"Kaiden Grey," the President began with a practiced voice, carrying the kind of cadence that had carried him through wars of words and policy alike. "F-tier awakened, and leader of the group known as Valhalla's Sinners."

A ripple went through the chamber. A few audible gasps broke out in the form of startled whispers saying "F-tier?" which fluttered among the audience. Yet it was not the scandal it once might have been. Too many knew Kaiden's story already. Too many had already known of him as an up-and-coming curiosity, but most knew him from having seen the defamation video published by ChronosX.

The President's gaze moved to Kaiden's companions. "Luna Asther. Nyx Cosmos. Aria Levander. And…" He hesitated when his eyes landed on the Ra-Blessed Felinid standing proudly beside Kaiden, tail swishing excitedly behind her.

Kaiden understood what the holdup was about. The president didn't know what to address her as. "For now, she goes by simply Bastet."

"Master!" Bastet's tanned face lit with indignation as her golden eyes shone mischievously under the chamber lights. Her tail began moving with the speed of a propeller. "It's Bastet Grey!"

The chamber erupted with murmurs. This was major news. The tamed monster woman was very incredibly curious about just insinuating that she was not only a belonging of a human, but that she considered herself a member of his family, or to be more specific, his wife.

Aria nearly choked on her own breath, coughing violently as Luna's hand darted to her back with the energy of a proper storm bringer. Nyx's smirk spread ear to ear as if she'd just been handed the juiciest gossip in the world. The three Valkyries stared at the sly desert empress as though she had just stolen the spotlight—alongside Kaiden's surname—right in front of them.

Bastet, in turn, stood taller, smug and proud in her crimson-and-gold gown. Her chest was quickly puffed up.

Unfazed, the President gave a nod, though the corners of his lips had the smallest of tremors. "Very well. Bastet Grey."

The introductions complete, his tone shifted, becoming solemn. "Together, this group did more than survive a dungeon break. They saved over a hundred civilian lives during the initial chaos. And that is not all."

"They did so while being under direct assault. Beyond the hungry monsters tearing through our streets, awakened terrorists assaulted them mere moments before the dungeons broke. For most, survival alone would have been victory. But these five never once argued to run, never once demanded safety. Instead, they fought. And even after the initial crisis was averted, they registered with the Association to help save lives. They chose duty, knowing the risks."

A swell of applause filled the chamber. Hands clapped, feet stomped, voices rose. The sound thundered against the vaulted ceiling. Scarlet, the Flame Monarch herself, joined in with a sharp, ringing clap that froze the smirk of Nyx immediately.

This was the moment when the pink-haired bombshell realized who was in the room. The idol of her childhood, the woman who represented everything she wanted to become while suffering in the scam academy organized by Maximilian Vice, which saw many families, hers included, go into crippling debt.

Vespera, seated two seats away from the fiery woman, did not clap. She sat perfectly still with her eyes fixed on Kaiden—eyes that betrayed a depth of emotion many had never thought possible from the infamous Shadow Monarch. For those sharp enough to notice, and brave enough to look, there was something tender there.

Scarlet's elbow slid into Maximilian's side with a nudge. His entire body jiggled like a sack of dough. He winced, biting back a yelp.

"Aren't you going to clap for the heroes?" Scarlet asked with a grin that was smug enough to light the cameras. "These youngsters saved enough lives to be personally thanked by the president."

Maximilian's face instantly turned red. Rage boiled in his chest. 'Clap? For him? For that smug bastard who stole my woman from me?! I know what you're up to, fire bitch!'

The bile in his throat was thick enough to choke on. And yet… the cameras were everywhere. Scarlet's expectant glare burned into the side of his head.

As such, he lifted his meaty hands and began to clap.

It was the most reluctant applause in history. Each slap of his palms against one another looked like it pained him physically, his face twisted into a grimace so sour it could curdle milk. His eyes narrowed, his lips pressed into a line so thin it almost disappeared.

The crowd roared, the heroes stood tall under the weight of the nation's gratitude, and Maximilian… looked like the most annoyed clapper to have ever existed. His applause said it all: he was both furious and miserable.

And still, the President's voice carried, smooth and commanding, rising over the noise.

"Ladies and gentlemen of America—and to those watching across the world—know this: in the face of despair, we still find courage. In the shadow of monsters, we still find heroes. And today, in these five, we honor that truth."

The chamber thundered again.

Kaiden stood, calm and collected. His grip was firm as he shook the President's hand, caught by numerous cameras. His expression betrayed nothing, though inside, his mind wasn't as serene.

He understood perfectly well that this wasn't just a medal ceremony.

The President's words, his tone, his very posture… none of it was accidental. Since the mana apocalypse had torn through Earth ten years ago, the balance of power had become fragile beyond belief. Nations had endured the first waves of chaos, but the monsters were not the true danger. It was the people.

Superhumans now roamed the earth. Men and women who could topple skyscrapers, summon storms, conjure fire, and tear holes in reality. Men who could hit like tanks, women who could summon beasts of legend. The old order of suits, ties, and elected office suddenly looked paper-thin when compared to a teenager who could breathe plasma.

And yet, governments still had to govern. Politicians, most of whom were either powerless or those who did have powers were too cowardly (or too "occupied with administration," as they liked to phrase it) to set foot on a battlefield, were forced to leash this new world of gods walking among men.

That was why the Awakened Association had been created. Not simply for "the safety of the American people."' The truth was: it existed to corral the awakened, to centralize power, to make sure gods bent the knee to bureaucrats.

Today was not about Kaiden and his girls, nor about the crippled men and women who fought bravely. Not really.

Today was about the President proving to the people, to the cameras, and to the world, that America's reins were still firmly in his hands. That even in the chaos of dungeon breaks, terrorist attacks, and global despair, he could still protect his citizens. That even awakened beings of terrifying strength stood on his stage and received his praise with gratitude.

It was a power play. And Kaiden knew it.

Yet, for once, the manipulation aligned with his own goals. He needed legitimacy, recognition. He needed the world to look upon him and his women and understand that they were not villains, not monsters, not degenerates, no matter what lies Maximilian Vice and his ilk spun.

And so he played his part. Calm. Collected. A model hero for the cameras.

But when his eyes swept the chamber, past the standing ovation, past the thundering applause, and focusing between the pair of Monarchs seated like lionesses among sheep… one man froze.

At the far back of the room.

Maximilian Vice.

And then, the man's phone began incessantly buzzing in his pocket.

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