Chapter 81 — Landfalls and Unforeseen Tides
(The Mavaria Arc: Kingdom of the Nobles Begins)
The sky was still crying from the destruction of San Juan.
Dark clouds hung like tattered curtains over the broken horizon, streaks of lightning flickering across the ocean's skin. The once-vibrant Rainbow Bridge was gone — swallowed by waves and ash. And what remained of the world's greatest citadel was now only a bleeding silhouette in the distance.
Through the endless expanse of the Silver Blue Sea, a battered piece of metallic debris floated aimlessly — a remnant of the Chrono Citadel, and upon it lay Moro, Kaya, Kiro, Herbet, Yaya, and Wolf Hunter, half-alive, broken, and lost.
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ADRIFT ON THE SILVER BLUE SEA
The ocean stretched endlessly — glowing faintly silver under the stormlight. Its waters shimmered unnaturally, each wave reflecting fragments of the destroyed city behind them.
Yaya lay sprawled beside Moro, her body trembling, her once-bright eyes dimmed from exhaustion.
Kiro coughed up seawater, still clutching his broken nin-sword.
Herbet's left arm sparked faintly — his techno-core flickering from damage.
Kaya was the only one still upright, though barely. Her hands were bleeding, her skin pale, but her eyes — those glowing, determined eyes — were locked on the waves.
Moro's body was motionless. His pulse was faint, his skin cold.
Blood had soaked through his clothes — a dark crimson trail running down into the water.
Kaya pressed a hand to his chest, her face twisted with worry. "He's… losing too much…"
Yaya stirred weakly. "Can't… can't you stop it?"
"I've tried," Kaya gasped, sweat running down her face. "His body's rejecting my healing energy. He's… too far gone…"
The sea rumbled beneath them. Lightning tore the sky apart.
Herbet looked around, eyes wide. "We need land — any land. My scanners are fried. We're floating blind out here."
Wolf Hunter steadied himself, scanning the horizon with bloodshot eyes. "There's always a shore somewhere. We just have to live long enough to find it."
Then — the sea roared.
The metallic slab beneath them tilted violently, throwing them off balance. A massive wall of silver water rose in front of them — a tidal surge, rising higher than a fortress.
Kaya's pupils glowed bright white. "Not yet…"
She slammed her palms together. The entire sea around them split, a vortex forming as her Water Aura surged outward. Her hair whipped violently as she screamed, channeling everything she had left.
The wave paused — like time itself hesitated — then parted just enough to let them through.
The slab shot forward, sliding between the walls of roaring water.
Kaya groaned in pain, blood dripping from her nose. "We're not dying here… Not after everything."
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THE SHORE OF MAVARIA
Through the storm and chaos, a faint glimmer appeared in the distance — land.
Yaya saw it first. "There! A coastline!"
Kaya forced one last surge, slamming her palms into the water, pushing the metallic raft forward like a bullet. The sea howled in protest, but they moved — faster and faster — until they crashed onto the rocky shore, skidding violently onto sand.
Everyone was thrown forward, rolling through salt and debris.
Yaya coughed violently, spitting seawater.
Kiro groaned, barely conscious.
Herbet collapsed, his arm sparking faintly.
Wolf Hunter staggered to his feet, dragging Moro out of the rising tide.
Kaya crawled over, her face pale. "He's not breathing…"
She pressed her hand to Moro's chest again — her water aura flickering like candlelight. "Come on… come on, you idiot…"
Nothing.
Moro's chest didn't move.
She pressed again, tears welling in her eyes. "You didn't come this far to die on me now—"
Then — a faint cough.
Water gushed out of Moro's mouth as his body jolted violently.
He gasped, sucking in air like it was the first breath of his life.
"Moro!" Kaya screamed, pulling him close.
Yaya's eyes widened, her lips curving into a shaky grin. "He's alive…"
Herbet laughed weakly. "The bastard's too stubborn to die."
Moro blinked slowly, his vision blurry, the sound of the waves distant. "Where… where are we?"
Wolf Hunter looked toward the treeline beyond the shore — a vast, dense forest glowing faintly under the moonlight. "Wherever this is, it's not San Juan. The air feels… old."
The sand beneath them shimmered faintly, like powdered silver. The sea was unnaturally calm now — almost as if it were watching.
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THE FOREST OF SILVER ROOTS
After stabilizing Moro as best they could, Kaya and Yaya used their energy to help carry him inland. The group stumbled into the forest beyond the beach — a place unlike anything they'd ever seen.
The trees had silver-white bark that glowed faintly under the moon, their roots pulsing with a soft light that moved like blood. The air was thick with mist, carrying an odd metallic scent.
"This isn't natural," Herbet muttered, scanning their surroundings. "Even the oxygen here has different particles. My sensors are picking up traces of ethereal compounds…"
Yaya frowned. "Meaning?"
"Meaning this place isn't just a forest. It's alive."
Kiro limped beside them, clutching his sword. "Alive or not, we need shelter. Moro's temperature is dropping."
Kaya nodded, focusing her energy. With a gentle motion, she summoned a stream of water from the nearby mist, forming a liquid cushion beneath Moro's body, allowing them to carry him smoothly.
Every step deeper into the woods made the air heavier, denser.
Wolf Hunter's eyes darted around. "Something's watching us."
And then they felt it — a vibration, faint but growing. The sound of waves again.
But they were nowhere near the coast.
The ground trembled.
Kaya froze. "No… that's not possible."
She turned toward the sea behind them — only to see a massive wave rising out of nowhere, surging from the ocean and racing toward the forest like a moving mountain.
"RUN!" Yaya screamed.
The squad broke into a sprint, carrying Moro as fast as they could. The tide hit the forest's edge — trees snapped, roots tore apart. The silver light in the bark flickered wildly as water rushed through, flooding the jungle.
Kaya turned, summoning her energy once again. She thrust both arms forward, forming a massive barrier of liquid force, holding the tide back with everything she had.
Her eyes glowed pure white as her hair floated weightlessly. "I won't let it take anyone!"
The wave collided with her shield — a deafening explosion of water and light echoing through the forest.
For a moment, it worked.
The tide split, washing around them instead of through.
Then the second surge came.
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THE BEAST IN THE TIDE
The second wave wasn't like the first — it moved with intent.
Within it, something massive glowed deep under the surface — glowing eyes, enormous and ancient, gliding through the water like a leviathan of the abyss.
The creature roared — a sound like the ocean itself screaming.
The wave twisted, rising higher than the trees, then crashed down over the forest, engulfing everything.
Kaya screamed, summoning every drop of her energy to shield the group again, but the beast's energy was overwhelming. The water burned with power she couldn't comprehend.
Herbet was thrown backward, smashing into a tree.
Yaya grabbed Moro and Kiro, pushing them out of the direct flood.
Wolf Hunter fired his rifle into the water — uselessly.
Kaya fell to her knees, her body breaking. "No… no, not again…"
The wave finally receded, leaving devastation in its wake. The once-luminous forest was now dark, its silver roots dimmed.
One by one, the group stirred — barely conscious.
Moro lay motionless, still bleeding.
Kaya's hands trembled, the blue glow fading from her veins.
Yaya's vision blurred, her breath ragged.
"We… we can't stay here…" she whispered. "That thing will come back."
Wolf Hunter tried to rise but collapsed. "We… we need to move…"
And then — silence.
From the shadows of the shattered forest, a soft humming emerged — calm, ancient, and sorrowful.
A figure appeared — an old woman, draped in dark green cloth with long grey hair braided with feathers. Her eyes glowed faintly turquoise, reflecting the faint shimmer of the forest.
She walked barefoot across the wet ground, completely unbothered by the devastation around her.
She looked down at the fallen warriors, her voice deep and strangely soothing.
> "Poor souls… drifted too far from their stars."
She knelt beside Moro, placing a hand on his chest. Her fingers glowed with a warm golden hue. "He bleeds not from the body… but from the spirit."
She turned her gaze toward Kaya and the others. "Rest now, children of the storm. The sea has tested your resolve."
With a motion of her hand, the forest roots moved — gently wrapping around their bodies, lifting them. The roots pulsed with light, carrying them like cradles deeper into the jungle.
Her eyes lingered on Moro. "You've brought something powerful here… something that even the tides fear."
The waves behind them hissed — as if acknowledging her words.
She turned away, walking toward the heart of the jungle. "Come, warriors. The kingdom of Mavaria awaits… though it may not welcome you kindly."
As she disappeared into the mist, the forest closed behind her — the ocean finally silent.
And under the silver moonlight, the tides retreated, leaving behind a single symbol drawn in the sand — three interlocking circles glowing faintly blue.
Herbet's broken scanner flickered one last time, displaying faint readings.
Location detected: Continent of Mavaria — Restricted Zone.
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EPILOGUE
Night fell slowly over the silver forest.
Inside a small hut woven from glowing vines, the group lay unconscious on resting mats, their bodies bandaged with shimmering cloth.
The old woman sat quietly by Moro's side, watching him breathe.
Her voice was soft, ancient. "Your blood carries an echo of the Matrix. The tides know your name… Moro of Jara."
She placed her palm over his heart, whispering words in a forgotten tongue.
The candles flickered. Moro's fingers twitched slightly.
Outside, the waves were calm again — but deep beneath their still surface, something stirred. A massive eye opened briefly, glowing faintly blue, before sinking back into the abyss.
The storm had passed.
But the sea was far from done.
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