CHAPTER 63 — THE REAL CLASH OF THE CHAMPIONS
(Team A: Moro's Team vs Team B: Erebus' Team)
The dawn over San Juan was unlike any before it—burning crimson clouds twisted through the skyline as the Festival of Champions officially began. The Chrono Citadel pulsed like a living sun, its colossal gears rotating in harmony with the beating hearts of thousands gathered below. Across the grand arena, banners shimmered with every hue of the cosmos, carrying symbols from countless worlds.
Today was not just a tournament.
It was the convergence of fates.
The audience—warriors, sentients, time guardians, and even machine gods—filled the stands. Each being from a different verse, each carrying power enough to destroy mountains. Above them all floated the projection of Revo, Prime Orthodox of Time, his voice echoing through every corner of the arena.
> "By the decree of the Chrono Council and the will of eternity itself—
The Festival of Champions begins!"
Thunder roared. Reality itself seemed to tremble.
The first match:
Team A — The Guardians of San Juan
led by Moro Kim Jama, with Kaya, Herbet, Kiro, and the Wolf Hunter.
Facing them:
Team B — The Warlords of Erebus, a terrifying faction from the shadow realms.
Their leader was Valcron, the Storm Reaper—known as the man who devoured his own timeline. His squad included Nira the Blade Wraith, Drox the Iron Giant, Vayne the Mindcaster, and Zeth, a silent assassin whose mere presence made the air cold.
The stage shimmered and expanded into a floating battlefield, suspended between time streams—mountains, rivers, and sky fused in one surreal domain.
Moro took a deep breath, his pendant faintly glowing.
Beside him, Kaya cracked her knuckles. "Guess we're first."
Kiro smirked. "Wouldn't have it any other way."
The Wolf Hunter adjusted his gloves, a low growl rumbling in his throat. "I'll take whoever comes at me."
Herbet checked his chrono-device. "We've got a time delay—thirty seconds before the reality stabilizes. Let's end it before then."
Then the air shifted. A dark portal tore open across the sky. Team Erebus stepped through.
Valcron stood at the front—armor of molten obsidian, eyes glowing violet, a massive scythe on his back. His voice cut through the silence like thunder.
"San Juan's dogs… you dare stand before the Warlords of Erebus?"
Moro's eyes narrowed. "We're not here to bark. We're here to win."
A murmur spread through the arena. The two leaders locked gazes—time itself seemed to pause between them.
Revo's voice echoed again:
> "BEGIN!"
The moment the word fell, the arena exploded into chaos.
---
The Clash Begins
Valcron's scythe ignited in black fire as he charged first. Moro dashed forward, leaving a blue streak of light behind him. Their weapons clashed—scythe against energy-forged fists—sending shockwaves that shattered the air.
Kiro was already moving, vanishing into a blur of golden streaks, cutting down Drox's massive hammer swings with pinpoint precision. Each strike sent sparks flying like lightning.
Kaya met Nira in midair. The Blade Wraith spun with twin swords that hummed with shadow energy. Kaya countered with fiery palm strikes, each blow heating the sky. Their clash lit up the horizon in red and black arcs.
Meanwhile, Herbet stayed back, fingers flying across his device. "Hunter, left flank—Vayne's creating psychic distortion!"
The Wolf Hunter howled, his eyes glowing silver. He leapt, activating Wolf Aura—a feral energy that split his form into afterimages. Vayne's telekinetic waves slammed into him, but he powered through, claws glowing white, tearing through the psychic field.
The ground cracked, the air warped, and even time itself began to ripple.
---
Moro vs Valcron
Valcron swung his scythe in a wide arc, slicing through energy fields like paper. Moro ducked, countering with a blast of Fusion Burst—a blue-white explosion that sent shockwaves through the arena.
Valcron slid back, grinning through the flames. "Impressive. You wield creation energy… but do you know how to destroy?"
He lifted his hand.
The ground beneath Moro melted into shadows—dozens of chains erupted, wrapping around him.
Kaya shouted, "MORO!"
But before anyone could move, Moro's pendant pulsed violently. Time slowed for a heartbeat. His eyes blazed blue as he broke free, energy flooding his veins.
He teleported behind Valcron mid-move and unleashed a spinning kick that cracked the air. Valcron staggered back, laughing through the impact.
"You're no ordinary boy… You're his son, aren't you?"
Moro's eyes narrowed. "You know my father?"
Valcron's grin widened. "Oh, I know JJ very well. He sealed my realm—cost me everything. And now his spawn stands before me. Perfect."
Moro's aura exploded like a storm. "Then you'll pay for what you did."
They lunged again—blue against black, time collapsing and expanding around every strike.
---
Kiro and the Wolf Hunter
On the far side of the battlefield, Kiro and the Wolf Hunter fought side by side against Drox and Vayne. Their teamwork was terrifyingly efficient—Kiro's speed and Hunter's brute strength countering every attack.
Vayne screamed, summoning telepathic blades that sliced the air. Kiro deflected them all in a blur, laughing mid-combat.
"Too slow!" he taunted.
The Wolf Hunter slammed his fist into the ground, erupting waves of silver energy that threw Drox into the air. The giant roared, bringing his hammer down, but Kiro jumped onto it mid-swing, flipped, and slashed Drox across the chest in one clean motion.
Drox fell to his knees, his armor cracking.
---
Kaya and Nira
Their duel moved beyond human speed—two streaks of light dancing across the sky. Every clash rang like steel over thunder. Kaya's movements grew more fluid, blending flame and momentum.
Nira snarled, spinning into her Shadow Form, splitting into multiple copies.
Kaya grinned. "You think you're the only one who can multiply?"
Her aura burst outward—Phoenix Mirage, six blazing versions of her appeared, surrounding Nira in a fiery cyclone. The entire sky ignited, forcing even spectators to shield their eyes.
When the flames died down, Nira was down—barely conscious, her blades shattered.
---
The Turning Point
Revo watched from above, hands clasped behind his back. "Interesting. They're not fighting just for power—they're fighting for unity."
But his smile faded as a new tremor shook the arena. A rift tore open in the sky—a black hole of static time.
Revo's eyes widened. "No… that's not supposed to happen yet."
Moro turned mid-fight. "What's going on!?"
Valcron laughed, blood dripping from his mouth. "The Anachron Lord… it's watching. It's feeding."
Above them, a colossal shadow loomed—a figure made of static and fragments of broken time, eyes like endless clocks.
Everyone froze.
Even Valcron stepped back, eyes flickering with fear.
Revo's voice boomed through the arena.
> "ALL CHAMPIONS—STAND DOWN!"
But it was too late.
The rift widened, and tendrils of black energy lashed downward.
Moro raised his pendant—it glowed violently, reacting to the distortion. "Revo! I can stabilize it!"
Revo's voice shook. "You'll burn yourself alive!"
Moro screamed back, "Then I'll burn brighter than ever!"
He leapt into the air, pendant glowing like a second sun, facing the rift head-on.
The world trembled.
And for a moment—just a fleeting moment—time froze.
Moro's body, Kiro's astonished face, Kaya's outstretched hand, the Wolf Hunter's roar—all frozen between seconds.
Then—light.
A surge of energy burst outward, sealing the rift temporarily. The arena fell silent, smoke rising, debris floating midair.
Moro landed on his knees, panting. His team rushed to him.
Revo appeared beside them instantly, hand on Moro's shoulder.
"You did what even I could not," he said softly. "But this is only the beginning. The Lord is awake now."
Above them, the sky cracked faintly—thin fractures across reality itself.
The Festival of Champions had only just begun…
but something darker had entered the stage.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Next Chapter — 64: "The Fractured Heavens."