"In the depths of the storm, the ocean keeps its silent promises."
Malacca Strait
The Strait of Malacca lay beneath the storm like a bruised mirror, its surface pulsing with unseen power.
Renato Ramirez stood on the deck of a battered Indonesian patrol vessel, drenched by rain, his armor slick and visor cracked yet operational. Beneath his feet, the hull groaned, systems flaring red—Pressure levels critical. Hull integrity: seventy-three percent.
The sea was not calm; it was listening.
He had already sunk three Bakawan warships dispatched by the Ahas ng mga Lakan, yet victory came with consequences—the Forgotten Current stirred in retaliation.
His sensors detected another anomaly ahead: a humanoid silhouette walking upon the water.
Guardian of the Deep Line
Sutera Kencana emerged from the mist, her silver robes shimmering like liquid mercury, and her Keris Lautan Niskala alive with shifting glyphs. Each movement sent ripples of light cascading across the waves.
Sutera: "Arus ini dilindungi oleh Protokol Relik Wilayah. Tiada relik boleh melintasi tanpa kebenaran."
(This current is sealed by the Territorial Relic Protocol. No relic may trespass without sanction.)
Renato raised the Kalasag, its runes dimmed from battle.
Renato: "Saya hanya menyeberangi jejak kekosongan. Saya tidak mencari peperangan."
(I'm only passing through the void's wake. I seek exit, not war.)
Sutera: "Niat tidak membatalkan pencerobohan. Arus ini mempertahankan dirinya."
(Intent does not absolve intrusion. The Current defends itself.)
The ocean swelled between them, forming sigils upon its surface. Lightning forked as relic resonance intertwined. For several minutes, they exchanged silent blows—shield against blade, steel against tide. The Keris hissed with runic vapor, while the Kalasag pulsed, absorbing impacts and redistributing kinetic energy.
Sutera spun midair and delivered a downward thrust.
Renato blocked and the Kalasag vibrated in response. He countered with a spinning backfist with Kalasag leading the way.
Sutera defended with the Keris but she was overwhelmed by Renato's force which launched her tumbling to the surface of the sea until she reclaimed her balance.
The two Sandata wielders faced off with the Malacca Strait maintaining their distance.
Then, sensors screamed—new signatures incoming.
Approaching Titans
From the south approached the Karakoa, serpent-prowed flagship of the Ahas ng mga Lakan, flanked by Bakawan cruisers trailing phosphorescent wakes.
Putik stood at the prow, his voice resonating through the hull's bio-chambers:
"Contact confirmed. Kalasag of the Sandata Unit and the Deep Line guardian detected. Prepare toxin fields. The Strait belongs to the Serpent Line!"
From the north, a mirror of light breached the fog. The Balanghay, flagship of the Babaylan Fleet, descended like a sanctified cathedral. Its glass hull glowed with ward sigils; from its heart pulsed the Godslayer Cannon. Crispulo Toledo stood amidst a chorus of operators.
"Form defensive triangles. Calibrate to harmonic sequence. The Strait must be purged."
Amidst these myth-tech behemoths, the storm centered on a single fragile ship—Renato's patrol craft—tossed like a leaf yet resolutely holding its position.
He activated communications.
Renato: "Penjaga, kita perlu berdiri bersama. Jika tidak, kita akan dihapuskan."
(Guardian, we must stand together—or we will be erased.)
Sutera: "Baiklah. Maka laut akan menjadi saksi kepada pakatan kita."
(Then the sea will bear witness to our pact.)
The Three-Way Clash Begins
The first rune-cannons fired.
Lines of blue fire streaked through the storm, vaporizing rain into glass. The Karakoa's serpent prow unleashed bio-mechanical tendrils of energy, striking arcs across the surface. The Balanghay's mirrored runic arrays retaliated with geometric precision—each barrage refracting into multiple converging beams.
Inside the Indonesian patrol vessel's bridge, Lt. Rahman gripped the wheel, sweat streaming down his face.
Rahman:"Kita tidak akan terhanyut dalam arus maut ini! Laksanakan manuver segitiga, dorongan penuh ke kiri!"
(We will not be dragged into this death current! Execute triangular maneuver, full port thrust!)
Renato steadied himself by grasping the deck's rails, his other hand firmly holding the Kalasag.
Renato: Tetap jaga posisi. Aku akan melakukan serangan pertama.
(Keep the heading steady. I'll take the first strike.)
Rahman: "ipahami, Kalasag. Kita bersatu."
(Understood, Kalasag. We hold together.)
Renato slammed the Kalasag into the deck, driving its runes deep into the steel.
Renato: "Earth Anchor"
Golden light erupted outward, forming a protective hemisphere around the vessel. The next volley of rune shells struck the barrier, exploding into harmless sparks.
Overhead, Sutera's blade carved sigils into the tide.
Sutera: "Keris Form: Ocean's Breath!"
The sea itself responded—water rising to her command, transforming into serpents of liquid steel that intercepted incoming shots.
Together, they transformed defense into survival—shield and tide intertwined.
Yet even their combined power strained under the relentless onslaught.
The Karakoa's toxin rounds hissed through the rain; the Balanghay's arcane cannon fire multiplied into radiant storms.
Sutera landed beside him, soaked and breathless.
Sutera: "Kapalmu tidak akan tahan lama."
(Your ship will not hold much longer.)
Renato grinned despite the chaos.
Renato: "Jadi kita tidak menghalang—kita memecahkan."
("Then we don't block—we break.")
He raised the Kalasag.
Renato: "Breaker Formation: Twin Pulse Impact!"
Energy rippled outward, a sonic quake that shattered approaching torpedoes midair.
Sutera followed instantly. "Pemutusan Garis Mendalam!"
("Deep Line Severance!")
She plunged her blade into the ocean, channeling the current into a singular upward strike. A vortex formed beneath a Bakawan cruiser, dragging it downward before detonating in a column of white geyser.
The sea split open from the pressure, engulfing the wreckage whole.
Chaos at the Strait
Putik's command roared through storm and static. "Fire rune-cannons in saturation pattern! Drown the interlopers!"
Crispulo's choir responded with perfect counterpoint: "Praise be to the flood. Return the serpent to the deeps!"
The strait transformed into a cauldron of color and ruin.
On the Penang coast, civilians watched helplessly.
A fisherman muttered, "Laut itu gila lagi."
("The sea's gone mad again.")
His daughter whispered, "Tidak, Ayah… ia sedang mengingat."
("No, Father… it's remembering.")
Their voices were drowned by the thunder rolling across the world.
The Godslayer Cannon began its final charge. The air above the Balanghay vibrated; light condensed into a blinding sphere. The beam fired.
A column of pure glyphlight sliced through the storm, cleaving wave and steel alike. Half of the Karakoa's flank disintegrated into molten shards, its serpent head keening in agony. The explosion sent tidal waves crashing across the strait.
Rahman's voice cut through the panic.
Rahman: "Pegang! Ombak akan melanda dari kiri!"
(Hold on! The wave's coming from the left!)
Renato once again anchored the Kalasag, activating the "Wall of the Giants." This formidable defensive glyph shimmered with a blue aura, standing resolute against the impending onslaught. As the barrier flared to life, it effectively deflected the incoming debris.
Flames licked at the vents. "All systems at forty percent!" someone shouted.
Sutera dashed through the water as if she is running on land. She boarded one of the Balanghay vessels.
The Babaylan crew aimed their rifles but their rounds only met afterimages.
Sutera danced with her Keris, slicing flesh and bone. When she reached her climax, she spun and launched the Keris to the rune engraved looking glass of the Vessel's bridge, piercing the temple of its captain.
Back to the Indonesian Patrol Vessel, a swarm of Bakawan and Babaylan vessels charged with runic cannons poised to blast the poor vessel to kingdom come.
Renato's Kalasag shimmered with violent blue aura. He whispered, synchronization complete.
Punishment of the Gods! - Stalwart of the Heavens!
The Prism Dome glyph is the echo of every vow made to protect, refracted through divine resolve.
Renato suddenly became enveloped in divine armor that looked liked like it can even shield unmaking itself. His Kalasag unfurled into a dome of auroras, then it crashed into the swarming fleets of faith and ambition. Crew and debris flew, scattered to the surrounding water.
Renato transformed back to his mortal state and at the peak of that moment, the Balanghay and Karakoa reached their designated firing positions.
Karakoa aimed at the Balanghay, the Balanghay aimed at Renato's Patrol vessel, Sutera charging the Keris to deliver her Punishment of the Gods at the Karakoa.
Death and Destruction arrived at each other's corners.
Arrival of the Mandirigma
Before another volley could be launched, the Mandirigma emerged, parting the sea with its presence. Its hull glimmered with runic void steel armor plating, while glyph missile pods rotated into position. Runic gatling guns unfolded from its sides, and formidable rune cannons came to life along its spine, humming with power.
On its bridge, Joaquin stood resolutely, unshaken. Beside him, Guido coordinated targeting arrays.
"Target lock: Karakoa and Balanghay fleets," Guido reported.
"Fire pattern Typhoon Sigma," Joaquin commanded. "Protect Kalasag's vessel at all costs."
The Mandirigma roared.
Glyph missiles streaked across the heavens, detonating in precise intervals. Runic gatlings unleashed torrents of blue fire, carving through serpent and priest fleets alike.
Rahman looked up in awe.
Rahman: "Itu... keajaiban besi."
(That… is an iron miracle.)
Renato: "Itu andalan kami."
("That's our flagship.")
The might of the Mandirigma reduced the battle to silence. The Karakoa broke apart under sustained fire; the Balanghay's mirrored wards shattered.
"Gods forgive our arrogance," Crispulo muttered. "Retreat!"
Putik's last command echoed, "Withdraw! The serpent yields to the storm!"
The sea finally calmed as both fleets retreated.
The Eye of Stillness
The Mandirigma cast a halo of light over the battered patrol vessel. Sutera and Renato stood amidst the wreckage, both barely upright.
Joaquin's voice came through the comms: "Good work, Kalasag. Hold your position. Extraction inbound."
Renato exhaled, lowering the Kalasag. "Couldn't let them sink this ship."
Sutera sheathed her Keris, nodding.
Sutera: "Keberanianmu menyelamatkan lebih daripada kapal ini."
(Your courage saved more than just this ship.)
On the Malaysian coast, survivors watched as dawn broke.
Renato gazed at the sea, his armor fractured but spirit unbroken. "Balance held," he murmured.
And the ocean, as if in response, fell utterly still.