Hunnt stood in the clearing, his chest rising and falling with barely contained excitement. The morning light filtered through the canopy, striping his face with gold and shadow. His bandaged fists trembled, not from weakness, but from the surge of energy coursing through him. The forest air was cool, yet heat radiated from his body, a simmering fire that refused to die down after the battle with Ravagerak.
My hands… they hardened. Stronger than steel. If that was really haki… then I need to master it.
He closed his eyes, recalling the exact moment it had first awakened. Desperation. Pain. The need to protect his friends and push through the impossible. Ravagerak's roar had drowned the forest, its spiked tail shattering the ground, and Hunnt had thrown himself forward with bloodied fists. He hadn't been thinking of winning, or even surviving—only that he couldn't allow his companions to fall. The memory burned in his chest even now, a coiled flame twisting in his veins.
He exhaled slowly, bracing himself, and clenched his fists. His muscles tightened as if gripping an invisible force. Then it came: a ripple beneath the skin, like his spirit seeping outward. Black sheen rolled across his fists, darker than iron, deeper than stone, spreading evenly this time. It didn't flicker, didn't waver. His hands were encased in armor that wasn't forged in the workshop but drawn from his will.
Hunnt opened his eyes and grinned. "It worked… consistently."
He stepped toward a towering oak and let his fist fly.
The bark exploded. Splinters shot out in all directions, scattering across the clearing like shrapnel. The trunk groaned under the blow, cracking with a thunderous boom that startled birds into flight. Hunnt pulled back, staring at his hand. No break. No tearing pain. Only a dull ache, like he had punched through air thicker than stone.
The strength was intoxicating. Each heartbeat felt heavier, his blood rushing like a river in flood. But as seconds passed, his arms trembled. The black sheen wavered, flickering like a candle flame in the wind. His breathing grew labored, sweat streaking down his brow.
So… it drains me the longer I hold it.
Even so, a grin stretched across his lips. "So it really is haki."
"What in the world are you doing?"
The voice came from the tree line. Hunnt turned to see Corwin standing at the edge of the clearing, hammer slung casually over his shoulder. His sharp eyes flicked between the shattered oak and Hunnt's fists.
Hunnt smirked. "Training. Watch."
He clenched his fists again, summoning the strange force. The black armor spread quickly this time, steadier, tighter, almost natural. He strode toward a boulder at the center of the clearing, raised his arm, and struck.
Crack.
The stone split cleanly in two, fragments rolling across the dirt with hollow thuds. The sound reverberated, sharp and final.
Corwin's brows lifted slightly, though his expression remained composed. "That's not normal strength. What is it?"
Hunnt hesitated, struggling for words. How do I even explain this? Finally, he muttered, "A power that hardens your body. Makes your will unbreakable. I don't fully understand it yet, but it's real."
Corwin chuckled low in his throat, shaking his head. "If you say it's real, I'll believe you. But if you've found power like that, we need to test it." He shifted his hammer in his hands, eyes narrowing with anticipation. "Spar me."
Hunnt's grin widened. "Thought you'd never ask."
The air grew heavy, the forest holding its breath. Dust stirred around their feet as they took their stances. Corwin planted himself firmly, hammer angled for a crushing strike. Hunnt bent his knees, fists lowered but glowing faintly with that black sheen. His heartbeat thundered, each pulse syncing with the rhythm of the earth.
Corwin moved first. The hammer whistled down in a brutal arc.
Hunnt didn't dodge. He planted his feet and raised his fists to meet it.
The collision boomed like thunder. The ground cracked beneath Hunnt's boots, dirt spraying outward. But his arms did not shatter. His fists held firm, the haki absorbing the brunt of the blow. Corwin's eyes widened despite himself.
"You blocked it?! With just your fists?"
Hunnt roared, shoving upward. He slammed his punch into Corwin's hammer, force rippling through the air. Corwin staggered back, boots carving furrows in the dirt. Dust rose around them, the shockwave scattering leaves like rain.
Hunnt's chest heaved. The black sheen on his fists flickered, his arms trembling violently. Fatigue gnawed at him, his stamina draining faster than he expected.
Corwin steadied his weapon, rolling his shoulder. A faint smirk curved his lips. "Strong… but it eats at you, doesn't it?"
Hunnt flexed his fists, forcing the black armor back into place. He grinned through clenched teeth. "Then I'll master it. I'll make sure it never breaks."
"Master, nyaaaah! You turned your hands black!"
The spar froze as Pyro bounded into the clearing. His golden eyes shone with awe, tail flicking wildly. He circled Hunnt like a child seeing magic for the first time. "Nyahaha! This is insane, nyaah! You're like a monster now!"
Elara followed more quietly. She stopped at the edge of the training ground, her bow slung across her back, gaze fixed on Hunnt's fists. Her lips parted, breath catching. The black armor gleamed in the morning light, power radiating off him in waves. For a moment, admiration and envy tangled in her chest. He just keeps getting stronger… I can't let myself fall behind.
Hunnt caught her gaze but said nothing. He focused instead on his fists. The coating didn't waver this time—it held steady. Natural talent, or sheer determination, was helping him adapt faster than even he realized.
"This power…" he muttered, voice low and certain, "it's my will made real. If this really is haki… then it's mine now."
Corwin rested his hammer across his shoulder, expression unreadable but eyes sharp. "Then we'll train until your fists never break again."
Hunnt nodded, determination blazing, sweat dripping down his jaw. "Deal."
For a long moment, silence hung in the clearing. Hunnt's breathing echoed, slow and heavy. Pyro's tail swished, restless energy sparking from his small frame. Elara's grip tightened on her bowstring though she hadn't drawn it, as if bracing herself for something unseen.
Then the ground rumbled.
A faint tremor rolled through the earth, shaking loose dust from the cracked oak. Birds scattered from the canopy, their cries shrill and panicked. The vibration crawled through Hunnt's boots, steady and growing.
Pyro froze, fur bristling, ears twitching. His voice dropped to a whisper. "Something big… is moving. And it's getting closer."
Elara's hand flew to her bow, eyes sharp with tension. Corwin tightened his hold on the hammer, the calm mask slipping to reveal battle readiness.
Hunnt clenched his hardened fists, the black sheen glimmering in the sun. His chest rose and fell heavily, his body drained, but his eyes burned with a fire hotter than before.
"Good," he said, smirking despite the fatigue. "Then I'll be ready."
The tremor grew louder, echoing like distant thunder. The forest seemed to hold its breath again, every leaf and shadow bending toward the storm that was coming. The fight with Ravagerak had ended, but something even greater stirred in the wilderness, testing not just their strength but the path they had chosen to walk.
Hunnt stood firm, fists darkened like steel, and for the first time since discovering this power, he felt not just fear of the unknown—but eagerness.