The wind howled past Auren's ears as the bike tore through the dim streets of Hanzora. Zorin clutched the back tightly, the address still etched in his mind. As they reached the secluded alley, a figure stood silently under the flickering streetlight—an old man with piercing gray eyes and a cloak that fluttered in the wind.
"Ravel?" Auren called instinctively.
The figure turned slowly. "No. But you're not far off. I'm Daigo Arukami."
Zorin narrowed his eyes. "So, you're the one we've been led to?"
Daigo chuckled softly. "You both came, as expected. What are you doing here, kids?"
Auren stepped forward. "I need answers, Daigo master. About my grandfather… about Neo World."
Daigo's expression darkened. "You're in danger, Auren. A bounty has been placed on your head—five crore Cresin."
Auren's eyes widened. "What...? By who?"
Before Daigo could respond, Auren's phone buzzed. He picked it up.
"Come to the front of Namsu University… or the girl's breath will be her last."
A faint scream followed—Yuna's voice. "Let me go!"
Auren screamed, "No! Don't hurt her!"
Daigo looked at him calmly. "Go. Save the girl you care about."
Auren nodded and turned to leave, but Daigo raised a hand. "Take your brother-like friend… or friend-like brother. He'll be your strength."
Zorin was confused but determined. "Let's move."
---
The scene outside Namsu University was a war zone. Military vehicles surrounded the campus perimeter. And in front of them, like an army summoned from hell, stood an ensemble of notorious villains—faces from wanted posters, mercenaries, and masked monsters.
Auren skidded the bike to a stop. His heart pounded.
"Let her go!" he shouted.
A scarred man with cybernetic arms stepped forward. "We will… if you come forward. You and your precious brother."
Auren hesitated, breath hitching.
"Deal accepted," Zorin said firmly.
"But—"
Zorin smiled. "You love her, right? If it's about your love, I'd lay my life down, no questions."
Before Auren could react, Zorin pushed him forward. Together, they stepped into the center of the enemy's web.
The criminals released Yuna, who stumbled away to safety. The moment she was clear, a horn blared.
The battle erupted.
Bullets and energy blasts tore through the air. Auren ducked, drawing his dual sabers, their neon edges slicing through flesh and steel. Zorin was a phantom—dodging, flipping, striking. One by one, enemies fell.
A pyrokinetic villain unleashed flames. Auren spun, reflecting fire with a shield burst and knocking him cold. Zorin leapt over a towering mutant, jabbing his pressure points and dropping him like a felled tree.
Amid explosions and chaos, the two fought like forces of nature. Smoke rose, screams echoed, blood sprayed. Their bodies bruised, uniforms torn, but their spirit blazed.
They reached the leader—a massive man in obsidian armor with red lenses.
"So you made it through," he growled.
Zorin cracked his knuckles. "Not for long."
They clashed.
The leader swung a gravity hammer, cratering the ground. Auren dodged left, slashing upward. Zorin ran along a wall, came down with a knee to the head. Blades met metal, shockwaves pulsed.
Finally, Auren charged from the front, Zorin from the rear. In perfect sync, they struck—shattering the armor and sending the villain crashing.
The boss coughed blood, glaring. "You think you've won? You haven't met the one who sent us… the one who watches from the shadows…"
Zorin frowned. "Who?"
The villain grinned. "Velvet Fang."
Suddenly, his skull split open with a brutal crack. Blood splattered across the pavement. A silent death.
Auren stepped back. "What the hell...?"
No one was there. Just a whisper on the wind and a blood-soaked message painted on the ground:
"The Gentleman Bunny watches."
---
They returned home bloodied. Clothes stained. Auren showered, scrubbed off crimson streaks, and changed into a fresh black hoodie. Zorin tossed a towel over his shoulder, his shirt open, abs gleaming under the room light.
Just then, Auren's phone buzzed again. Yuna.
"Can we meet?" she asked softly.
"Of course."
---
The sky burned in shades of orange and gold. On a cliffside near the coast, Auren and Yuna met. Her hair fluttered in the breeze, her eyes glistened.
"Thank you, Auren," she whispered.
He hesitated. Zorin's words echoed in his mind.
He looked at her. "Yuna… I don't know what this world holds. But I do know, I love you."
She smiled, tears in her eyes. "I've loved you since the day we met."
They stood together, hands entwined, the sun dipping into the ocean behind them. The moment was soft, eternal.
Zorin emerged from the shadows, grinning. "Now that you've both confessed, how about an ice cream date? My treat."
Auren tossed him the keys. "Take the bike."
He turned to Yuna. "Come with me."
---
The city's largest ice cream parlor glowed with neon lights. Auren ordered double chocolate fudge. Yuna went for vanilla blueberry swirl.
They laughed, fed each other bites, teased over favorite flavors. Children ran past them, music played softly. For a moment, everything felt normal.
Yuna leaned on his shoulder. "Thank you… for everything."
He smiled. "This is just the beginning."
---
Meanwhile, miles away, Zorin faced a hulking Neo Monster in the ruins of a shipping dock. The beast had crystal arms and acidic breath.
Zorin jumped, flipping mid-air, dodging a corrosive blast. He launched daggers of compressed energy, slicing tendons.
The monster roared. Zorin sprinted up a fallen container, flipped behind it, and plunged his blade deep into its core.
It howled—and shattered into fragments.
Breathing heavily, he looked at the sky. "One down… countless to go."
---
Later that night, Auren dropped Yuna at her mansion gates.
"I'll see you tomorrow," she whispered.
He kissed her forehead gently. "Stay safe."
Back at his place, he and Zorin ate noodles on the rooftop. The stars shimmered above.
Zorin leaned back. "You know… there's something I still don't get."
"What?"
"What Daigo meant… when he said take your brother-like friend or friend-like brother."
Auren nodded. "I've been thinking about it too."
Zorin frowned. "Maybe it means we're more than just friends now. We're… fated. To fight together. To survive together."
Auren clinked his chopsticks. "Or maybe… one day, it'll make sense."
They stared out at the ocean. Suddenly, a dark wave surged unnaturally. A distant howl echoed—unnatural, haunting.
Zorin stood. "You felt that?"
Auren's eyes narrowed.
Far away, a pair of glowing red eyes opened beneath the sea.
---
To Be Continued…..