The moment you entered Kōto City, you could feel it.
It wasn't just a virtual world—it was a place that breathed. Lights danced across chrome buildings, digital signs pulsed with ads in shifting languages, and the air itself carried the hum of something alive. Neon clouds swirled above, casting purple and blue hues across the towering skyline. The world didn't wait for players. It moved on its own.
Ren and Kenji stood in the main plaza, watching as players darted past—some trading, some dancing, some sprinting toward the next mission point. Around them were NPCs with routines, vendors shouting offers, and a massive statue in the center depicting masked resistance fighters—the game's heroes—locked in battle against Konran Industries.
Ren whistled. "I still can't believe this is a game."
Kenji crossed his arms, grinning beneath his sleek combat helmet. "Told you. This game isn't just a game. It's a second life."
They wandered through Sector 3, a mid-tier zone where the enemies were tougher and the streets more unstable. Konran Industries had a grip here—large drones hovered above, scanning citizens, while armored guards in black patrolled the rooftops.
Kenji pulled up the mission board and scrolled. "We've got options. Protect a protest leader from assassination? Infiltrate a Konran lab? Or…" He paused. "A prison break."
Ren raised an eyebrow. "You already know which one I'm picking."
Kenji smirked. "Reckless as always."
They selected the mission, accepted the invite, and the map pulsed with a red indicator: Konran Detainment Block 6C – High Risk.
They moved fast—vaulting through alleyways, scaling fire escapes, dodging spotlight drones. Aiko and Botan joined them mid-sprint, sliding into formation like they'd never been away. Aiko snapped her sniper into place on a rooftop while Botan covered the front, his riot shield glowing with kinetic energy.
"Intel says the prisoner has files Konran wants buried," Kenji said. "We get them out, we get answers."
"Or bullets," Ren muttered, ducking under a steel beam.
As they breached the outer fence of the detainment block, alarms blared. Konran troops flooded the streets. Gunfire erupted. Ren was in his element—darting between cover, unloading bursts from his rifles. Kenji stayed above, picking off targets with precision and issuing commands to the AI squad.
It was chaos. It was thrilling.
It was them.
By the time the mission ended, smoke curled from broken drones and shattered barricades. The prisoner NPC had been extracted. Mission success. Rewards pinged in their inventory.
Ren stood in the middle of the street, catching his breath. "Man… this never gets old."
Kenji walked up beside him, tossing him an in-game energy drink. "You're getting faster."
"You're getting slower."
Kenji laughed. "Touché."
They returned to the plaza together, bathed in the neon glow of the digital skyline. The statue in the center now had a glowing plaque beneath it—updated with the names of top resistance players.
Kenji pointed at the screen. "There we are."
Ren stared. DUAL REBOOT.
Their squad tag. Their name. Listed on the city's leaderboard as rising resistance fighters. It meant nothing in the real world—but in Kōto? It felt like everything.
They logged out later that night, after sharing ramen at their usual spot in the real Tokyo.
As they walked home, Kenji spoke up.
"You ever wonder if this place will change us?"
Ren shrugged. "It already has."
Kenji smiled. "Promise we'll keep playing. No matter what."
Ren nodded without hesitation. "Always."
They didn't know it yet, but that promise was more than just about a game.
It was about holding onto each other when the real world threatened to pull them apart.