just throwing out an idea here :O

instead of taking off after the end, how about change it a bit? perhaps keeshan managed to take out maka and everyone else out of sheer luck before he perished. Lord Death has fallen and Death the Kid is down and in serious need of healing. Some of the lower students (aka the grey students XD) start to stand out as they try to help and defeat the newer keeshan that the witches let slip that they are attempting to create. (perhaps vector still managed to survive XD)

hows that sound? :O