CHAPTER 69 — THE GARDEN OF THE DEAD (EXTENDED VERSION)
The skies above San Juan looked like shattered glass.
Fragments of light drifted in slow motion, suspended by forces no mortal could name. The wind carried the scent of ozone and burnt steel, whistling through the vast structure that rose from the ocean — the Rainbow Bridge, an ancient relic said to connect time itself to the realm of men.
And upon that glowing bridge stood destiny.
Moro walked at the front of his squad — his blue aura dim but steady, the calm before the storm.
Behind him followed Kiro, shoulders broad, his golden eyes radiating the strength of a lion; Kaya, her turquoise gauntlets humming softly with stored energy; Herbet, scanning with sensors flickering from his wrist gear; and the silent Wolf Hunter, whose very presence felt like sharpened steel wrapped in flame.
They had come to end this — to stop Revo, the Prime Orthodox of San Juan, before his schemes birthed the apocalypse.
But Revo was already waiting.
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The Bridge Awakens
At the bridge's center, Revo stood as if carved from marble, his coat of deep crimson rippling in the astral wind.
Beside him was Pisya, his niece — her beauty radiant, ethereal, almost divine. She raised her arms slowly, eyes glowing the color of jade fire.
The surface of the bridge began to change.
Metal bent. Light folded. The hard structure of the Rainbow Bridge blossomed into a field of living color — petals shimmering like glass, vines coiling and uncoiling as if tasting the air.
What was once cold steel became a vibrant, deadly paradise.
> Pisya (softly, voice like a lullaby):
"Welcome to my garden... the graveyard of the living."
Before the squad could react, the first vines lashed out.
One coiled around Herbet's arm, another wrapped Wolf Hunter's leg, pulling him toward a glowing bloom that opened — revealing rows of crystalline teeth.
> Herbet: "What in—these plants are alive!"
Kaya: "No—they're feeding!"
Wolf Hunter's claws flashed as he tore through the vines, snarling.
Kiro stepped forward, the golden mark of the lion flaring bright across his chest.
> Kiro: "Enough of this nonsense—LION AURA… UNBOUND!"
The roar that followed wasn't from his throat but from the spirit within him.
A colossal lion made of light erupted behind him, its mane streaming like solar flares. The beast roared, and the sound obliterated the vines, shattering petals and roots alike. The bridge quaked under its fury.
Pisya staggered, clutching her chest as the illusion momentarily cracked — the bridge flashing between metal and nature. But she smiled through it.
> Pisya: "Good. Let the lions roar. The flowers only bloom brighter in the presence of predators."
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The Arrival of Yaya
A sudden pulse of wind — sharp, cutting, faster than lightning.
Before anyone could even blink, a streak of motion blurred through the smoke, stopping mere meters from them.
Yaya had arrived.
Her long white coat fluttered around her like the wings of a ghost. Her eyes gleamed with cruel excitement.
> Kiro (growling): "You again…"
Yaya (smirking): "Special Agent No. 2 — Yaya Vel. Under direct orders from the Monarchy. My mission: terminate the blue-flamed anomaly… Moro."
Her gaze locked on Moro with predator focus.
Then, in a blink—she was gone.
A heartbeat later, she reappeared—her knee slamming into Moro's ribs with impossible speed. The impact cracked the bridge floor.
Moro flew backward, rolling across the glowing surface, blue sparks trailing from his body.
> Kaya (shouting): "MORO!"
But before she could run to him, Yaya's silhouette flickered—five images at once.
She darted around them in a spiral, creating a cyclone of gold wind that nearly blew Kaya off the bridge.
> Wolf Hunter: "Forget her—I'll take Revo!"
He leapt forward, fire igniting around his claws as Herbet charged after him, launching a barrage of lightning discs.
Revo didn't even move. He raised a single hand.
The lightning froze midair. Time itself stopped.
> Revo (coldly): "Time bends before authority. You think yourselves warriors… but you are merely moments that I choose to let exist."
The lightning reversed its path, detonating behind Herbet and Wolf Hunter, throwing them back violently.
> Revo: "Pathetic."
---
Blue Fire Rises
Kaya's gauntlets glowed bright turquoise as she summoned every drop of her strength.
> Kaya: "WATER DRAGON… BURST!"
A tidal wave of compressed water energy erupted forward, slamming into Yaya and throwing her off balance. Steam filled the air as liquid met light.
> Yaya (grinning through the haze): "Not bad… you've got bite, girl!"
She vanished again—this time appearing directly before Kaya, fist drawn back.
But before she could strike—her punch stopped cold in midair.
A blue-flamed hand held her wrist.
Moro stood there, aura blazing like a living storm, his eyes glowing azure.
His voice was calm but dangerous.
> Moro: "You move fast. But you're not the only one who's evolved."
> Yaya: "Show me then… what evolution feels like!"
The world exploded around them.
Their fists collided with a deafening boom that ripped the air apart.
The bridge rippled, reality bending under the pressure. Waves below the structure rose and shattered like glass.
The Cheetah Spirit manifested behind Yaya, a blazing golden form with eyes like comets.
Behind Moro, a Blue Dragon of pure flame coiled upward, roaring into the storm.
Blue met gold.
Speed met power.
Light clashed with will.
Every strike created shockwaves that shook the city below. Buildings trembled; the sea churned. Civilians in San Juan looked up at the sky as streaks of light painted the heavens.
> Kiro (watching): "His energy—it's surpassing mine. He's touching a new limit."
Revo's red eyes flickered toward the fight with faint amusement.
> Revo (smirking): "Good… good. Let the dragon awaken. The storm we need is finally here."
He turned back to Pisya, who stood at the bridge's core.
In her hands floated a glowing crystal—the Chronos Element, pulsing like a heart of time itself.
> Revo: "With this, the flame shall rise again."
---
The Bridge Trembles
Moro's punch tore through Yaya's defense, sending her skidding backward.
But she landed on all fours, panting and laughing.
> Yaya: "You're strong… I like that."
Moro: "You're dangerous."
Yaya (smiling wickedly): "And yet—you're still holding back."
She dashed again—so fast the world blurred.
But Moro's blue fire expanded, surrounding him like a storm barrier.
> Moro: "Try me again."
They collided one more time, the force of their impact tearing chunks of the bridge apart. Energy beams erupted, slicing through the air.
Kaya shielded her eyes; Herbet knelt, reinforcing barriers.
Kiro roared once more, sending golden waves through the bridge to stabilize it.
But it was too late—the sky cracked open.
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The Tyrant's Awakening
The Chronos Element pulsed violently in Pisya's hands.
Revo spread his arms as crimson energy swirled around him, merging with the light of the bridge.
> Revo (chanting in the ancient tongue):
"From the ashes of kings… from the silence of centuries…
Flame that devours creation—Kuzak, return to your throne."
A rumble echoed from beneath the ocean. The waters boiled.
Every light in San Juan flickered, then went dark.
The rainbow hues of the bridge twisted into crimson and black.
Moro and Yaya froze mid-battle, turning toward the center as a column of fire erupted skyward.
Wings—vast, molten—unfurled from within it. A horned silhouette rose, taller than any mountain, its voice echoing across existence.
> Kuzak: "WHO DARES CALL ME FROM OBLIVION?"
The temperature spiked. The ocean ignited. The sky screamed.
Revo smiled, basking in the infernal glow.
> Revo: "Welcome back… Lord of Fire."
Yaya stumbled back, trembling despite herself.
Moro clenched his fists, blue fire swirling around him as determination burned in his eyes.
> Moro (softly): "So this… is the monster of legend."
> Kiro: "He's real. And he's awake."
Above them, Kuzak's eyes opened—two burning suns glaring down upon man and god alike.
The bridge cracked.
Time slowed.
The war for San Juan had just begun.
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END OF CHAPTER 69 — "THE GARDEN OF THE DEAD (EXTENDED)"