"When Giants Sleep, Shadows Must Rise"
The moment the countdown hit zero, the Tower trembled.
The Second Floor was unlocked.
But the celebration across the globe never came.
Instead, a new System Notification froze the world in terror.
---
[SECOND FLOOR UNSEALED.]
[NEW GLOBAL CHALLENGE INITIATED.]
[IMPORTANT NOTICE: India is FORBIDDEN from entering the Second Floor. Their Gate has been sealed. Time for rest granted.]
[Reason: Completion of First Grade Gate Event. Recovery Protocol Active.]
[The remaining world must now clear the Second Floor WITHOUT India's assistance.]
[If Second Floor is not cleared within 100 days, GLOBAL TERMINATION will initiate.]
[Good luck.]
---
In the span of a single minute, over 190 countries went from hopeful to hopeless.
India—the one nation that had proven its might—was officially locked out. Its heroes were watching from the sidelines, bruised and battered, helpless.
Even inside Japan's Awakened Command Headquarters, silence suffocated the war room.
Aya Shirogane's sharp blue eyes scanned the message again. Her jaw clenched.
Beside her, Kaito leaned back in his chair, tapping the side of his mask lazily. "Huh. So they really benched the MVPs and asked the benchwarmers to win the game?"
He chuckled.
No one else did.
General Riku, commander of Japan's System Forces, slammed the table. "We are not ready for this! Our best S-rank teams were wiped on Floor One!"
Aya didn't blink. "Then we climb with what we have."
All eyes fell on her.
Kaito yawned. "I guess the spotlight's on us now, huh?"
---
Meanwhile, news agencies across the world were in chaos.
CNN Headline: India Benched. World Doomed?
BBC Live Panel: Second Floor Without India—A Suicide Mission?
NHK Japan Broadcast: All Eyes on Kaito and Aya: Can They Save Us Again?
Social media exploded. Tags like #PrayForAya, #LetIndiaIn, and #KaitoTheLastHope trended globally.
People prayed. Some rioted. Others resigned to fate.
---
Back in India, the heroes who had survived the First Grade Gate sat in silence.
Dev Rajan's hands were clenched so tight his knuckles turned white.
Meera Sharma looked at the screen with trembling lips. "They want us to sit still and watch the world burn…"
Princess Aishani spoke with chilling calm, "The System is treating this like a test. Of dependence. Of resilience."
Veer Jatav's eyes blazed. "But if they fail, we all die anyway."
None of them could argue with that.
But the System's rules were absolute.
---
In the Japanese Safe Zone, Kaito looked out over the Tower's gate. The wind was strong. The Second Floor door now shimmered with black mist and unseen power.
"Alright, Queen," he said without looking at Aya. "Let's go save the world."
Aya nodded, her lips forming a smirk. "As if we had a choice."
---
After the global broadcast of the System notification, a second emergency signal flashed across all international System channels.
WAU Emergency Directive:
[This is an URGENT Global Address from the World Awakened Union.]
[To all nations: remain calm. India has been granted recovery due to their overwhelming contribution in clearing the First Grade Gate.]
[New leadership protocols are now in effect. The following nations are to immediately deploy their top-tier Awakened Teams into Second Floor staging areas: Japan, USA, Russia, China, Germany, and Vatican City.]
[The UR-ranked duo of Japan: Aya Shirogane and (Partner Name Confidential), are officially designated as Vanguard Leaders.]
[Failure to follow coordination may result in System-based penalty.]
[WAU stands united. Humanity must not fail.]
Inside WAU's Geneva HQ, chaos reigned.
Directors screamed into radios. Satellites swirled with Tower data. But deep down, everyone knew:
India had been the trump card. And now it was off the table.
---
Chapter 19 – Part 2: "Laughter Before the Storm"
The world had been thrown into chaos by the System's terrifying ultimatum.
And yet, somewhere in Tokyo, within a modest third-floor apartment—chaos had a different form.
"Aya! Did you eat my ice cream again!?"
Kaito Yamada stood in front of the open freezer, betrayal carved into every feature of his face. The dessert tray was empty. Again.
Aya Shirogane, Japan's strongest Awakened and the globally recognized "Ice Queen," sat cross-legged on the couch, licking a spoon like a war criminal.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she replied without breaking eye contact.
Kaito slowly shut the freezer, turned to her with dead eyes, and fell to his knees. "Why… do you always take the limited edition… caramel sea salt… Why?"
Aya tilted her head, genuinely confused. "Isn't it obvious? I'm stronger. That means my tastebuds are too."
"That's not how it works!"
From the corner, Kaito's cat, Nyaa-tan, meowed in agreement—also betrayed, as the cat treat bag had also mysteriously gone missing.
Their home had become something of a base for the Japanese elite Awakened, but since India was excluded from the second floor, Aya and Kaito were summoned to headquarters daily—and ignored it just as often.
The pressure was building globally. Teams were training, preparing, sharpening their abilities. Meanwhile, Aya and Kaito were:
Arguing over ramen spice levels.
Competing in Mario Kart (Kaito had been banned from using Rainbow Road).
And once, engaging in a battle to the death over the last onigiri (neither won, the cat ate it).
Yet even as they played and argued, they knew.
The countdown ticked.
The second floor would open in less than 10 days.
---
Scene Change – Japan National Awakened HQ
Commander Ichikawa stared at the roster list on his tablet, then looked at the large screen showing multiple teams from other countries training like madmen.
Meanwhile, in Japan's Tokyo base…
"Kaito-san, please! At least attend one strategy meeting!"
"I strategized to sleep until 11! That counts!"
"Aya-sama, don't let him skip this!"
"He's right. Sleep is important. Come back in two hours."
Ichikawa sighed and buried his face into his hands. "The fate of Japan is in the hands of two lunatics."
---
Scene Change – Global Reactions
In Russia, Dmitri and Anya trained with ice and shadow under artificial gravity chambers.
In Vatican City, Xenovia knelt in prayer, while Elijah studied tower symbols.
In China-Japan joint camps, Leonardo and Chloe practiced tactical teleportation and elemental fusions.
Everyone—everyone but India—was preparing.
And yet… the strongest duo of Japan were having a heated debate.
"Aya. Be honest. If we die on the second floor, will you confess you loved me all along?"
"If we die, I'll haunt you every night for eternity."
"That's kind of romantic, you know."
"Shut up."
---
Final Moments of Part 2 – System Notification Begins Countdown
Suddenly, the air trembled. All Awakened in the world received a notification.
[The Gate to the Second Floor will open in: 9 Days, 23 Hours, 59 Minutes.]
[Warning: Only Non-Indian Awakened may enter. India is granted healing time.]
[If the Second Floor is not cleared within 30 days of opening—world termination shall proceed.]
[Good luck.]
---
Aya's smirk faded slightly.
Kaito's face grew serious for the first time in days.
The joking atmosphere dissolved.
Aya stood and walked to the window, looking at the Tower in the distance, shrouded in blue light.
"…Kaito. Are you ready?"
He looked up, expression unreadable.
"Of course not," he said. "But I'm still going."
Aya turned.
"I know."
---
Chapter 19 – Part 3: The Countdown Without India
The clock kept ticking.
Every nation, every government, every individual on Earth now faced an undeniable truth: they were on their own.
India—once the world's greatest shield—had been officially granted a forced rest. Not a vacation, not an escape. A recognition that they had carried the weight of survival far too long.
But now? The next trial awaited.
The Second Floor of the Tower of Trial.
And the remaining nations had only seven days before it opened.
---
At the World Awakened Union's (WAU) central headquarters in Geneva, chaos reigned.
Screens flashed real-time data. Faces of the top UR and SSS-ranked duos from around the world filled a giant digital board, each glowing red or green depending on their readiness.
But the loudest alarm was a countdown in bold white letters:
[6 Days, 23 Hours, 52 Minutes Remaining Until Floor 2 Opens]
And beneath it:
[India - Entry Prohibited | Rest Mode Active]
A deathly silence spread through the command center.
Chairman Robert Lynch, the representative of the WAU, gritted his teeth. "We've relied on India for too long. They carried us through the first disaster. But now... we either rise, or the whole world burns."
Beside him, his assistant muttered, "Most countries aren't ready. Half our top combatants were just revived... their morale is shattered."
Lynch looked up. "Then they better remember why they were chosen."
---
In Japan – Tokyo
Aya Shirogane sat on the edge of a rooftop, wind brushing her silver hair gently. Below, neon signs flickered, and in the distance, people hurried through the streets—some hopeful, most terrified.
Beside her, Kaito munched on a rice cracker.
"Do you think they'll make it?" she asked without looking at him.
Kaito shrugged. "I think they'll have to."
"You don't sound worried."
"I'm not." He leaned back lazily, hands behind his head. "Because if it all goes to hell... I'll just save the world myself."
Aya blinked at him. "You're so full of it."
"Mm, maybe. But I'm full of rice crackers too."
She rolled her eyes, but a tiny smile tugged at her lips.
---
System Notification – Global Broadcast
[Second Floor of the Tower of Trial will open in 6 Days, 23 Hours, 10 Minutes.]
[This Trial MUST be cleared within the designated time.]
[Failure to clear Floor 2 will result in WORLD TERMINATION.]
[Entry Condition: All nations except India are permitted.]
[India has been temporarily exempted and locked from all Tower-related activities.]
[Reason: BREAK GRANTED – "You carried the world. Now rest."]
[Good luck to the rest of humanity.]
[Prove your worth.]
---
In Russia – UR Combat Duo HQ
Anya Petrova smashed her hand against the table. "This is a death sentence! We barely survived the First Floor even with India!"
Dmitri Volkov stared at the flickering system screen. "We have to adapt. We're not dying here."
In the United States –
Massive recruitment camps buzzed. Thousands of mid-rank Awakened were being prepared. SSS-ranked duos trained non-stop.
"Get your asses in shape!" General Thomas barked. "India's gone! That means we bleed next!"
---
Back in India – A Moment of Calm
Dev Rajan sat quietly beneath a Bodhi tree in Varanasi, the banks of the Ganges flowing silently beside him. Meera Sharma stood nearby, watching locals pray and light lanterns.
The country was celebrating. Fireworks. Music. A feeling of hope and relief... even guilt.
Dev exhaled deeply. "They'll either hate us for not helping… or thank us for surviving."
Meera shook her head. "No. They'll fight harder… because we showed them it's possible."
---
As the days ticked down, the entire world held its breath.
Seven days. No India.
And an unstoppable countdown to destruction.
But somewhere… in the shadows of Tokyo…
Kaito Yamada stood on a rooftop, watching the stars.
"Time to see if the world learned anything from us," he muttered, his eyes gleaming beneath the moonlight.