The Final Dawn

Chapter 5: The Final Dawn

The city was quiet. Too quiet.

A week had passed since the battle at the railway yard, but the echoes of violence still lingered. The Black Lotus Syndicate had collapsed overnight. With Daichi Sato dead and his forces scattered, Neo-Seoul was free from his grip.

But the price of victory had been steep.

Han stood on the rooftop of a high-rise, overlooking the neon-lit city below. His bandaged shoulder throbbed, but it was nothing compared to the weight in his chest. The war was over, yet he felt no peace.

A soft voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"You're brooding again."

He turned. Aya stood behind him, arms crossed, her wounds healing but still visible. The scar on her side was a permanent reminder of how close he had come to losing her.

Han exhaled. "I thought you were resting."

Aya smirked. "You should know by now—I don't rest."

She stepped closer, looking at him with something unreadable in her eyes. For the first time in years, Han felt something other than rage.

"You saved me," she said quietly.

Han shook his head. "You saved me."

Silence stretched between them, filled only by the hum of the city below. Then, without thinking, without hesitation—Han closed the distance between them.

Aya didn't pull away.

Their lips met in a slow, deep kiss—one that spoke of everything they had endured, everything they had lost, and everything they had left to fight for.

When they finally broke apart, Aya rested her forehead against his. "So what now?"

Han glanced at his sword, resting against the railing. For the first time, it felt lighter.

"I don't know," he admitted. "But whatever comes next… I'm not fighting alone."

Aya smirked. "Damn right."

A voice interrupted them.

"Are you two done being dramatic?"

Han turned to see Jin-Seok leaning against the doorway, grinning. Behind him, Miyuki and Ryuu stood, both recovering from their wounds.

"You're alive," Han said to Ryuu.

"Barely," Ryuu muttered, adjusting the bandages on his chest. "Next time, try not to cut so deep."

Jin-Seok clapped his hands. "Alright, lovebirds. Neo-Seoul's got a power vacuum, and the scum are already fighting over it. We've got work to do."

Han looked at Aya. Then at his blade.

He had spent years running from his past. But now, for the first time—he was ready to fight for the future.

Han picked up the Kurozetsu and slid it into its sheath.

"This time," he said, turning to his friends, "we end the fight before it begins."

The war wasn't over.

But together, they would make sure no tyrant ever ruled this city again.

And for the first time in a long time—Kim Han wasn't fighting alone.

The End.

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