Echoes Among Ashes
The earth still trembled. Clouds of dust and blood refused to dissipate in various corners of the world, as if they wanted to etch into humanity's memory the magnitude of its error. The roars of the SS- beasts had already ceased... but the cries of pain, regret, and rage were just beginning.
Official broadcasts confirmed the inevitable.
"The commanders of England, Germany, and Australia... are dead," announced a choppy voice on the global emergency signal. "They did not respond in time. They did not coordinate with other bastions. They fell... alone."
Meanwhile, in a provisional medical base north of Gwangju, two figures sat, bandaged, in silence. Yun-Seok, leader of Korea, kept his gaze fixed on the ground. Yvette, Canada's tactical officer, had her head bowed, her knuckles white with tension.
Both knew what was coming.
Late but Decisive Assistance
They were saved at the last moment. Not by their own merits, but by the urgent deployment that Rob had ordered amid the chaos.
Mohammed, with his "Thousand Arms" ability, had contained the mirror beast in Korea and rescued Yun-Seok from certain death.
Ali, from Egypt, had traversed two distortion zones to assist in Alberta, where he managed to repel the obsidian creature with his invocation of Tutankhamun.
The cost was immense. Dozens of Guardians died before their arrival. But without them... no one would have remained.
Public Reaction
Social networks exploded.
"Why did we trust them?" "Rob offered help... and they refused!" "Traitors. That's the word." "Death penalty. The least for condemning thousands to die."
Forums, news outlets, and broadcasts gave no respite. Yun-Seok and Yvette were now the faces of failure. Of obstinacy. Of arrogance. Of tragedy.
Decision of the Alliance of Light
Gathered in La Paz, the top Guardians debated the situation.
"We must judge them," declared Nikolav, his face hardened. "Not just for failing... but for rejecting the unity that could have saved their people."
"And if they side with the wrong again when things get worse?" added Thea coldly. "We can't allow more mistakes of that kind."
Rob didn't respond immediately. He walked silently to the central map. He observed the crossed-out red dots marking the destroyed bastions. Then he raised his voice.
"We won't kill them... yet. But we'll detain them. And they'll have a fair trial. If their betrayal was conscious... the death penalty will be the consequence."
Containment Technology: The Bracelets
Hours later, Alan and María presented the new prototype developed from the energy remnants of an SS- beast that Rob had slain.
"We call them suppression bracelets," explained Alan. "They use an alloy that nullifies the energy resonance of abilities, even those of rank A and above."
"They're reversible but undetectable once activated," added María. "We'll wear them if you want, Rob. But I think you already know who they're intended for."
Rob nodded. Silently, he took the two bracelets and headed toward the reinforced cell where Yun-Seok and Yvette awaited.
"As of today, your powers are sealed," he said without hesitation, placing one on each. "You are no longer Guardians. You are prisoners... until the trial decides if you still deserve to belong to humanity."
And for the first time since their arrival, Yun-Seok looked up. He said nothing.
He only shed a tear.
But it was already too late.
Beneath the Blade of Light
The remaining shadows were nothing more than echoes of the disaster... but they were still lethal. Of the ten SS- beasts released by the System, seven had already been eliminated: four by Rob and three with the coordinated help of his allies. Three still remained active, moving through mountainous areas, forests, and deserts around the world, like remnants of a nightmare that refused to end.
Rob didn't wait for orders. He didn't organize committees. He acted.
Relentless Hunt For seven days, Rob traveled without rest. In each encounter, he used everything he had learned during his ascent to Rank S. "Unstoppable Blade" turned him into a living storm, and his mastery of "Leap" made him impossible to predict. Each battle was brutal, but never reckless.
A silicon and plasma beast was destroyed in the heart of the Sahara. A dimensional worm was sliced into three fragments in Patagonia. And a wolf-shaped armored creature, hiding in the Siberian tundra, died in silence after a precise thrust to its core.
With every victory, Rob not only gained experience... To win meant to "understand." And to understand was to grow.
His sword began to emit pulses of energy that resonated with the environment. Techniques that once required channeling now emerged with a single thought. His presence was no longer that of a simple Guardian. It was that of a symbol.
"It's as if the world recognizes him," said Hana Mizuno, watching a report from Japan. "As if the Earth itself knows who is truly fighting for it."
The Alliance of Light Takes Shape With the immediate threats neutralized, the world could breathe again. Not with joy. Not with peace. But with a tense calm, like the prelude to a new order.
"We must organize," declared Thea, now the official spokesperson of the Alliance. "No more isolated bastions. No more selfish decisions. We are one humanity."
Alex and Lee Ming coordinated supply networks across continents. Nikolav and Mohammed led intensive training for new Guardians. Ali worked on interregional evacuation protocols.
And from La Paz, the center of the new world, a declaration signed by more than twenty active bastions was disseminated:
"We recognize the authority of the Guardian of Humanity, Rob, as General Commander of the Global Survival Front. This is not a dictatorship. It is an act of trust. Because he did not fight for power... he fought for everyone."
A New Symbol Rob's sword was engraved on insignias. His silhouette was used as an emblem on improvised flags. The word "Light" began to be written in capital letters.
But Rob did not attend celebrations. He gave no speeches. He only watched the sky.
"It's not over yet," he whispered. "This... was just the first move."
In his gaze was power. But also fear.
Because Rob knew what was coming.
The Balance of the Future
The underground cell was more a sanctuary than a prison. Lined with stabilizing plates, rotating energy fields, and magical absorption shielding, it was capable of containing even an S-ranked Guardian. And yet, the two lying there weren't dangerous because of their current strength… but because of their past decisions.
Yun-Seok, the former commander of Gwangju, had stopped speaking. He spent his days in silence, staring at an invisible point.
Yvette, once a strategist in Canada, had written a five-page letter… and then burned it with a security candle.
Both wore the suppression bracelets created by Alan and María. Their internal energy was nullified. They were like ordinary civilians. But what held them wasn't the electromagnetic field. It was humanity's judgment.
The Pending Verdict
"Are the protocols ready?" Thea asked as she entered the command center.
"Yes. The trial will take place in three days. In person, globally broadcasted," Ali confirmed. "The jury will be made up of representatives from active bastions and surviving civilians."
"And what happens if it's proven their actions cost unnecessary lives?" Nikolav asked.
"Then, according to the new Human Protection Code… the maximum penalty is execution," Rob said as he entered the room, his voice calm.
Silence fell like a blade. Not because of the harshness of the statement, but because of the certainty in Rob's voice. It was the truth—raw and inescapable.
"And are you sure… you want to carry that burden?" Alex asked softly.
Rob closed his eyes. For a moment, he looked more exhausted than ever.
"I don't want to. But if I don't… who else will?"
Fragments of a Sleepless Night
That night, Rob left the bastion. He wandered alone into one of the nearby mountains, where snow still clung to the peaks. He sat under a clear sky, his sword planted in the earth, and gazed at the stars.
"In my other life… they just vanished," he whispered. "When the bastions fell, no one judged them. They simply died among the ruins, without ever being held accountable."
He picked up a stone from the ground and looked at it, as if searching for answers.
"Is this justice… or delayed vengeance? Is it order… or just a new form of cruelty? What does it really mean to lead… when you have to decide who deserves to live?"
The sword pulsed faintly.
As if it were responding.
"I'm not a judge. But I'm the only one who remembers what happens when we do nothing."
His eyes lit up—not with hope, but with relentless determination.
"If humanity is to be reborn… it can't afford to repeat its mistakes. And if that means I have to get my hands dirty once again… then so be it."
He stood up, sheathed his sword… and walked toward the dawn.
End of Chapter
The trial had not yet begun. Peace was still not real.
But for the first time in a long time… the world had a direction.
And that path was guided by a man who had never asked for power.
A man they now called…
The Guardian of Humanity.