While the Tower's spotlight often fell on the rising chaos of Kaito Yamada and Aya Shirogane—or the brutal spectacle of Dev Rajan and Meera Sharma—dozens of other lives moved in tandem, caught in the gravity of this new world.
Their names weren't always trending. Their dramas weren't always broadcast. But in the spaces between battles and headlines, other heroes stood, bled, and evolved.
This is their story.
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1. Xenovia Kael & Elijah Voss – The Vatican's Judgment
Not many questioned why angels seemed to fear her.
Xenovia Kael, wrapped in white armor etched with golden verses, wasn't just UR-ranked—she was the Church's golden spear. Her voice could shatter lies. Her light could blind even shadows. And yet, the world barely knew the quiet man who stood at her side.
Elijah Voss had no miracles. No divine fire. Only silence, and a mind that never forgot.
After clearing the first floor, the two returned to Vatican-controlled territory where religious and political pressures mounted like storm clouds. The world demanded an answer: who made the killshot? Who led the charge?
Xenovia spoke to no one.
Elijah gave a single statement to the global System broadcast.
"If God exists in this Tower, then He demands unity, not worship."
The Vatican disowned them the next morning.
They didn't flinch.
Now, they travel as outcasts, protecting weak Awakened without allegiance, preaching no creed but survival.
And yet, rumors persist: that the pair has already scouted the second floor from a hidden path… and that Elijah Voss has begun hearing voices from the Tower itself.
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2. Leonardo Takashi & Chloe Wu – Blades of the East
Japan and China had long histories of rivalry.
That made the pairing of Leonardo Takashi—a disciplined, stoic kenjutsu prodigy from Kyoto—and Chloe Wu—a brash, explosive martial artist from Beijing—all the more shocking.
Their first month together involved more fights between themselves than with Tower beasts.
But when the floor boss descended, they stood back-to-back, bodies bloodied, and unleashed synchronized destruction that melted half the battlefield. It was Leonardo's precision and Chloe's chaotic timing that severed the boss's core from within.
Afterward, the media hailed them as "The Perfect Storm."
They didn't care.
Chloe punched Leonardo in the gut during the interview.
"Next time, let me go in first!"
He smiled faintly.
Now, the pair trains in the System's Eastern Nexus, splitting time between explosive joint missions and breaking dojo floors during argument-fueled spars. Despite their constant bickering, their synergy rating has never dipped below 98%.
Chloe recently announced she'd kill anyone who tried to flirt with her partner.
"Not because I like him or anything. He's just mine to punch."
Leonardo simply nodded.
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3. Dmitri Volkov & Anya Petrova – Ice and Iron
In the tundras of Siberia, emotions freeze before they bloom.
Dmitri Volkov, a massive SSS-ranked Awakener known as "The Iron Beast," was infamous for decimating zones without speaking a word. Beside him, Anya Petrova—a tactical genius with psychic links—was known for her cold, surgical approach to battle.
They didn't speak during the first half of Floor One.
Not a word.
And yet, their kill count was among the highest.
Only when a team of E-rankers was ambushed in Zone Gamma, and Anya defied orders to save them, did the first cracks form.
Dmitri followed without question.
He tore through a horde of corruption beasts to reach her side.
After the floor was cleared, a reporter asked Anya why she risked her life.
She answered with a rare smile.
"He's not just a wall of iron. He listens."
The two now run an underground training camp in northern Russia for orphaned Awakened. They accept no payment, no politics. Only discipline and survival.
Dmitri still rarely speaks.
Anya speaks enough for both of them.
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4. Aamir Khan & Faisal Rana – Brothers Beyond Blood
Pakistan's leading duo didn't start as warriors.
Aamir Khan was a literature professor. Faisal Rana, a street magician with no formal education.
The System paired them despite all logic—an SSS-ranked duo bound by laughter and loss.
They were the first to make jokes mid-battle.
When others wept, they cracked dry one-liners. When faced with near-death, they bickered like an old married couple. Their camaraderie became legendary.
Aamir's magic involved illusion and control of written scripture. Faisal's power turned deception into weaponized chaos.
Together, they confused even the Tower's AI.
During the final floor battle, it was Faisal who faked his own death, leading to the boss lowering its guard—and Aamir who sealed the final blow with a floating verse of divine poetry.
Now, they tour refugee camps, hosting magic shows for traumatized survivors, slipping in tactical training between jokes.
Faisal was once asked what kept him going.
He grinned and said, "The world's on fire, mate. Might as well juggle while we burn."
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5. Evelyn Ross & Haruto Jin – Shadows of the West
The American-Japanese pair didn't make headlines.
They didn't save thousands.
They didn't slay the boss.
But they survived the impossible.
Evelyn Ross was a former firefighter from Chicago. Haruto Jin, a failed pianist turned Awakener. They were D-rank. Practically invisible. And yet, their entire zone was destroyed in minutes when the boss expanded its reach early.
Out of 120 Awakeners, only they walked out.
They didn't have explosive powers or brilliant tactics.
They simply refused to die.
Afterward, survivors said Evelyn carried three people through fire before collapsing. Haruto fought with nothing but a broken flute and a stolen blade.
Now, the System has upgraded their rank to B+, with evaluation pending.
They live modestly in Sector Twelve, far from the limelight.
But every night, new trainees come to them.
Not for power.
But for the will to survive.
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6. Reina Kwon & Mateo Alvarez – From Fame to Flame
She was a K-pop idol.
He was a Latin American soccer star.
Both were at the top of their respective worlds before the System arrived.
And both found their fame meant nothing when the Tower demanded blood.
Reina's power manifested as sonic manipulation. Mateo's as kinetic redirection. Together, their rhythm in battle became performance art—destructive, elegant, and mesmerizing.
Their fans called them "Fire & Harmony."
But offstage, they struggled.
Fame had sheltered them from pain. The Tower forced them to confront mortality, ego, and truth.
When a C-ranked duo under their leadership was killed due to misjudgment, Reina spiraled. She stopped singing. Mateo stopped smiling.
But they didn't quit.
Instead, they formed a tribute unit—composed of survivors, retired Awakeners, and orphans. Every mission they now take is dedicated to those who didn't make it.
Reina sings again—but only during final attacks.
Mateo plays no soccer.
But when he moves, it's like a star reborn.
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7. Ishaan Verma & Riko Tanaka – Strangers on a Thread
Sometimes, the System pairs people not for harmony—but for balance.
Ishaan Verma, a blind strategy analyst from Mumbai.
Riko Tanaka, a violent loner from Osaka with a criminal record.
On paper, they shouldn't work.
But when the Tower's psychic wraiths attacked, Ishaan's precognitive mind and Riko's primal rage synced in perfect counter-motion.
They still don't talk.
Riko hates people. Ishaan can't see her scowls anyway.
But every time they fight, they move like echoes—two storms locked in tandem.
Their rank: A+.
Their compatibility: 31%.
Their kill rate: among the top ten.
When asked why they don't separate, Ishaan only said:
"She may not like me. But she hears me."
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