Ryuto slowly opened his eyes as consciousness returned to him. His body felt heavy, but he forced himself upright, blinking at the surroundings. There was nothing—just flat ground, scattered groups of people, and trees swaying gently under a pale sky. No buildings. No signs of the city.
"He used that... on this level," Ryuto muttered under his breath, clenching his fists. His grip tightened instinctively around his sword before it shimmered and shrank, transforming back into a belt. He buckled it around his waist and turned, spotting Hinata standing some distance away.
She had only just started to move.
As Hinata opened her eyes, confusion washed over her. But more than that—there was no pain. She felt... healed. Her wounds were gone, as if they were never there. Then, she noticed the black coat draped gently over her shoulders. Her fingers brushed against the fabric, and her eyes widened in recognition.
"Dear..." she whispered, voice trembling.
But as she took in her surroundings, her heart dropped. The mall was gone. The buildings—gone. Everything familiar had vanished. All that remained were people, trees, and an empty horizon.
Her expression shifted, eyes watering slightly. She opened her mouth again, this time her voice softer, like she was speaking to herself.
"He was alive..."
She turned as Ryuto walked toward her, stopping just in front of her. His expression was calm, but there was a strange gentleness in his voice.
"Hello, sister. Are you alright?"
Hinata blinked, startled. "Sister?" she echoed, confused.
Ryuto gave a small smile. "Ah... right. It's the first time we've actually met." He glanced off toward the distance as if thinking about something. "I'll explain later. But first... we should head home. Boss must be at home.
"Boss?" Hinata repeated, frowning in confusion.
"I mean... Jin," Ryuto said softly, almost fondly.
Before Hinata could ask more, Yuki approached from the side. Her expression was tired, but alert.
"Did you find the kids?" Hinata asked, quickly turning to her.
Yuki shook her head. "They're not here. Looks like Haru mistook someone else for them..."
"But—" Hinata started, concern rising in her voice.
"They're safe," Ryuto cut in gently. "Most be with Big Brother Shun and Boss, back at home. Don't worry."
Yuki stared at him, her surprise evident. Big Brother Shun? Her gaze flicked to Hinata, who looked just as confused. Ryuto was an SSS-ranker and yet he called Shun big brother?
"How do you know him?" Yuki asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Ryuto didn't answer immediately. He just gave a soft smile.
"Let's go home first," he said calmly, his tone final but kind.
Hinata and Yuki exchanged a glance. Neither of them asked more questions. Not yet. With a nod, they both stepped closer, and in a flash of light, the three of them vanished.
---
[Paris]
David was sitting back in his chair, watching the screen as news reports came in. Helicopters hovered above the scene, but the reporters on the ground had lost their equipment, and the connection had completely gone dead. All that was left was the camera showing an empty stretch of land, the place where a city used to stand, now reduced to nothing but barren ground.
"I heard about it," Daniel said softly, his eyes glued to the screen. "But to see it... He really can do that. No wonder they call him the strongest." He shook his head, a hint of awe in his voice. "So this is the extent of his power?"
David looked at Daniel, a calm smile forming on his lips. He spoke slowly, his tone as steady as ever. "The extent of his power?" He shook his head. "You're wrong, Daniel."
Daniel turned to look at him, confusion spreading across his face. "What do you mean by that, sir?" he asked, his voice filled with curiosity.
David leaned back in his chair, his gaze still fixed on the screen. "You see, Daniel, this—what you're seeing? It's his weakest attack. It's a warning to people who try to cause trouble." He spoke with a certain ease, like he was explaining something simple.
Daniel's face turned pale, his expression shifting into one of shock. "His weakest?" He whispered, barely able to believe what he was hearing.
David nodded, his expression still calm but with a slight edge to his voice. "Yeah, his weakest. Let me tell you what I witnessed with my own eyes." He shifted slightly in his chair, his voice growing more serious. "It was around 26 or 27 years ago, I think... when we thought we'd finally gotten peace after the war against the other evolved creatures. But that peace didn't last long. People started fighting each other for power. That's when we entered what we called the Era of Broken Chains."
David paused, his eyes darkening as he spoke. "The stronger ones started trying to rule over the weak, and there were no laws to stop them. It was a time when the world showed us the ugly truth of what we are as humans. When there's no one to keep us in check... we're the worst kind of creatures. That era? It proved that we were the most dangerous things on this planet."
David closed his eyes, letting his head sink into the back of the chair. His voice dropped to a rough whisper.
"I was about six when the world fell apart. My house was in ruins, half the roof gone. My mom was pinned under a wall—only her head and one arm showing. She kept telling me to run, but I just knelt there, bawling. All around us other houses were crushed, people screaming, some already… gone. The street was chaos—folks bleeding, dragging each other to safety, or bolting in panic.
"It all started because a bunch of Evolvers decided to throw down right there. Didn't matter if they were SSS‑rank or D‑rank—they just wanted to prove who was tougher. A hundred of them, maybe more, tearing the city apart. Not one stopped to help us. They were too busy chasing power."
He drew a shaky breath.
"I tried to lift the slab off Mom, but I was six—that wall was a mountain. Then, out of nowhere, it rose straight up like it weighed nothing. I hugged Mom so tight I could hardly breathe. She whispered, 'Thank you,' and I looked up.
"It was him. I thanked him too. He just ruffled my hair, gave a small smile… and vanished.
"Minutes later the whole battlefield went silent. Every single Evolver who'd been fighting was on their knees—some missing arms, others legs, some… not moving at all. Even the SSS‑rankers looked like ordinary people beside him. He wasn't scratched, wasn't even breathing hard. After that day the world started to pull itself together, because everyone knew: if you hurt the weak, you'd face the Sun himself."
David's eyes opened. Daniel was staring, wide‑eyed.
"Take a holiday," David said, a small smile easing the weight of the story. "In fact, give everyone at the company the day off. I'm feeling generous."
[Chapter 24 end]