, although he did not believe in religion and detested some of its habits, it was undeniable that everyone turned to a divine being to calm the worries in the minds of all people.
"My fight has finally begun, their deaths will not be in vain, both in the future and now, everyone will remember their sacrifices, and I swear by my life that I will not rest until I build that world that I have always promised them."
Airon, who was bandaged in different parts of his body, looked at hundreds of graves spread out in a large open field, and with strength, he carried all those deaths, and that was what was giving him an unparalleled strength to move forward.
"I will win!"