Fractured Brotherhood
The Black Knight sped out of East Babylon's outskirts and onto the Midland coastal road. To the left stretched the pitch-black sea before Midland, under a starless night sky. To the right blazed the city, flashing with every light imaginable—a stark opposite to that dark world.
Just as those two realms contrasted sharply along the shoreline, the atmosphere inside the Black Knight was distinctly divided.
Roque in the driver's seat was as silent as the black sea. Hayato in the passenger seat wore a complicated expression, a mix of anxiety and anticipation he was trying hard to suppress. Finally, Lije lay sprawled in the back seat, snoring peacefully away.
Hayato, sitting in the passenger seat, chewed his lip while staring straight ahead before finally speaking.
"Is my brother truly alive, sir?"
"He was moving on his own."
Hayato's face clouded over at Roque's curt reply.
"...What does that mean?"
"Where you draw the line for 'alive' is personal. Meet him yourself and check against your own standards."
With that, Roque floored the accelerator, speeding up the Black Knight. Hayato, wearing a puzzled look, jolted back as his body pressed into the seat and grabbed the dashboard in alarm.
The black knight soon entered the old abandoned factory district along the Midland coast. Long ago, this area had bustled with small and medium enterprises' offices, factories, and crowds of people. But after megacorps crushed them with overwhelming capital, the companies folded, leaving the dilapidated buildings to decay into rust and dust—their own crumbling tombstones.
It was like a no-man's-land between the glowing city and the black sea. Not shining, yet not fully at peace.
Roque slowed as they entered, manipulating the vehicle's terminal to confirm the location from memory and the exact address.
Then, his fingers paused on the beeping keyboard. Staring straight ahead, he said,
"You hear that?"
"I hear it too, sir. Seems a bit distant."
Roque hit the brakes. Glancing in the rearview at the sleeping Lije, he turned the key to shut off the engine.
"Leave the car here."
"Understood, sir."
Grasping Roque's intent, Hayato got out without protest. As they stepped outside, the faint noise they'd heard grew clearer.
Hayato's expression hardened. With quick hands, he adjusted his sleeves and pant legs. Strings attached tightened, making the loose fabric hug his forearms and calves snugly.
"Let's go!"
Hayato dashed toward the source of the noise. Roque watched his retreating figure with black eyes, then followed silently.
As they ran between the dark abandoned factories, the sounds grew louder: the distinctive drrrruk of Vulcan cannons, crashing booms of something shattering and collapsing, explosions popping off. In the distance, plumes of dust rose thickly.
"The sounds are close!"
"This way."
Roque vaulted over a nearby three-meter panel fence. Hayato followed swiftly. Beyond it lay a vast lot and a building with unfinished exterior—scaffolding and exposed concrete everywhere. From its mangled remnants, it looked more like an office for desk jobs than a production facility.
Then, something smashed into a pile of old materials on one side, scattering debris and kicking up massive dust. From the cloud emerged a hulking robot—what Roque had seen in cyber space, a multi-legged tank called BN-031.
A black shadow leaped high over the tank's body, spinning and landing with a whirr. Hayato's eyes widened at the sight.
"Ryuhei?"
The black shadow whipped around. Six cameras on its face, iris dilating and contracting at different rates, all widened abruptly. Red electronic eyes met Hayato's.
Hayato, stunned by the face, shouted urgently,
"Get out of there!"
The cyborg ninja didn't hesitate, hurling itself aside. Simultaneously, the tank's massive foot slammed down where he'd been. The impact shattered old rebar and Euroform, sending shards flying.
"What's that turtle?"
Hayato eyed the tank. True enough, at four meters tall with thick armor and four legs, BN-031 resembled a giant turtle. But the two arms on its front and the spinning barrel on its shell-back proved it no gentle beast.
The tank's front camera, pursuing the leaping cyborg, swept toward them. Detecting the two, calculations fired inside:
> Witnesses detected - Current target: Destroy. Additional target per protocol: Eliminate witnesses.
The tank's barrel whirred toward them.
"...Think it's aiming at us?"
"It is."
As Roque and Hayato dodged, the barrel spat fire. A BOOM erupted, dust billowing, fragments spraying.
From afar, Hayato peered into the cratered ground and yelled,
"We take out that scrap heap first!"
Roque, who'd landed nearby, answered by drawing his Aura Blade. Hayato gripped his katana hilt. A blue flash ignited.
The tank's sensors caught the light. Confirming the two charging fast, it raised its front arms. Six barrels per arm spun up, unleashing a torrent of fire.
Roque and Hayato, charging head-on, split in different directions. Concrete and earth exploded behind them in a kwakwakwak roar, sparks and dust flying.
The Vulcan-firing tank targeted Hayato, the slightly slower of the two, with its main gun. Eyes wide at the black muzzle, Hayato dove. A thung shot rang out, followed by a KWA-ANG crater.
Sensors pierced the rising dust, spotting Hayato and aiming the left Vulcan. Flames poured; dust holes punched through like sieves.
Hayato couldn't close in under the bullet storm, forced to sprint sideways. The Vulcan whipped after him like a lash. He dove into the building, ducking behind a thick concrete pillar. Following shots shredded it to rags.
A red light flashed on the tank's sensors—no Roque in sight. It ceased firing at Hayato, scanning around. Silence fell as gunfire stopped.
Instantly, Roque burst from old materials piled on the tank's right. He blurred forward. But not faster than the already-locked Vulcan. Nothing between him and the barrels. Drrruk—bullets flew.
In a flash, Roque raised his Aura Blade like a shield. Dozens of armor-piercing rounds met the superheated edge, melting and ricocheting. Sparks burst like fireworks between him and the tank.
The Vulcan couldn't halt him. His closing Aura Blade ziiing-thudded, severing one arm.
The tank swung its other arm, but Roque's gray flash was quicker. Another thud—it lost both arms.
Computing countermeasures against Roque's brief display of power, the tank backed away fast. But Hayato, now closing, leaped high, slashing past its back. His blue Aura Blade sheared the main gun, carving deep into inner armor.
As Hayato landed, the double-armed, main-gun-less tank staggered backward. Roque strode after, thrusting his Aura Blade into the front camera sensor.
Pulling it free, red-hot metal oozed from the hole. With a clunk, the tank collapsed.
> Mission continuation impossible. Requesting follow-up team...
Hayato rose slowly, wiping mock sweat from his brow.
"Never feared bullets as an Aura Master before, but today's the first time cold sweat's run down my back."
"Now that you're in this world, you'll face it often."
"Ah, perhaps."
Brushing off his clothes while replying, Roque frowned suddenly, realizing something. His new coat was pocked with tiny holes, left shoulder torn ragged from grazing shots and sparks.
"...Damn it."
Then Hayato called,
"See that, sir?"
Turning, Roque saw Hayato craning up at the building. Following his gaze, a shadow peeked from high above before slipping inside. Eyes meeting, they headed straight into the unfinished structure.
Inside was cluttered with unordered materials and trash. But the core—pillars, floors, stairs—was solid reinforced concrete. No issue climbing.
The two Aura Masters ascended floor by floor until Midland's bright downtown lights gleamed through. Near the top.
At the edge of the open, railing-less floor knelt a figure, back turned, gazing at Midland's city lights.
As they entered, he rose slowly and turned. Still wearing the helmet with six camera sensors. Hayato asked cautiously,
"Ryuhei? Is that you, Ryuhei?"
"...Brother."
To Roque, it was an eerie electronic voice. But Hayato beamed, recognizing his brother's tone. He approached.
Roque leaned against a rear pillar, arms crossed, watching the reunion.
"You rascal! You were alive after all!"
Hayato moved to embrace him. But Ryuhei raised his left palm to halt, right hand gripping shoulder katana. Hayato froze.
"Ryuhei?"
"Stop. Come no closer."
Hayato, flustered briefly, showed open palms calmly.
"It's alright, Ryuhei. I'm here to take you home. Not to harm you. Calm down."
"...Home?"
At Ryuhei's tilt, Hayato continued.
"Yes, home. Where Mother, Mitsuki, and the elders are. The home where you grew up."
Silent a moment, Ryuhei nodded as if recalling.
"Ah, that home... Tanaka Ryuhei's birthplace. I remember."
Hayato's face lit up again. Smiling,
"They're all waiting for you. When I returned from training, they were shocked you were gone—do you know how worried?"
"Waiting? For me?"
Ryuhei's six camera eyes narrowed sharply.
"Why?"
"...Why?"
Ryuhei released the katana, grabbing his helmet with both hands. Whirr—clamps on neck and chin loosened. He removed it slowly.
Hayato stared blankly at the revealed face.
"Ryuhei?"
"Yes, I'm Ryuhei. But whether I'm Tanaka Ryuhei... I don't know."
The face was pallid—not just pale, but corpselike, bloodless. No hair, no eyebrows. Red electronic eyes in sockets dilated and contracted, capturing Hayato.
From the crown, no human skin—translucent plastic, vaguely showing brain fragments and glittering circuits.
"Tanaka Ryuhei's brain is part of me. That's why I call myself Ryuhei. But I'm clearly a different being. I remember his anger, love, hate, joy—but don't feel them as mine. And I feel no regret for that."
Hayato gaped, speechless. Ryuhei continued.
"Reasons abound, but chief is his inferior character and self-destructive habits compared to his combat skill—and his hatred for you, Tanaka Hayato. All unproductive emotions."
"...Hatred for me?"
At Hayato's echo, Ryuhei answered earnestly.
"From childhood, Tanaka Ryuhei envied, hated, and feared the superior Tanaka Hayato. He abandoned Aura Master training and fled to Midland—not just from family eyes seeing him as worthless, but lacking courage to face your return. Since age six, his wish was to beat you... even kill you."
Hayato recoiled, shocked.
"Ryuhei... wanted to kill me?"
"Lucky for you. I have no such goal."
Ryuhei donned the helmet. Lights returned to the cameras.
"I hope this proves I'm not Tanaka Ryuhei. And that I have no home to return to, nor are you my brother."
The black cyborg ninja passed the dazed Hayato. Snapping to, Hayato whirled.
"What of Mitsuki? I may be a sinful brother, but your little sister waits for you. Will you ignore her too?"
The cyborg halted. Silence hung.
"...Same."
Short reply, then striding on. Dejected, Hayato hung his head, staring at the concrete.
The cyborg's steps stopped abruptly. His cameras captured Roque, arms crossed against the pillar.
"...You! Club!"
"Name's Roque, but yeah. We met at the club."
The cyborg dropped into stance, right hand over shoulder. Roque said,
"Fight? I was gonna let you go if you kept walking."
"No settling at that club. None survive seeing my blade. You, Roque. Prepare."
A smile tugged Roque's lips. Exactly what he'd hoped.
"True. We didn't finish."
Uncrossing arms, Roque opened his right hand wide. His waist Aura Blade flew to his grip.
Low stance complete, the cyborg formed a seal with his left hand before his face, slowly drawing his right katana. The blazing red beam blade reappeared.
Roque's right hand ignited with gray Aura Blade.
"Wait! Both of you, calm down! I don't know what happened between you, but it can be talked out!"
Shocked and slumped, Hayato panicked at their stances, stepping between.
"Calm yourself, Senior Roque! Surely you didn't come with me to find Ryuhei just to fight him?"
"Helping a fellow path-walker was main, but not entirely wrong. And he drew first."
Meeting Roque's eyes, Hayato felt their unshakable depth. Turning to Ryuhei,
"Sheathe your blade, Ryuhei. I heard you're not Tanaka Ryuhei. But why fight? With new life, just leave anywhere!"
"Fight with him unfinished. Blade drawn means one dies. That's true Aura Master duel."
"...Your blade isn't an Aura Blade."
Silent, Ryuhei slashed a nearby pillar. Clean cut remained. As if saying it matched.
"No..."
As Hayato tried speaking, Ryuhei kicked off. Roque moved almost simultaneously.
The swordsmen veered diagonally around central Hayato. In a blink, Aura Blades and beam clashed.
A third blade wedged in—blue Aura Blade.
Gray, red, blue tangled briefly, then parted in intense flash. All three recovered swiftly, forming a triangle.
Roque glanced at Hayato.
"Huh. You drew too."
"I'm stopping you both."
"Just subdue him together?"
Hayato's face was set.
"Senior Roque. You know an Aura Master's blade holds much only another feels. Yours just now was pure intent."
Roque smiled darkly.
"Yeah. True duel."
"That intent kills Ryuhei. I can't allow it. He's... my brother anyway."
"He says he's not Tanaka Ryuhei except one part. Still believe he's your brother?"
"...That part is surely my brother. So I believe."
Cyborg's cameras whirred. Silent.
"Hm. But he won't sheathe. Can't help it. Won't stand idle."
"I'll stop you both."
Roque and Hayato eyed the last. He gripped beam katana two-handed, raised to face level—answer enough.
Amid concrete frames, against blazing Midland lights, three swordsmen stood blade-ready.
Roque chuckled.
"This'll be good."
The next instant, without signal, motion erupted.