The sky was still bleeding light.
The battlefield had gone silent after the fall of Kalygra. The mist had faded, revealing a scorched land littered with corpses and broken relics of once-proud warriors.
From ten million Awakened, only a little more than six million stood.
Nearly four million lives lost in a single day.
—DING—
> System Notification (Global):
[The Second Floor has been Conquered.]
[Survivors: 6,122,487]
[Death Toll: 3,877,513]
[The next floor will open on January 1st.]
[A temporary peace phase has begun.]
> [All Awakened have been returned to their original locations.]
> [System Synchronization: Awaiting Gate Event Trigger…]
—FLASH—
In one moment, they vanished again.
And the world that had fallen quiet was suddenly full of ghosts.
---
[India – National Funeral Ceremony, New Delhi]
A field of coffins stretched beyond the eye could see.
Rows and rows—white, silver, black. Some bore names. Most didn't.
Each marked with a number. A flag. A symbol.
Citizens gathered in silence. Families clutched photographs, medals, and unspoken prayers. Not even the wind dared interrupt the ceremony.
Meera Sharma stood beside Dev Rajan.
Her UR-ranked aura, once blinding gold, flickered dimly. Her hands trembled as she stared at a coffin marked: "Ravi Sharma – Died a Hero."
Dev placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "He watched you become someone worth dying for."
"I never got to say goodbye…"
"You said it. When you lived."
She broke. Her knees gave way as she sobbed, clinging to the wood of her brother's resting place.
Cameras were rolling. Millions watched from screens across India, but no one dared speak.
Dev said nothing. He only held her tighter.
---
[Russia – Frozen Wastes, Makeshift Graveyard]
Anya Petrova poured a bottle of vodka onto the ice.
"For you, Dmitri," she whispered. "And your terrible singing."
She didn't cry.
Not yet.
But she sang softly, the old lullaby of their homeland echoing across the frost.
---
[Japan – Hospital Room, Tokyo]
Kaito Yamada lay unconscious, wrapped in medical stasis fields.
Aya Shirogane sat beside him, arms crossed, eyes closed—but her expression was softer than ever before.
"You idiot," she whispered. "Why'd you burn yourself out like that?"
A private System Message hovered in front of her.
> PRIVATE SYSTEM MESSAGE: [PARTNER STATUS – Kaito Yamada]
Power Source: Unstable.
Core Drain Rate: Critical.
Emergency Suppression Protocols Engaged.
Temporary Power Limit Imposed.
Full Recovery Estimated: 45 Days.
Do Not Disclose Information to Others.
Aya dismissed the message with a sigh.
"I'll cover for you, dummy. Just rest…"
Her hand hovered over his—then hesitated—before finally resting gently atop it.
---
[USA – Washington D.C., Memorial Wall]
A new wall was rising in the heart of the capital.
Already, 500,000 names had been engraved. The city, once the center of politics, had turned into a silent shrine.
President Mason stood alone.
He removed his hat and bowed.
"For every soul who stood when the world shook…"
---
[Global Media – A Changed World]
Screens played nothing but eulogies.
From South Africa to South Korea, Brazil to France—funeral pyres, candle vigils, white marches, and black flags.
Every corner of Earth was mourning.
And preparing.
Because they all knew the truth:
This wasn't the end.
This was only the beginning.
---
[Back in Tokyo – Days Later]
Kaito stirred in his bed, groaning.
Aya sat up with a jolt. "Hey—!"
"...coffee," he muttered, barely audible.
She sighed. "Still a clown, huh?"
He cracked one eye open. "Where's my medal?"
Aya smiled faintly. "You burned down a god. Maybe don't ask for more."
---
[System Notification – Private to Kaito Yamada]
> Your unique abilities have surpassed System Threshold.
To maintain dimensional balance, temporary limiters have been applied.
87% of your power has been sealed.
Power Restoration Schedule: Adaptive
You are advised to remain inactive for two months.
Kaito exhaled. "Figures…"
But he smiled anyway.
A soft, tired, almost hopeful smile.
Because even if he was weaker—
He was still here.
---
[END OF CHAPTER 22]