745  Doomsday On Earth (5)

Tarik's eyes widened at Mazton's willingness to undertake such a dangerous task. But Ashton cut in dismissively before Tarik could speak his mind.

"Really? You think I'll allow something like that when I have a better solution?" Mazton was expecting some acknowledgement for his bravado but instead received a scornful look from Ashton. Unfazed, he maintained his smirk, curious to hear what alternative plan Ashton had in mind.

Without any delay, Ashton summoned Lanis, the shadow Infiltrator he had resurrected before and pointed towards the shadowy figure before saying, "He'll do it."

Well, it made more sense to send a summon on a suicide mission because it wasn't like they could 'die'. Even if Lanis was destroyed during the mission, Ashton could summon him again after a cooldown. "Give him one of the Xyran fighters, and he'll follow the plan. We'll get our data and not lose anyone. Win-win for everyone involved." Ashton informed everyone about his plan.

Mazton's smirk faded into an expression of mild embarrassment as Ashton addressed Tarik. He forgot about the summons because Ashton had yet to use them in the battle. "Wait, where's the rest of them?" Mazton quizzed. "Having more helping hands here would be a blessing!"

"Let's just say they are busy somewhere else," Ashton nervously chuckled, "I'll tell you about it later."

Mazton found Ashton's reaction a bit weird. Previously, his summons was his go-to solution to problems, especially when it came to defending an invasion. But then again, Ashton must have had something in mind, so Mazton didn't bother him with his questions and focused on the task instead. "Well, that's certainly a better solution than Mazton dying in vain." Tarik chuckled at Ashton's resourcefulness. Mazton, still slightly embarrassed by the turn of events, laughed nervously. Wanting to shift the focus away from his previous offer, he urged Tarik to get going before they continued losing more ships.

"Oi! Enough with that! We shouldn't waste time like this. Send him away already!" As Tarik busied himself with the preparations, Ashton retrieved a communicator from his inventory and dialled someone. "Otiga set the bait," he instructed. "it's time for the next phase."

***

The atmosphere in the Xyran Council house was tense as Otiga's voice echoed through the communicator. out wouldn't hurt anyone, so they decided to take her request for a meeting. "As you might already know, Earth is under siege; you won't get a better opportunity than this to take revenge against Ashton and everyone who ridiculed you," she said. While her words were true, suspicion lingered among the council members. Otiga had long been known as Ashton's confidant, so why would she suddenly propose a plan that seemed to go against his interests?

One of the members voiced her concerns over the fact, thinking Otiga's mask would slip away. But instead, Otiga got more confident as she cleared the council's doubts.

"While that may have been the case in the past, Ashton's recent actions have put me in the crossfire with you and Kro'Han," she shrugged. "I'm not willing to die for anyone, and for that, I no longer wish to be part of his plans." She continued, "By dealing with him, you'll be doing me a favour, and that's why I thought I should share some intel with you. After all, it'll work in both of our interests."

Otiga's words resonated with the council. Some were still sceptical about her words, but her voice had a hint of truth. It was an ideal opportunity for the Xyrans to reclaim their lost glory and for Otiga to sever ties with Ashton and lead a peaceful life. What was there for them to lose?

The council members exchanged glances, contemplating the risks and benefits of Otiga's proposition. If they were to fail for any reason, Ashton wouldn't stop hunting them down until they were all wiped out.

But at the same time, if they defeated Ashton or, better yet, imprisoned him, no one would dare mess with the Xyrans then. "We'll think about it," they replied after a brief silence.

"Absolutely," Otiga responded. "Though I would have advised you to take all the time you need, the battle on Earth likely won't continue much longer. So, if you don't hurry, you might miss the opportunity."

Otiga, wearing a confident smile, disconnected the call. The bait that Ashton wanted to set was in place. Knowing the Xyrans, they would be eager to reclaim their respect in the galaxy and seize the opportunity to strike against Ashton without much thought.

Having done her part, Otiga called Ashton to inform him about the progress on her side. "How'd it go?" Ashton's face appeared on the other side. "It's done," she replied. "They should be there in a couple of hours if they make a big space jump like the last time."

"Well done," Ashton acknowledged with a smile. "Thanks for the help. But now, you should go into hiding until I call you."

"Meh, I wanted to see their despair faces, but I guess you're right," Otiga shrugged. "You take care now, and... congratulations on knocking up an innocent succubus."

"Thank you," Ashton laughed. "I'm not even going to question how you knew about it. See you later... once I'm done dealing with this mess."

With the second phase of his plan a success, Ashton had nothing to do but wait for the special guest to show up. He knew Astaroth was in one of those ships, and it was only a matter of time before he showed up. While Ashton didn't know how Kro'Han would show up there, he knew Kro'Han had sent Astaroth to Earth for that reason. Ashton had to stop Astaroth at all costs and knew it wouldn't be easy. "Astaroth... let's see how well you cope with what I'm about to put you through," Ashton mumbled, cracking his knuckles. "You ripped my heart out; I'll do the same... but in a way that'll hurt you more than anyone can imagine."

Just then, his thoughts were interrupted by the news he had been waiting for. Tarik rushed towards him, heaving. "A... A Ship broke through the barrier and is heading straight towards us!" he yelled. "Finally," Ashton smiled. "he's here."