"You do know none us come of well discussing morals like that, right?"
"Not after that fucking 'grand plan' at the very least."
Nash said as he raised his head, his body trembling with anger.
He slowly turned his head, scanning the faces of everyone present in the room and as expected; everyone had their heads hung low.
After all, the 'grand plan' was a topic none of them wanted to talk too much about.
At Nash's mention of the 'grand plan', Ryuto almost reflexively snapped his head to the right.
And there he saw the trembling figure of Sophie; her eyes were red and a tear drop at the corner threatened to fall of at any second.
"Those children don't deserve this.... " She muttered in a voice even below that of a whisper but everyone was able to hear her loud and clear.
They couldn't help but once again be reminded of the cruelty they were forced to embrace in order to battle against this new World...
The aftermath of the 2043 stampede was more than just about being loss of resources, reconstruction and perhaps, manpower.
Amid the catastrophic loss of lives and gone sustenance, what truly went unnoticed were the unseen scars left behind on the delicate minds of the living as they witnessed the destruction wrought about by the crazed charge of the monsters.
Deeply etched into their psyche was the ferocious bloodlust they experienced, and most vividly imprinted in their minds was the scene of the absolute massacre they survived.
The panorama of despair they bore witness to, no matter what, couldn't be forgotten as they dreaded experiencing that same nightmare once again.
The soul and minds of the populace were completely shaken, and their bodies which now trembled with fear, were no longer befitting for stepping into the precarious nature.
While some brave ones manage to collect their wits and prepare themselves to once again step into the battlefield, the same was so not true for those who still dearly holded the peace and values of the old world close to their heart.
Now, not only have humanity lost a considerable amount of force to the stampede but a good amount of the surviving combatants had now turned useless in terms of battle.
Although they might be helpful for small scale patrols or missions but were sure to immediately lose their shit in case faced with another crisis.
The psychological toll inflicted on the survivors, which was originally underestimated, have now turned into another trial they would have to find solutions to going forward.
It was, in way or another, expected to play out as such.
Although the surroundings may have changed, such was not true to what lay within their minds.
The prolonged peace they got exposed to in the modern world couldn't just disappear to nowhere. It had to have a place to reside within the souls of people and influencing them as such.
In the end, it was concluded by the higher ups that things couldn't be allowed to continue on like this.
Revival of humanity would only ever remain as a dream had things were allowed to remain the same. They might have survived this one time, but the same may not be true in the future.
It was then that the 'Grand plan' came into play.
The idea was simple yet harrowing: to create a new generation of soldiers who would be impervious to fear and hesitation, molded from a young age to view combat as their sole purpose.
They will be raised and trained such as fighting and killing will be the only thing they knew, while all others forms of comfort and values remain foreign to them.
The plan was set into motion as the children under the age of ten, who were identified as the most malleable, were subsequently taken from their families, many of whom were too broken by the constant threat of monster attacks to object while others were forced into submission in the name of survival.
The parents would bellow out throughout the night, but their cries would only fall on deaf ears.
The only reason rebellions and such didn't broke out was because the actual details of the project were completely hidden from the public. They were instead told that it was an advance training program directly supervised by Marshall Ron.
The actual truth never got revealed to the public as the Generals made sure to prevent any possible leaks that may come to be. Given the scarcity of population and their own strength, the task proved to be rather easy.
All the children were then separated into two categories. The first category belonged to the children with guardians while the other category belonged to the orphans.
The children in the first category were raised in a completely different facility different from all the 8 strongholds. It was done in order to ensure the confidentiality of the plan along with affective monitoring.
The reason only the children in the first category were send to the facility had to primarily do with two factors.
One was the limit on the amount of accommodations the facility could house while the other being the absence of such requirement.
Although there, the possibility of the confidentiality getting compromised was minimal when it came to orphans.
Therefore, the Orphans, instead of getting send to the facility, were occasionally 'checked' upon by the respective Generals of their strongholds.
After the initial set up was done, then came the actual process of brainwashing these youths.
And in fact, the most important factor when brainwashing someone that needed to be kept in mind was already achieved.
Isolation and monopoliization. Devoiding them of love and any kind of affection.
With no family members and only strangers around, coupled with the harsh training they were made to undergo, this most important factor was splendidly achieved.
The objective of the plan wasn't to make children numb to emotions but make sure that a deep seated hatred for monsters, along with a mind that don't fear their retaliation is instilled within them.
At the same time, the project also aims to create actual battle ready combatants and not some makeshift soldiers who can only fight with the help of mana.
As the years have passed, the children of the grand plan have grown into formidable young warriors, their skills honed to near perfection and their minds conditioned to see battle as their lifelong duty.
It had been made sure that none of these new generation of warriors retain or gain any kind of light and fragile emotions that once used to exist in the old world and are expected to be the cornerstone of hope which will lead humanity to it's once prosperous past.
In vision of such ambitions, the project was named as the 'Grand plan'.
None of the Generals wanted to name this plan, which strip these young children of their childhood as such but decided to do so in symbolization of the pathetic paradox they have created in the name of preserving the very values they have now forsaken.....
An eerie silence enveloped the room as the crimson moonlight streamed it's way in through the solitary window, casting elongated shadows upon the pensive faces of the generals.
Ryuto, who was still standing and hadn't sat down on his seat, gritted his teeth and clenched his fist as he heard Nash's mention of the grand plan.
He couldn't help but acknowledge his words, as he too somewhat agreed with it.
"This case is different from the time of the Grand plan. You're literally talking about abandoning every single human left on this continent except the Generals!" Ryuto said, still not convinced.
The meaning behind Nash's proposal was clear. They, the Generals, will scrap together whatever necessary resources they could and try escaping to the Southern Continent, leaving all the leftover populace to their own fate.
"The Grand plan was too for the sake of survival, right? Then it's all the same. There is practically no chance we are going to survive this stampede so it's only natural the strongest individuals took it upon themselves to try and restore the human society."
"Even if that means equating the 'Survival of humanity to the 'Survival of generals'.... " Nash replied to Ryuto's question.
"And let me tell you one more thing. I don't know about you Ryuto but I for one, really don't care about what happens to those weaklings. We, generals, are in no way obligated to protect them in the first place."
Nash once again reminded them of the kind of world they are living in. There are no rules or laws present and only strength reigns supreme.
Others just listened in silence. Although they wanted to speak, there was really nothing that they had to say. It was true their chances at repelling this stampede are not only slim, but more or less non-existent.
"Are you done?"
The same impassive and cold voice rang out from the head of the table as Ryuto sat back on his seat, not saying anything else.
No matter what, the final decision lay in the hands of only one person.
Everyone looked towards Ron with nerving anticipation. His words were law. Whatever he will choose, they will comply with it.
"We will be battling the stampede 3 weeks from now." He said and Nash immediately spoke up in displeasure.
"Wha-"
"Silence."
But before he could continue, he was immediately shutted down by Ron's cold words. He couldn't help but just gnash his teeth in frustration.
"I have gave my word and if anyone wants to leave, they are free to do so. Just make sure to never show yourself in front of me again."
Ron said with his cold and authoritative tone. His eyes shining with a fierce glint.
If anyone were to desert them now then he or she must be prepared for the consequences that came along with it.
He loosened his face a bit and started giving out orders.
"According to my estimations, the stampede will hit us in roughly three weeks. Send an emergency message to your respective strongholds and asks them to start preparing at the earliest."
"Kenny"
"Open up the reserves. Give them all out to all the strongholds in preparation for the coming battle. The combatants must be fit and in optimal condition both physically and mentally do we want to stand a chance against this stampede."
Everyone eyes widened at his words. Give out the emergency supplies? They will have nothing left to eat!
They couldn't but contemplate on Ron's actions up until now in the meeting. They have been a bit odd.. But suddenly, they seemed to understand something as their eyes constricted a bit...
"Nataya, call back all the troops that are out invigilating monster movements and deploy them all in the immediate vicinity of the stronghold. Make sure to report any potential anomalies that may arise."
"That's all. Meet me at the rooftop 6 hours from now after completing the current assigned tasks. We will be discussing our strategies for the upcoming battle."
Ron said and just as he finished handing out orders, he started to move towards the exit.
"Also"
He muttered as he reached close to the door.
"It seems all of you have forgotten who exactly I am. I will show you once again on this battlefield that some overgrown insects aren't enough to make my sword waver."
"I will squash them all the same."
He said and moved out of the bunker, ending the meeting. There were a multitude of thoughts going through everyone's minds but they just decided to focus on tthe orders Ron has issued for now.
The imposing figure of their leader at the end has once again filled them all with confidence.
...
In the infinite stretch of the cosmos, where stars shimmered like distant memories and nebulae swirled in forgotten patterns, a sphere of light of whose surface shimmered with a shade of golden yellow and tints of celestial blue, journeyed in solitary splendor. It glided with purpose, its brilliant luminescence carving a path through the darkness. Each flicker of its light seemed to hold a secret, a story from times long past.
Suddenly, from a far reaching void, a pristine, dazzling white sphere of consciousness appeared, as if materializing out of thin air.
Driven by an urgent endeavour and a long-held desire, it had finally succeded in locating the sphere of light. With a sudden burst of speed, it tore through the cosmos at an unimaginable velocity, a comet of pure thought and intent.
The white sphere approached the sphere of light with a graceful urgency. It began to orbit the sphere of light, its path a delicate dance of curiosity and purpose. Each revolution brought it closer, as if seeking to understand and fulfill the task it had carried for eons.
As it revolved, the white sphere's own light mingled with the glow of the sphere of light, creating a cascade of shimmering hues that painted the cosmos in transient colors. The dance was elegant and profound, a silent testament to the mysteries of creation and the fulfillment of an ancient quest.
With each revolution, the white sphere's task neared completion. It moved with rhythmic precision, its essence harmonizing with the sphere of light. Finally, it achieved its purpose, the long-awaited desire fulfilled. The white sphere slowed its dance and gently pulled away, leaving the sphere of light to continue its steady, unwavering journey.
For a brief moment, the sphere of light glowed a silvery white, a pulse of acknowledgment and completion, before resuming its solitary path through the cosmos. The white sphere, now filled with a joyous energy, turned back toward the void from which it had come. It moved with a sense of fulfillment and enrichment, its purpose complete.
With a final, radiant burst, the white sphere vanished back into the depths of space, leaving the sphere of light to continue its journey. The encounter, a brief but profound moment in the endless expanse, had left both spheres enriched and forever connected by the silent bond of their meeting.