The night in Paris was calm, the city wrapped in silence after weeks of chaos. Rehan and Ishita had finally drifted to sleep in their quarters, Li Wei meditating nearby like a stone statue. But in the central infirmary, Akira and Ethan sat awake, their conversation pulling them back to a past they could never forget.
Ethan leaned back against the headboard, his bandaged chest rising and falling with shallow breaths. His lips curved into a tired grin.
"You know… they deserve to hear it someday. How it all started. The reason why we fight like this."
Akira stood by the window, moonlight reflecting off his sharp features. His eyes, however, softened as he turned.
"Then tonight… let's tell it. If we don't, our past will die with us."
And just like that, the room faded into memory—ten years ago.
---
Flashback – The International Finals
A massive arena in Seoul shook with the roar of thousands. Flags from across the world waved like flames, and spotlights painted the air in gold. It was the International Martial Arts World Finals, the pinnacle of human competition.
In the center ring, two names echoed through the speakers.
"From the United States… Ethan Carter!"
"From Japan… Akira Tanma!"
The crowd erupted. One fighter, all fire and ferocity. The other, cold precision incarnate.
Ethan bounced on his feet, fists raised, golden hair tied back with sweat already dripping. His smile was cocky, almost reckless. Across from him, Akira stood calm as stone, his black hair framing eyes that gleamed like sharpened steel. His posture was perfect, balanced, as if carved by discipline itself.
The bell rang.
Ethan lunged first, fists blazing through the air. His punches were wild, furious, carrying raw instinct. Akira dodged with surgical grace, countering with sharp strikes to Ethan's ribs and shoulder. The crowd gasped as the clash intensified.
"Come on!" Ethan roared, blood dripping from his lip but grin unbroken. "Fight me seriously!"
Akira's eyes narrowed. "If I did… you'd already be on the ground."
Round after round, the two clashed like fire and steel. Ethan's body screamed, bruises blossoming across his arms and chest, but he kept charging. Akira's strikes cut deeper with every second, his technique flawless, his movements so efficient they looked inhuman.
By the final round, Ethan collapsed to one knee, chest heaving, vision blurring. The referee leaned forward, ready to call it—
But Ethan slammed his fist into the mat, refusing to fall.
---
The Awakening
In that moment, something inside him snapped.
"I can't lose. Not like this. Not now. Not to him."
A burning heat erupted from his core. His veins lit up like fire coursing through his body. And then—
WHOOSH!
A golden-crimson aura exploded around him, crackling like flames licking the air. The entire arena fell silent. Even the commentators froze.
"W-What is this?!" someone shouted from the stands.
Ethan's body felt weightless. His fists moved faster than thought, his strikes sharper than steel. He lunged again, every punch smashing against Akira's guard like a hammer against iron. For the first time, Akira staggered back, his eyes widening.
The crowd roared.
"Unbelievable!"
"He's transformed!"
"This is impossible!"
Ethan's grin widened, wild and fearless. "Now you're mine, Tanma!"
---
Akira's Answer
But Akira didn't panic. He closed his eyes for a fraction of a second—and then his own aura flared. A faint but razor-sharp blue glow wrapped around him, calm yet suffocating.
The next exchange was blinding.
Ethan's golden fists crashed forward, faster than lightning. Akira's blue strikes countered with surgical precision. The clash of auras sent shockwaves rippling through the stadium, the sound of impact like thunder rolling across the sky.
BOOM!
The two collided in the center—Ethan's fist against Akira's open palm. For an instant, the world seemed to stop. Then—
CRACK!
Ethan was hurled backward, crashing to the mat, his aura flickering before vanishing. His chest heaved, his arms trembling, but he refused to stay down.
The referee counted.
"…Nine… Ten! The winner—Akira Tanma!"
The crowd exploded in cheers. But Akira wasn't looking at them. He stepped toward Ethan, who lay sprawled on the mat, eyes burning with frustration.
"You…" Ethan gasped, trying to rise. "…you saw it, didn't you?"
Akira nodded slowly, his gaze unwavering. "Yes. That light inside you. That wasn't human strength. That was something more. Aura."
Ethan's eyes widened. "Aura…?"
Akira extended his hand, his calm voice carrying weight. "From this day, you're no longer just a fighter. You're a wielder. And if you'll walk with me… we'll uncover what this power truly means."
Ethan stared at his hand for a long moment—then grasped it with a fierce grin.
"Brothers, huh? Fine. But next time… I'm the one who's winning."
For the first time, Akira allowed a faint smile.
"We'll see."
---
Present – Paris
The flashback faded. Akira stood at the window, arms crossed, his gaze distant. Ethan chuckled softly from the bed.
"Ten years, huh? From rivals to this mess… Feels like yesterday."
Rehan, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke. "So that's how it started. You two weren't chosen by fate. You chose each other."
Akira glanced at him, then at Ishita who had woken during the story, her crimson aura faintly glowing in the moonlight. His voice was steady, but carried emotion beneath it.
"Exactly. Aura isn't just power. It's the bond we forge, the will to rise when the world says we should fall. Ethan's aura woke that day because he refused to give in. That's why he's still alive now."
Ishita's eyes softened, her fists trembling as she whispered, "Then maybe… I can do the same."
Akira looked at her, his gaze sharp yet almost protective. "Maybe you can. But bonds forged in fire… are tested in blood."
Outside, Paris slept under fragile peace. But within those walls, a new understanding had been born. The past of two warriors had been revealed, and their bond had become the spark for the future.
The storm was far from over—but tonight, they remembered why they still fought.