BLOOD OATHS:THE BOND FAR FROM BLOOD AND SOUL

Location: Kazuma's Stronghold, Tokyo - Midnight

The office felt like a tomb as DNS and Neel stood before Kazuma, their nerves on edge. The air was thick with tension, made worse by Kazuma's smug, silent calm as he lazily took a drag from his cigar. Smoke curled from his lips, filling the room with a thick, pungent haze, but the real danger wasn't visible—it was lurking in the shadows, just waiting to strike.

DNS's grip on Vajra tightened, and his mind raced. He was prepared for a fight, but something felt off. The way Kazuma's eyes gleamed behind the smoke, the way the room seemed to close in on them…

"Your friend Goku isn't yours anymore," Kazuma finally said, his voice carrying an eerie calm. "He's under my protection now."

"I'm not leaving without him," DNS growled, taking a step forward, his eyes burning with defiance.

Kazuma smirked and leaned back in his chair, extinguishing his cigar with a sharp flick. "Then I suppose this is where things get interesting."

The air shifted, suddenly electric, like the calm before a storm. The lights in the room dimmed, and in the oppressive silence, the walls themselves seemed to come alive. DNS's heart pounded as the hidden panels in the walls slid open with a hiss. From the darkness emerged Kazuma's elite forces—his personal guard.

But they weren't just ordinary enforcers.

They were massive, their bodies augmented with cutting-edge combat tech. Armored plates gleamed under the dim lights, and their eyes glowed an unsettling red, scanning the room like predators locking onto prey. Each man was armed to the teeth, carrying heavy, high-tech weaponry that made them look more like futuristic soldiers than gang members.

DNS's muscles tensed. He could feel the raw power radiating from these elite soldiers. The air itself seemed to vibrate with the hum of their enhanced bodies.

"They're not like the others," Kazuma said softly, leaning forward with a cruel smile. "These men... they were built for one purpose—destruction."

One of the elites stepped forward, the floor trembling slightly beneath his weight. The moment his foot landed, it was like a starting gun. The room exploded into chaos.

DNS moved on instinct, his body reacting faster than his mind. Vajra whipped through the air, its coiled blade unfurling like a deadly serpent. The first elite barely had time to react before Vajra coiled around his neck, yanking him off balance. But as DNS pulled the blade taut, expecting to finish him, the elite's augmented muscles strained, and with an inhuman growl, he tore free of Vajra's grip, the blade sparking as it clashed against his reinforced armor.

"What the hell…?" DNS muttered under his breath. These soldiers weren't just strong—they were practically unstoppable.

Neel was a blur of movement beside him, his katana flashing like lightning. He parried an incoming strike from one of the elites, but the force behind the attack nearly knocked him off his feet. Sparks flew as Neel's blade clashed against the soldier's reinforced combat gear.

"They're monsters!" Neel shouted over the noise, his eyes wide with shock.

DNS had no time to respond. The second elite charged him with terrifying speed, raising a massive energy blade that crackled with power. DNS barely managed to roll out of the way as the blade slammed into the floor, sending shards of marble flying everywhere. The sheer power of the strike left a crater where DNS had been standing moments ago.

These weren't just enforcers. They were human tanks, built for war.

DNS gritted his teeth and moved with renewed urgency. Vajra lashed out again, this time striking with more precision. The coiled blade wrapped around the elite's arm, and with a sharp flick, DNS yanked it free, dislocating the soldier's shoulder with a sickening crack. The elite grunted in pain, but even then, he didn't go down. His body was too heavily enhanced—too strong.

Another elite lunged at DNS, his fist aimed like a sledgehammer toward DNS's head. DNS ducked just in time, feeling the rush of air as the blow missed him by mere inches. The fist collided with the wall, and the impact was so powerful it left a massive dent in the solid concrete. These men weren't just attacking—they were trying to obliterate him.

In the corner of his eye, DNS saw Neel battling two elites at once, his speed barely keeping him alive. Neel dodged and weaved between the titanic strikes, his katana flashing as he slashed at their exposed joints, but the sheer number of blows was overwhelming.

"We need to get out of here!" Neel shouted, blocking another strike with all his might.

DNS knew Neel was right. The room was filled with elites, and they were outmatched—outnumbered. But leaving wasn't an option. Not yet.

Vajra struck again, and this time DNS aimed for the elite's exposed neck, the only weak point in his armor. The coiled blade tightened, cutting deep, and with a brutal yank, DNS decapitated the soldier in a spray of sparks and blood. The massive body crumpled to the ground, twitching.

But there were still too many.

Just as DNS prepared to face the next attacker, something unexpected happened. The floor beneath them began to tremble, and a low rumbling echoed through the room. DNS's eyes widened as he realized what was happening.

Kazuma had triggered the stronghold's defensive systems.

From the ceiling, massive automated turrets descended, their barrels humming with deadly energy. The elites stepped aside, giving the machines room to target DNS and Neel.

"This is bad," DNS muttered.

Suddenly, the turrets opened fire, spraying the room with a hail of bullets and energy blasts. DNS ducked behind an overturned table, feeling the heat from the blasts as they melted the marble floor. Neel did the same, narrowly avoiding a direct hit.

"We're trapped!" Neel shouted, his voice barely audible over the deafening noise.

DNS's mind raced. There had to be a way out. They couldn't fight their way through the elites and the turrets—not without backup.

Just then, something caught DNS's eye. Kiran, who had been standing silently in the background, finally moved. He stepped forward, his face expressionless, and extended Fang. For a split second, DNS thought Kiran was going to attack him.

But instead, Kiran spun Fang and, with a swift motion, slashed through one of the elites who had been closing in on DNS. The soldier crumpled to the ground, his neck severed cleanly by Kiran's strike.

"What the—" Neel began, but Kiran cut him off.

"I never said I wasn't loyal to DNS," Kiran said quietly, his eyes cold and unreadable. "But we're not out of this yet."

With Kiran now fighting at their side, DNS and Neel found a brief reprieve, but the danger was far from over. The turrets continued their barrage, and Kazuma's remaining elites regrouped, ready for round two.

DNS wiped the blood from his face, his chest heaving from exertion. Kiran lit a cigarette with shaking hands, the smoke curling lazily into the air as he exhaled.

"This doesn't change anything, Kiran," DNS said, his voice low. "You've got a lot to explain."

"I know," Kiran replied, his gaze distant. "But first… we need to survive."