Phase 1: Rise of the Orphan Blade
Chapter 3: The Nexus Forged
Part 5: Verdict and Vow
Kerisforge Stronghold had forged me in fire, but its shadows were a storm I was learning to command. I'm Rentap Buana, sixteen, bound to a vow from Blood Island, a keris that blazed with jade light, and a fight that had become my soul. The Black Coral Ridge assault had struck a blow to Taring Zenhmaut's heart, but the crimson shard, the maps, and the leader's words—Taring Zenhmaut is endless*—weighed heavy, a reminder that the war was far from won. I want to share with you what it was like to stand before the Clan's judgment, to swear an oath that wasn't just words but a binding of my fate, and to learn that the Nexus isn't just a cause—it's a family, one I was forging with every scar, every strike, every ally at my side. This is the part of my story where the kirin's light called me, and I stepped into a role I was born to claim.
The war-boat's return from Black Coral Ridge left us battered but unbroken, the crimson shard and Shadow Nexus Maps locked in coral, proof of Taring Zenhmaut's network burning in our hands. Aisha and Rizwan were my strength, their kerises glowing faintly, their loyalty a fire forged in Starfall Hollow, the Coral Abyss, the Ridge's chaos. Taming Jiwa was my guide, its jade pulse deeper since the Starlit Kirin's trial, 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 legacy drove my vow. My scars—kirin's mark, shoulder, thigh, and a fresh cut on my arm—ached with every step, but the mantra Ya Rahman, Ya Rahim flowed through me, Astra-Nusantara Silat forms—Storm Claw, Veil Tide, Iron Surge, Star Whisper, Sky Fang—sharper, jade waves bright in the arena.
Kerisforge was a fortress of tension, novices whispering about the assault, adepts patrolling coral halls, elders' staff taps echoing like a heartbeat. Master Zainah kept us training, Aisha's coral-etched keris precise, Rizwan's humming blade fierce, our spars a rhythm of trust that held us together. Kadir was steady, his staff tapping coral, his eyes heavy with plans, while Suri's smirk was sharper, her blades glinting with pride. The Shadow Nexus Map, Idris's betrayal, Hafiz's ambush, the Starlit Kirin's rune—they were steps in a war, and Taming Jiwa's pulse, Assyafiee's whisper, my mother's plea to find them, burned brighter, tying me to the Sky Nexus's heart.
It began in the council chamber, a coral cavern glowing with ley lines, jade flames casting long shadows, anime-style energy flickering like the Nexus itself. Elder Amira summoned us—me, Aisha, Rizwan, Kadir, Suri, and the surviving adepts—her starlit staff planted, Elder Rahim and Elder Laila at her side, their faces grim but proud. The chamber was heavy, the air thick with mysticism, the weight of judgment pressing down.
Amira's voice cut through, sharp as coral. "Rentap Buana, Aisha, Rizwan—you struck the Black Coral Ridge, brought proof of Taring Zenhmaut's network, maps and a shard that chart their chaos. The Nexus owes you a debt, but your actions—leading as novices, defying the hierarchy—demand a verdict."
I gripped Taming Jiwa, its pulse syncing with the chamber's hum, the coral orb glowing faintly, visions flickering—Assyafiee, his keris raised, kirins guarding a cosmic heart, my parents' faces, their blades glowing, proud but urgent. "We fought for the Nexus," I said, my voice steady but raw, the Ridge's chaos clear. "The Kirin's rune guided us, the maps showed truth. I'd do it again, Elder, for my parents, for the Clan."
Aisha stood tall, her coral-etched keris glowing softly, her voice calm but firm. "We followed Rentap because Taming Jiwa led us. The Nexus needed us, and we answered."
Rizwan nodded, his humming keris tight in his grip, his grin fierce. "Shadows don't wait for titles. We burned their fortress, and we'd burn more."
Suri's smirk flashed, her blades catching the jade light, while Kadir's staff tapped, his eyes warm but steady. "They're no mere novices," Kadir said, his voice low. "Rentap carries Jaya's fire, Mira's resolve. Aisha and Rizwan are his strength. The Nexus chose them, Amira."
Elder Laila stepped forward, her silver hair glowing, her coral staff pulsing. "The Starlit Kirin's rune marked Rentap, tied to Taming Jiwa. The maps show Taring Zenhmaut's reach—strongholds across Malayanlandia, ley lines twisted for chaos. Their assault was reckless, but it was right."
Rahim's scarred arms crossed, his nod heavy. "They've earned more than praise. The Nexus needs warriors, not just novices."
Amira's staff tapped, ley lines flaring, her eyes sharp but softening. "The council's verdict is this: Rentap, Aisha, Rizwan—you are raised to adepts, kirin-bound, trusted with the Nexus's light. But the war grows. Taring Zenhmaut's network is vast, its chaos endless. You'll swear the Oath of the Kirin Blade, binding your kerises, your souls, to the Nexus's defense."
I swallowed, Taming Jiwa blazing, Aisha and Rizwan's eyes meeting mine, their trust a fire. "An oath?" I asked, the mantra in my throat, the Kirin's rune warm in my mind.
Kadir's hand gripped my shoulder, his voice steady. "A vow beyond your own, Rentap. The Kirin Blade is the Nexus's shield, its sword. You're ready."
We nodded, the chamber's jade light bright, the elders' faith, Suri's smirk, Kadir's pride, a weight I'd carry with Taming Jiwa's pulse. The verdict was a door, opening to a role I hadn't dreamed, tying me to the Nexus, to my parents' fight, to a war that needed us whole.
The Oath of the Kirin Blade was no simple ceremony. At midnight, we were led to the Starlit Spire, its coral peak open to the sky, ley lines pulsing like a cosmic heart, starlight painting the air, anime-style jade flickers dancing with mantra runes. Elder Amira stood at a coral altar, its surface etched with kirin scales, glowing with Nexus light, Kadir, Suri, Zainah, Rahim, and Laila around her, their staffs and blades glowing. Novices and adepts lined the spire, their kerises raised, jade waves shimmering, a silent guard for what was to come.
Amira's voice echoed, reverent but fierce. "Rentap Buana, Aisha, Rizwan—step forward. The Nexus calls, the kirin binds. Swear your oath, or walk away."
I stepped to the altar, Taming Jiwa in my hands, its jade pulse a storm, Aisha and Rizwan at my side, their kerises glowing, their eyes steady. The Starlit Kirin's rune burned in my mind, visions flickering—Assyafiee, Jaya, Mira, their kerises raised under a cosmic sky, kirins soaring, their vow mine. I knelt, Taming Jiwa raised, the mantra Ya Rahman, Ya Rahim in my soul, and spoke, my voice raw but clear.
"I, Rentap Buana, swear by Taming Jiwa, by the Nexus's light, to guard the Sky Nexus, to burn the shadows, to carry Jaya and Mira's vow. My blade, my soul, are the Kirin's, until the stars fall."
Aisha's voice followed, calm but fierce, her coral-etched keris glowing. "I, Aisha, swear by my blade, by the Nexus's heart, to stand with Rentap, to shield the light, to break the chaos. My soul is the Kirin's."
Rizwan's grin flashed, his humming keris bright. "I, Rizwan, swear by my blade, by the Nexus's fire, to fight with Rentap, to shatter the shadows, to hold the line. My soul is the Kirin's."
The altar flared, jade waves bursting, ley lines roaring, anime-style kirins soaring in the air, their scales glowing, binding our kerises, our oaths, to the Nexus. Amira raised her staff, starlight pouring, and etched a jade rune on our vambraces—kirin's mark, brighter, tied to Taming Jiwa's pulse. "You are Kirin Blades," she said, her voice heavy with pride. "The Nexus is yours to guard."
Suri's smirk was wide, her blades glinting, while Kadir's nod was warm, his staff glowing. Zainah's eyes shone, Rahim's scars softened, Laila's silver hair caught the jade light, their faith a fire. The novices and adepts cheered, their kerises raised, jade waves a sea, and I felt it—the Nexus, my parents, Assyafiee, alive in Taming Jiwa's pulse, Aisha and Rizwan's trust, the Clan's strength.
The days after were a blur, training sharper, our new rank—adepts, Kirin Blades—changing how novices saw us, their glances awed, some wary. Zainah pushed us in the arena, our Silat forms syncing, jade waves brighter, the Kirin's rune amplifying Taming Jiwa's pulse, Aisha's precision, Rizwan's fire. Kadir and Suri planned with the elders, the Shadow Nexus Maps spread in the forge, red runes charting more strongholds, Taring Zenhmaut's chaos a tide we'd face.
One night, in my coral chamber, Taming Jiwa glowing softly, I sat with Aisha and Rizwan, the coral orb, bead, and rune pouch warm, the Kirin's rune a quiet hum. "We're not just novices anymore," I said, my voice soft, the oath's weight clear. "This is our war now."
Aisha's eyes were steady, her keris glowing. "We swore together, Rentap. The Nexus is ours to hold."
Rizwan grinned, his blade humming. "Shadows don't stand a chance, Kirin Blade."
I smiled, Taming Jiwa warm, visions of my parents, Assyafiee, the Nexus, burning bright. The oath had bound us, not just to the Clan but to each other, to a fight that was more than blades, more than chaos. Kerisforge was my forge, Aisha and Rizwan my family, Kadir and Suri my guides, the Nexus my purpose. Taring Zenhmaut was endless, but so was my vow, and whatever shadows rose, we'd face them, with jade, with fire, with a bond that wouldn't break.
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