The morning sun bathed the training grounds in golden light, cutting through the trees and turning the mist into a soft glow. The air was crisp, carrying the scent of dew and earth. Hunnt stood at the center of the clearing, fists clenched, eyes sweeping over his companions.
Corwin gripped his hammer, shoulders squared, calm and steady like a boulder rooted in the earth. Elara held her bow taut, arrow nocked, her eyes alert and sharp, tracking even the slightest movement in the trees around them. Pyro crouched low at Hunnt's side, golden eyes gleaming, tail swishing, every muscle in his small frame coiled like a spring ready to explode.
"Today," Hunnt began, voice clear, "we put what we've learned to the test. Observation and Armament Haki are no longer just drills. They're weapons. We'll simulate a hunt, a real fight. You'll read, anticipate, and respond. Fail to use your senses, and you'll lose. Adapt, and you'll win."
Pyro's ears perked, and he let out an excited chirp. "Nyahaha… so Master's finally going to be the monster! Nyaah, this'll be fun!"
Corwin exhaled through his nose, adjusting his stance. "I'll take this seriously. Don't hold back."
Elara drew her string back slightly, testing the tension. "Then let's see how far we've come."
Hunnt nodded. His chest rose with pride as he looked at them. They were no longer clumsy fighters struggling to survive—they had grown, sharpened, and begun to wield something greater. Now was the time to make that power real.
---
Hunnt had spent the night preparing the training grounds. Weighted dummies stood at odd angles, ropes dangled from tree branches to mimic sudden hazards, and boulders and logs had been scattered across the area to force movement. This wasn't just sparring; this was the chaos of a battlefield condensed into a single clearing.
"Corwin, your Armament Haki is your shield and your weapon," Hunnt reminded, his voice steady. "Reinforce your hammer, your arms, even your stance. Don't brute force everything—focus and direct your will."
Corwin nodded once.
"Elara, Pyro, your Observation Haki will be the eyes of the group. Feel my intent, not just my movement. If I feint, you must still read me. Don't let sight alone guide you."
Elara adjusted her quiver and gave a firm nod, while Pyro licked his paw casually, grinning with mischief. "Nyaah, I'll dodge all of Master's tricks!"
Hunnt smirked. "We'll see."
He crouched low, the ground crunching under his weight. "Ready yourselves."
---
The battle began with sudden ferocity. Hunnt blurred forward with Soru, his figure vanishing before their eyes. He reappeared directly in front of Corwin, striking with a sweeping kick.
Corwin reacted instantly, Armament Haki flickering faintly over his legs as he braced with Tekkai. The impact cracked the dirt, but he held firm, hammer swinging upward in a counter. Hunnt raised a fist, black sheen sparking briefly as fist met hammer, the echo reverberating through the trees.
Elara's breath hitched, but her body reacted. She loosed an arrow in the half-second gap created by the clash. Hunnt twisted his torso, the shaft slicing past his shoulder—but she smiled faintly. She hadn't aimed to hit; she'd aimed to force his movement.
"Good," Hunnt called, even as Pyro darted in from the flank.
The felyne moved in a blur, claws flashing, Observation guiding him as he lunged. Hunnt swung a controlled backhand, but Pyro twisted, slipping past with Kami-e as if his body was made of air. He landed a light strike to Hunnt's side.
"Got you, Master! Nyaah!" Pyro grinned.
Hunnt chuckled, pivoting with a sweeping punch. Pyro flipped back, ears twitching, tail lashing with exhilaration.
---
Minutes bled into a relentless rhythm of attack and counter.
Hunnt struck like a predator, vanishing and reappearing, feinting high then striking low. Elara's Observation sharpened—she began to sense his shifts, arrows firing to cut his angles of approach. Pyro darted in to harass and distract, pulling Hunnt's attention away for critical seconds.
Corwin became the shield and hammer of the group. Each swing of his weapon rang with heavy force, Armament strengthening the blows. When Hunnt drove a hardened fist against him, Corwin's reinforced guard held, though his boots slid furrows into the dirt from the force.
"Feel the flow!" Hunnt barked as he weaved between them. "Don't just react—predict me!"
Sweat glistened on Elara's brow as another arrow sang from her bow. She had fired before Hunnt even moved, releasing on the intent she felt rather than sight. Hunnt stopped short, smirking, as the arrow embedded into the dirt exactly where he would have stepped.
"That's it, Elara," he praised.
Corwin, too, had shifted. His hammer swung not in desperate arcs but with deliberate precision, striking only when Hunnt overextended. His Armament flickered brighter with each clash, his control over the technique deepening.
And Pyro—he darted like a golden spark, his Observation guiding him between strikes. Each time Hunnt aimed at him, Pyro was already gone, tail flicking as he slipped through impossible gaps.
---
Hunnt escalated the fight. His fists blurred, the black sheen of Armament sparking as he drove his will into each strike. He struck at Corwin in a flurry, forcing the man back with sheer pressure. Corwin grunted, braced, then shoved forward, hammer glowing with reinforced weight as he met the storm head-on.
Elara and Pyro seized the chance. Arrows flew in quick succession, forcing Hunnt to dodge into Pyro's path. The little fighter twisted mid-air, claws grazing Hunnt's gauntlet before springing away.
Hunnt skidded back, laughing breathlessly. "You're predicting me… finally."
---
After nearly an hour of this punishing exchange, Hunnt raised a hand, signaling the end. The clearing was scarred with footprints, arrows, and shattered earth. The team collapsed where they stood, gasping, their bodies slick with sweat but their eyes alight with exhilaration.
Elara lowered her bow, chest rising and falling rapidly. "I… I can feel it. Not just movement. I can feel your intent. Even before you moved, I knew where you'd go."
Pyro rolled onto his back, tail twitching lazily. "Nyaahaha… Master, I dodged almost all of your strikes! I could feel them coming!"
Corwin planted his hammer into the ground, leaning on it with a smirk. "Armament feels natural now. My strikes land heavier, and I can take your blows without breaking. Once it clicked, everything accelerated."
Hunnt's eyes swept over them, pride swelling in his chest. "Exactly. Today you've applied Observation and Armament against a real opponent. It wasn't perfect—but it was real. This is the first step to mastering them."
The forest around them was quiet again, but the air thrummed with energy, as though the earth itself had witnessed their growth.
Hunnt clenched his fists, the black sheen fading slowly. He allowed himself a small smile. "Next time, we test this not in a mock battle… but on a real hunt. Let's see how well our Haki holds under true pressure."
The team nodded, weary but resolute, their determination clear. Together, they had crossed into new territory. No longer just trainees—they were hunters with a glimpse of the power that would carry them through the dangers ahead.
Hunnt looked up at the canopy, sunlight piercing through the leaves, and whispered to himself, "We'll survive… together."