Phase 1: Rise of the Orphan Blade
Chapter 3: The Nexus Forged
Part 4: Kirin's Call and Shadow's Fall
Kerisforge Stronghold had shaped me, but its shadows were a tide pulling me deeper. I'm Rentap Buana, sixteen, bound to a vow from Blood Island, a keris that burned with jade light, and a fight that was now my purpose. The Coral Abyss had forged me, the Starlit Kirin's rune a beacon in my mind, but the Shadow Nexus Map and Hafiz's ambush showed me the war wasn't just coming—it was here. I want to share with you what it was like to follow a relic's call into the heart of chaos, to lead a fight that wasn't just about blades but about trust, and to learn that the Nexus isn't just a light—it's a fire, one I was carrying for those I'd lost and those I'd protect. This is the part of my story where the shadows struck back, and I found my place, not just as a novice, but as a warrior of the Nexus.
The Coral Abyss's trial left us changed, Aisha, Rizwan, and me stronger, our kerises pulsing with the Starlit Kirin's light, our bond unbreakable. Kerisforge was a storm, its coral halls tense, novices training with fierce focus, elders' staff taps echoing like war drums. Taming Jiwa was my strength, its jade pulse deeper since the Ley Line Ritual, the coral orb, Lila's bead, the rune pouch, Suri's jade-edged dagger, and my rusted kerambit my ties to Jaya and Mira, my parents, whose vow I carried. My scars—kirin's mark, shoulder, thigh—were badges now, the mantra Ya Rahman, Ya Rahim my guide, Astra-Nusantara Silat forms—Storm Claw, Veil Tide, Iron Surge, Star Whisper, Sky Fang—flowing through me, jade waves bright in the arena.
Master Zainah pushed us harder, Aisha's coral-etched keris weaving with grace, Rizwan's humming blade raw but precise, our spars a dance of trust forged in Starfall Hollow, the Nexus Grounds, the Abyss. Kadir was constant, his staff tapping coral, his eyes sharp with plans, while Suri's smirk promised battles, her blades glinting. The Shadow Nexus Map, Idris's betrayal, Hafiz's red-runed blade, the Starlit Kirin's rune—they were pieces of a war, and Taming Jiwa's pulse, Assyafiee's whisper, my mother's plea to find them, burned in my soul. I was more than a novice, but Kerisforge's hierarchy still weighed, my role tied to the Sky Nexus's survival.
It started in the forge's heart, a jade-lit cavern where ley lines hummed, coral walls pulsing, anime-style energy flickering like the Nexus itself. Kadir summoned me, Aisha, and Rizwan after dawn training, Elder Amira and Suri with him, a coral table glowing with the Shadow Nexus Map, its red runes stark against jade lines. The Starlit Kirin's rune pulsed in my mind, syncing with Taming Jiwa, its jade light tracing a path on the map—a stronghold in Malayanlandia's Black Coral Ridge, a cliff fortress where ley lines converged, Taring Zenhmaut's sigil glowing strongest.
Amira's starlit staff tapped, her voice sharp. "The Starlit Kirin has spoken, Rentap. This stronghold is a hub for Shadow Krises, tied to Idris's allies, Hafiz's crew, Taring Zenhmaut's chaos. We can't wait—the Nexus is fragile. You, Aisha, Rizwan, with Kadir and Suri, will lead an assault, strike their heart, bring proof of their plans."
I gripped Taming Jiwa, its pulse a storm, the coral orb glowing, visions flickering—Assyafiee, his keris raised, kirins soaring over a coral ridge, my parents' blades glowing, urging me forward. "Lead?" I asked, my voice steady but tight, the weight of her words heavy. "I'm no master, Elder."
Kadir's hand rested on my shoulder, his eyes proud. "You're Taming Jiwa's chosen, Jaya's son, Mira's heir. The Kirin's rune guides you, Rentap. The Nexus trusts you, and so do we."
Aisha's coral-etched keris glowed softly, her nod firm. "We're with you, Rentap." Rizwan grinned, his humming keris tight in his grip. "Let's burn their shadows out."
Suri's smirk widened, her blades catching the jade light. "You've got fire, Blood Island. Don't waste it."
I nodded, Taming Jiwa warm, the mantra in my throat, the Kirin's rune a beacon. The Black Coral Ridge was no Starfall Hollow—it was a fortress, a heart of chaos, tied to my parents' killers, Taring Zenhmaut's rise. My vow burned, Aisha and Rizwan's trust a fire, the elders' faith a weight I'd carry. "We'll strike," I said, the Nexus's call clear.
Amira's eyes softened, but her voice stayed firm. "Go with the Nexus's light. Return whole, or not at all."
Preparation was a whirlwind, the day a blur of coral halls and jade-lit forges. Suri drilled us in Iron Surge, sharpening our strikes for fortress walls, jade waves heavy as coral, while Kadir taught us to track the Kirin's rune, Taming Jiwa's pulse syncing with ley lines, the coral orb amplifying its glow. Aisha's Silat was precise, Rizwan's fierce, our forms a unit, like the Abyss had forged. We packed light—Taming Jiwa, Suri's dagger, the kerambit, the rune pouch, Lila's bead, the coral orb—each a piece of my path, from Crimson Cliff to Kerisforge. Zainah gave us coral vambraces, their runes glowing, tied to the Nexus's light, and warned, "The Ridge is chaos incarnate. Trust your team."
We left at dawn, a war-boat cutting through the bay, its kirin sails blazing under sunlight, Kerisforge's spires fading into the sea's blue. Kadir steered, Suri at the bow, her blades glinting, Aisha and Rizwan at my side, their kerises ready, a small team of adepts—silent, jade-armored—behind us. The sea was restless, ley lines pulsing with chaos, Taming Jiwa's jade pulse fierce, the Kirin's rune guiding me, visions of Assyafiee and my parents steadying my heart.
The Black Coral Ridge loomed by dusk, a fortress of jagged coral cliffs, its spires black as night, red runes pulsing, ley lines twisted, anime-style crimson waves clashing with jade flickers in the shadows. The stronghold was carved into the ridge, its gates coral, guarded by warriors, their Shadow Krises glowing red, Taring Zenhmaut's sigil etched in stone. The Kirin's rune burned in my mind, pointing to a coral vault deep within, its chaos a beacon, tied to the map's red runes.
Suri signaled, Veil Tide cloaking us, her stealth flawless, Kadir's staff tapping for ley line shifts, Aisha's quiet focus and Rizwan's sharp eyes our guide. We slipped past patrols, jade waves silent, the adepts fanning out, their kerises ready. The vault was deep, a coral chamber glowing with red runes, an altar holding a crimson shard, larger than Starfall's, pulsing with Taring Zenhmaut's chaos, maps and runes charting more strongholds, proof of their network.
I reached for the shard, Taming Jiwa flaring, its jade pulse clashing with the crimson, but the air shifted, heavy, wrong—alarms, red runes blazing, warriors flooding the chamber, led by a figure in black coral armor, their red-runed keris stronger, chaos incarnate, not Hafiz, not Idris, but someone new, their eyes cold, knowing.
"Jaya's son," they hissed, their voice sharp, venomous. "Taming Jiwa's light won't save you. The Nexus breaks tonight."
I drew Taming Jiwa, its jade waves bursting, Storm Claw steadying me, the mantra Ya Rahman, Ya Rahim in my soul. "You're Taring Zenhmaut's pawn," I said, my voice raw, the Kirin's rune guiding me. "We'll burn your chaos out."
The Shadow Stronghold Assault was fire, jade against crimson, coral walls cracking, ley lines trembling, anime-style waves clashing in bursts of light. Suri struck like a storm, her blades shattering guards, Kadir's staff weaving mantras, jade waves a shield, the adepts fighting as one, their kerises bright. Aisha wove Star Whisper, her coral-etched keris precise, Rizwan's Iron Surge fierce, their jade waves syncing with mine. I led, Veil Tide cloaking my steps, Sky Fang feinting, Iron Surge powering my strikes, jade waves breaking crimson, the vault's chaos roaring.
The leader aimed for me, their red-runed keris slashing, crimson waves heavy, twisting ley lines, stronger than Idris's, wilder than Hafiz's. I countered with Star Whisper, the Kirin's rune guiding me, my jade wave clashing, coral pillars splintering, blood mixing with dust, my thigh's scar aching, a new cut on my arm burning with chaos. Aisha flanked them, her Silat fluid, Rizwan's strikes covering me, Suri's blades relentless, Kadir's mantra steadying the vault's pulse.
They were many, their red runes overwhelming, the adepts falling back, one wounded, the vault's chaos eating at our jade. I felt doubt, Idris's voice, The shadows are deeper, but Taming Jiwa's pulse was fire, Assyafiee's soul, my parents' vow, Aisha and Rizwan's trust, urging me on. I whispered the mantra, weaving Star Whisper with Iron Surge, my jade wave a spear, shattering the leader's guard, Aisha disarming them, Rizwan breaking their stance, Suri's blade at their throat.
"Yield," I said, Taming Jiwa blazing, jade waves bright, the Nexus's light in my strike. The leader laughed, their red runes fading, their keris ash. "Taring Zenhmaut is endless," they whispered, as Suri bound them, Kadir sealing the altar's runes, the adepts securing the maps and shard.
I grabbed the crimson shard, Taming Jiwa pulsing, its jade clashing with the chaos, Aisha and Rizwan panting, bloodied but standing, Suri's smirk sharp, Kadir's nod proud. "Proof," he said, the maps heavy in his hands. "The Nexus sees you, Rentap. We return, now."
The war-boat ride back was silent, the shard and maps locked in coral, Aisha and Rizwan bruised but fierce, Suri's eyes scanning the sea, Kadir's face grim but proud, the adepts tending their wounded. I sat at the bow, Taming Jiwa in my lap, its pulse warm, the coral orb, bead, and rune pouch my anchors, the Kirin's rune still glowing, tied to more strongholds. The assault had shown truth—Taring Zenhmaut's network was vast, its chaos deep, the leader a pawn in a game larger than Idris or Hafiz. My vow burned, my parents' legacy alive in Taming Jiwa's pulse, Assyafiee's whisper, the Nexus's call.
Kerisforge loomed, its jade spires glowing, and I felt the fight—mine, Aisha's, Rizwan's, Suri's, Kadir's, the Clan's. The Starlit Kirin had guided us, the stronghold had fallen, but the shadows were endless, and we'd face them, with jade, with trust, with a vow that burned brighter than any chaos.
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