The mist swirled violently around the ridge, torn apart by the frantic beat of Mistwing Drake's silver-blue wings. Its screeches echoed against the cliffs, sharp and piercing, a constant reminder that the apex predator ruled this domain. Hunnt's gauntlets clashed with its claws, sparks flying as scale-forged metal absorbed the worst of the impact. The force still rattled through his bones, but he gritted his teeth and pushed back.
"Hold the line!" Hunnt barked, his boots sliding on the loose gravel.
Corwin moved with precision at his side, his massive hammer sweeping in wide arcs. Each strike cracked stone and sent debris scattering across the ridge, forcing the agile drake to readjust its flight patterns. His Armament Haki infused every blow, giving the hammer an almost magnetic weight, each strike reverberating like thunder.
From her higher perch, Elara exhaled steadily, fingers steady on her bowstring. Her Observation Haki tingled faintly, guiding her eyes to the faintest openings in the drake's shimmering scales. She loosed arrow after arrow, shafts whistling through the mist. Some strikes glanced away harmlessly, but others bit deep into the thinner membranes of the wings, drawing furious cries from the beast.
Mistwing twisted midair, looping in a tight arc to dive again. Its spade-shaped tail lashed like a whip, slicing through the mist with terrifying speed.
Pyro darted low across the battlefield, tail flicking. "Nyaah! It's faster this time, Master!" he chirped, Observation helping him sense the drake's intent just before each dive. His SnS flashed, scoring shallow cuts along the creature's flank before he sprang away, Kami-e twisting his small body through gaps that no human could slip past.
The ridge trembled.
At first, it was subtle—a faint vibration underfoot. Then came the sound: a deep, guttural roar that rolled across the canyon like thunder. It was nothing like the sharp cries of Mistwing. This was heavier, darker, primal. The air seemed to thicken with the force of it.
The party froze.
From the rocky outcrop below, the ground split as a hulking figure emerged. Its scales were black as obsidian, jagged and rough like volcanic rock, catching faint glimmers of red from its glowing eyes. Spikes ran down its back, jutting like stone pillars, and its massive spiked tail smashed against the cliffside, sending rocks tumbling into the abyss below.
Obsidian Fang, the brute wyvern, had entered the hunt.
Hunnt's stomach clenched. One apex predator had already pushed them to the edge. Now another had arrived, heavier, stronger, more grounded.
Mistwing screeched furiously, wings flaring wide in agitation. It circled higher, glaring down at the intruder, its tail lashing. Obsidian Fang answered with another roar, stomping forward. The ground shook with each step, cracks spreading through the ridge. The hunters were trapped between them, the narrow battlefield shrinking with every second.
Hunnt drew a sharp breath and steadied himself. "We can't fight blindly! Focus, coordinate! We'll use their aggression against them!"
Obsidian Fang charged first, its heavy body barreling forward like a living avalanche. Its spiked tail swung low, sweeping across the ridge in a brutal arc. Hunnt barely had time to brace with Tekkai, his gauntlets crossed in front of him. The shock slammed into him like a boulder, his feet skidding backward, stones breaking under his boots. Pain reverberated through his arms, but he stayed upright.
"Hunnt!" Elara called from above, eyes wide.
"I'm fine—focus!" he snapped back, shaking his arms to loosen the sting.
Mistwing took advantage of the chaos, swooping down with claws outstretched. Pyro leapt in, darting across the brute wyvern's forelimb, his SnS flashing as he swiped at the drake's talon mid-dive. The strike didn't pierce deep, but it diverted the creature just enough for Corwin to step in.
"Now!" Corwin roared. His hammer, gleaming with reinforced Armament, smashed into the stone at the drake's landing point. The impact erupted debris upward, forcing Mistwing to twist away mid-dive, screeching in frustration.
Meanwhile, Obsidian Fang swung again, its massive tail hammering against the cliff face. A cascade of rocks tumbled toward Elara's perch. She spotted it an instant earlier with her Observation—her body was already moving before her mind fully registered the danger. Soru carried her to a safer ledge, bow still raised. She released another arrow mid-motion, striking the drake's wing joint as it recovered from Corwin's trap.
Hunnt exhaled sharply. Both predators were unpredictable—Mistwing's speed and agility clashed violently with Fang's brute strength, but together they created a deadly rhythm. He clenched his fists, Haki rippling faintly along the scales of his gauntlets.
"Everyone, watch your flanks!"
Obsidian Fang stomped, lowering its massive head, then lunged. Its jaws snapped shut inches from Hunnt, the force of the bite strong enough to crush stone. Hunnt ducked low, Soru carrying him to the side. His fist, hardened with Armament, slammed into the beast's jaw as it passed. The strike echoed like an iron bell, drawing the brute's attention to him.
"Over here, you bastard!" Hunnt taunted, fists raised.
Mistwing shrieked from above, circling lower again. The two apex predators locked eyes briefly, both furious, both territorial. Then they turned their attention back to the hunters—the smaller prey caught in their war.
Pyro hissed, twisting out of the way of Fang's sweeping tail. He darted to Corwin's side, claws flashing. "Nyaahaha! I'll keep it busy, hammer-man! Nyaah!"
Corwin gave a curt nod, planting his feet. His hammer arced down with a heavy swing, smashing against the brute wyvern's knee joint. The impact reverberated, forcing the beast to stagger slightly, bellowing in rage. Its eyes glowed brighter, molten-red cracks forming briefly across its scales as it thrashed.
Above, Elara loosed a rapid volley of arrows. Observation sharpened her aim—she wasn't just watching where Mistwing moved, she was anticipating. An arrow buried deep into the thin chest scales between wingbeats. The drake shrieked, swerving higher, smoke-like mist spilling from its maw in agitation.
Hunnt's fists glowed faintly, blood still seeping through his bandages from earlier training. He ignored the sting, eyes narrowing. "We'll handle them together. Stay sharp, move as one!"
The ridge became a deadly chessboard. Every log, every rock, every shadow of the mist was a piece to use or a trap to avoid. Mistwing darted above like a phantom, Fang crushed forward with brute dominance, and the hunters wove between them, their Haki and new weapons tested against impossible odds.
Elara drew another arrow, whispering under her breath, "I won't miss. Not this time."
Corwin's hammer gleamed with each strike, his endurance tested but unwavering.
Pyro chirped, claws flashing, "Nyaah! I'll keep 'em spinning, Master!"
Hunnt stood tall at the center, fists raised, black steel glimmering faintly across his knuckles. The fire in his eyes matched the predators before him.
The hunt had escalated—and there would be no easy victory this time.