As dawn broke over the now silent southern Italy, the landscape had been dramatically transformed. The massive giants that had once towered into the sky were gone, and the chaos of the battlefield had given way to eerie calm. However, this calm was only on the surface. The true impact of the battle was felt across the country as thousands of displaced people began migrating north.

News outlets buzzed with reports of the aftermath, and a single headline dominated the media: "The Star’s Blessing Has Ended!"

Journalists, driven by the need to capture history as it unfolded, hurried to cross the northern-southern border. They arrived at a place where space itself had been twisted, where sound and light had warped during the clash of the Object titans.

What they found was devastation.

A seasoned journalist, one of the first to arrive, stood amidst the wreckage and sighed deeply. The scene before him was worse than any warzone he had ever reported on. Buildings were not just destroyed but reduced to a bizarre, rust-colored dust that coated everything, as if volcanic ash had settled over the landscape. The ground was pitted and scarred, as though a giant spoon had scooped out chunks of the earth, leaving behind a crimson, marbled wasteland of rusted metal and concrete.

As the journalist captured image after image, a question lingered in his mind: Could this place ever be restored?

Click, click.

His camera shutter whirred as he documented the eerie remnants of what was once southern Italy. The devastation was absolute, and yet, among the destruction, he found something strange: a small, golden Object, slowly trudging through the rubble.

He raised his camera again, entranced by the sight of the tiny golden Reaper, carrying a rusted metal fragment far larger than itself.

Click.

The photo of the little golden Reaper amidst the ruins would go viral worldwide, bringing a sliver of hope to the despairing landscape. The media would title it "Hope in the Ruins."

Twenty years after the fall of the Star, Italy, once divided, was whole again.

Though vast swaths of the south had been turned to rust and dust, the reunion of north and south Italy brought a sense of celebration and relief to its citizens. Miraculously, despite the destruction wrought by the clash of giants, casualties had been few. The families who had been separated for two decades were now reunited, and the air buzzed with the excitement of these long-awaited reunions.

However, not everyone shared this optimism. Some southerners, haunted by the devastation brought by Objects, remained fearful. But a revelation from the interim southern government soon turned the public’s opinion on its head.

Released documents revealed the dark side of the "Star's Blessing." It showed that, in the 20 years since the star fell, death tolls and disappearances had spiked, along with soaring inflation, unemployment, and the rise of crime syndicates. It was also revealed that "Selectors," individuals empowered by the Star, were responsible for more deaths than the Objects themselves.

What was once called the "Star's Blessing" was now widely referred to as the "Star’s Curse."

Ironically, the objects that had once terrorized the south were now seen as protectors, particularly the golden Reapers. These Reapers, once feared, were now beloved for their efforts in cleaning up the ruins and interacting warmly with the surviving humans.

As a symbol of this newfound admiration, a colossal candy windmill had been erected in the heart of the southern ruins, where a colony of mini Reapers gathered, each waiting patiently for their beloved human companions.

The area had become Italy’s own "Mini Reaper District," filled with mini Reapers in long coats, sucking on lollipops, and Reapers dreaming of fateful encounters with humans—just like the rusted purple Reaper.

Back in the Mini Reaper Garden’s snowy plains, I lay sprawled out, catching snowflakes in my mouth as they melted into sweet, milky shaved ice.

Tasty.

Next to me, however, the scowling Agwi Reaper was chomping down on my arm. It was upset because I hadn’t yet fulfilled my promise to resurrect its beloved Object.

Though the bite didn’t hurt due to my immunity, it was still annoying.

This is odd...

My keen instincts had whispered to me that if I defeated the blue giant, I would gain the power to bring back the Agwi Reaper’s beloved Object. But despite vanquishing the giant, no such power had manifested.

Instead, the only thing I’d gained was the mysterious blue sphere floating in the sky above the snowy plains. Inside it was nothing—no corpse of the blue giant as I’d expected, only a vast expanse of shimmering blue liquid, glowing like the giant had.

The scene reminded me of the Cherenkov radiation emitted by radioactive materials.

As I pondered the situation, the other mini Reapers began gathering, watching me curiously as I was gnawed on by the Agwi Reaper. One by one, they joined in, biting onto me playfully. Before long, I was covered in mini Reapers like a whale surrounded by suckerfish.

Ugh, annoying.

I wanted to shake them off, but I was still in the middle of "Kind Mom Week," so I had no choice but to endure it.

Hmph.

Suddenly, my thoughts drifted back to the blue sphere. What if I didn’t need a body inside it to transfer my consciousness? Its resemblance to the Immutable Sphere suggested that it might be possible.

I sent a thread of my will into the blue sphere, and to my surprise, I understood. The blue sphere contained part of the blue giant’s powers—not its rusting light, mist, or spatial abilities, but something else entirely.

It had the power of resurrection. It could summon the souls of dead Objects.

Excited, I jumped to my feet, startling the mini Reapers clinging to me.

Within moments, the snowy plains were filled with mini Reapers, their wills buzzing with anticipation.

"Resurrection!"
"Resurrection!"

The Agwi Reaper’s story had spread far and wide among the mini Reapers, and the news that I was about to resurrect its beloved Object drew them from all corners of the Garden. Soon, the plains were packed with tiny Reapers, eager to witness the miracle.

I stood beneath the glowing blue sphere, flashing a confident smile at my audience.

The mini Reapers were brimming with hope, while the Agwi Reaper watched nervously.

Taking a deep breath, I sent my consciousness into the blue sphere.

...?!

Suddenly, I felt it—a massive form stirring within the sphere. I had barely injected any will into it when a new body, akin to the black corpse, awakened from within the blue sphere.

Slowly, the massive blue form tore its way out of the sphere.

Boom!

When it finally emerged, the new form was as large as the black corpse, a towering blue giant.

Wow, it’s huge!
"Giant Mom!"

But despite its size, the form wasn’t entirely unfamiliar. Aside from the blue light that radiated from it like the blue giant’s, it resembled my gray body perfectly.

"Shining Giant Mom!"
"Blue Mom!"

ROAR!

The giant blue Reaper let out a silent howl.

Controlling both the massive blue body and my small gray form at the same time was disorienting.

Ugh, this is dizzying.

It was like playing two video games on different screens simultaneously.

The blue body prepared to summon the soul while my gray form held the Labyrinth Halo, ready to form the physical body.

As I activated the blue form’s summoning ability, countless Object souls began rushing in, so fast that my mind couldn’t process them all.

I gave up trying to track them and focused my will on the one soul I needed most.

Soon, a hazy figure began to take shape—a small body, short arms, a large head, sharp teeth, and a long tail.

Ah, it’s a Tyrannosaurus!

Though I knew I should be focusing on the Agwi Reaper’s beloved Object, I couldn’t resist.

The ghostly figure of a Tyrannosaurus appeared over the snowy plains, and soon, a glowing dinosaur body began forming around it.

"Glow-in-the-dark Tyrannosaurus Rex, we’re together forever!"

Even as the mini Reapers bonked me for getting distracted, I couldn’t help but grin at the sight of my glowing dinosaur.

Meanwhile, the Agwi Reaper stood in the center of the snowy plains, watching as its beloved Object’s faint shape became clearer.

A small, weak Object, resembling the golden Reapers.

The Master had warned that since so much time had passed since its death, its form might have changed. It might even have transformed more, having become a part of the Mini Reaper Garden.

But to the Agwi Reaper, there was no significant change.

Short limbs, a small body, little eyes, and a round smile.

Everything was as it remembered.

Even though it was wrapped in pudding-like jelly, the essence hadn’t changed.

The Agwi Reaper hugged the golden Object tightly and sent it a wave of affection.

"I’ve missed you so much."
"I’ve wanted to see you so badly."

The golden Object nuzzled into the Agwi Reaper, returning its affection.

"I’ll show you everything."

The endless marshmallow plains.

The sea of hot chocolate that filled the air with its sweet scent.

The maze of dark sugar in the desert.

The mountain range made of candy layers.

And beyond all that, the snowy plains of shaved ice.

The Agwi Reaper, holding the golden Object close, looked utterly happy.