The morning sun broke through the canopy, spilling golden light across the training grounds. The clearing looked different now than it had two months ago. Trees bore scars from endless strikes, rocks were split and pitted from hammer blows and gauntlet punches, and the grass had been worn down to bare soil from countless sprints, laps, and sparring drills. This was no longer just a practice field — it was their forge, the crucible that had shaped their bodies and discipline under weight.
Hunnt rolled his shoulders, feeling the subtle strain of the weighted gauntlets strapped to his arms. They no longer felt unbearable. The pressure of the weights against his joints and muscles was a steady hum now, not a crushing force. His fists clenched reflexively, bandages shifting slightly, and he felt the raw power that had been honed through months of training.
Corwin adjusted the straps of his chest weights before lifting his hammer for a test swing. The heavy weapon cut through the morning air with precision. Once, the weights had made even a single motion feel like a battle against gravity. Now, every swing felt like an extension of his breathing. The control he had developed was evident in the way the hammer stopped exactly where he willed it, no tremor or falter in his arms.
Elara stood nearby, bow already in hand, her quiver bouncing lightly at her hip. She drew and released a test arrow, the weighted clothing tugging at her shoulders and core, yet her form remained steady. The string thrummed, the arrow thudded into a target, and she exhaled slowly. Two months ago, her arms would have quivered under the added strain. Today, her posture was unbroken, her precision intact.
And Pyro — ever energetic — darted between them with bounding enthusiasm. His weighted vest and leg coverings clinked with each leap, but his body had long since adapted. He landed on Hunnt's shoulder with feline ease, tail flicking, golden eyes bright. "Master… we're ready for the next step. Nyaah!"
Hunnt lifted his gaze, scanning the team. The pride he felt swelled in his chest, though he kept his voice firm. "The weighted training is complete. Our endurance has grown. Our bodies are prepared. Now we take the next step… we prepare for Haki."
The clearing fell silent, the gravity of his words sinking in. Haki — it was still mysterious, uncharted. Hunnt himself had only just begun to grasp Armament. But he knew Observation would be their next frontier.
Hunnt took a breath, explaining carefully. "Observation Haki is about more than reflex. It's sensing intent, feeling the presence of others, predicting attacks before they happen. It's not like relying on eyesight alone. It's deeper — like stretching your awareness into the space around you."
Corwin frowned slightly, hammer resting against his shoulder. "So it's mental?"
"Not just mental," Hunnt countered. "It's the mind and body together. Stamina, focus, and reflex must align. If your body gives out, your focus will break. That's why we trained under weight — to build endurance strong enough to support this."
He looked at each of them in turn. "Corwin — you'll focus on Armament. Your strength and hammer strikes will hit harder and endure longer. Elara, Pyro — you'll focus on Observation. Your roles are precision and speed. If you can sense attacks before they happen, we'll always have an advantage."
Elara nodded firmly, her voice clear. "Then we complement each other. You and Corwin for offense, Pyro and I for awareness."
"Exactly," Hunnt confirmed. He tightened his bandages, exhaled, and pulled a strip of cloth from his pouch. "And I'll start first. I'll try to grasp it, then guide you through the drills."
Corwin raised a brow. "And how do you plan to test something invisible?"
Hunnt tied the cloth around his eyes, blindfolding himself completely. "Like this." He stepped to the center of the clearing, feet planted, body loose. "Don't hold back. Attack from every side. My job is to anticipate, not guess."
The others exchanged glances. Pyro's tail lashed in excitement, Elara swallowed her nerves, and Corwin gave a curt nod.
Hunnt stood tall in the middle of the circle. The forest seemed to hush, the air heavy. "Come."
Pyro shot forward first, claws scraping the dirt. His small body darted low, aiming for Hunnt's ankles. Hunnt shifted to the side, narrowly missing the swipe. Corwin stepped in with a measured swing of his hammer. The air whistled, and Hunnt twisted away just in time, the hammer slamming into the dirt where he had been. Then came the whisper of Elara's bowstring. Hunnt ducked, the arrow slicing past and tugging at the cloth of his sleeve.
The first exchange was clumsy. Hunnt was relying on instinct, reflexes honed by months of training. But that wasn't enough. His breathing slowed, his shoulders loosened, and he reached for something deeper.
Again they came at him — Pyro darting in, Corwin's heavy strikes, Elara's arrows. Hunnt moved, stumbled, adjusted. Then something stirred. A quiet ripple spread through his mind, subtle but undeniable.
He didn't just hear Pyro's paws — he felt the intent behind the movement. He saw the arc of Corwin's hammer before it left his shoulder. He sensed the path of Elara's arrow as though the space itself had whispered it to him.
Time slowed. Every sound sharpened. Every heartbeat echoed in his ears.
Pyro dove low again. Hunnt sidestepped calmly. Corwin's hammer came in high, and Hunnt was already ducking before it moved. Elara's arrow cut the air, and he pivoted, letting it pass harmlessly by.
The next volley came all at once — claws, hammer, arrow. Hunnt turned, stepped, and flowed between them. The hammer crashed down behind him, Pyro rolled past his legs, and the arrow thudded into a stump, all missing him by inches.
Hunnt ripped off the blindfold, chest heaving, sweat dripping down his jaw. His lips curved into a faint, astonished smile. "I… saw it," he said quietly. "Not with my eyes. With something else. I knew where, when, and how."
Corwin lowered his hammer slowly, eyes narrowing in thought. "So that's Observation Haki."
Elara lowered her bow, her lips parting in awe. "You anticipated everything… like you were reading us before we even moved."
Pyro bounded up onto his shoulder, purring loudly. "Master! That was amazing! Nyaaaah!"
Hunnt exhaled, steadying his breathing. "It's only the beginning. My stamina nearly gave out just keeping that awareness for a few moments. That's why the weight training mattered. We need to endure this drain."
The others nodded, determination sharpening their gazes.
Elara spoke first, her voice quiet but strong. "Then let me try next. If I can move like that, my arrows will never miss."
Corwin smirked faintly. "And if I can brace with Armament while predicting blows, no monster will break through."
Pyro lashed his tail eagerly. "I'll dodge everything! You'll never touch me again, nyaah!"
Hunnt smiled faintly at their energy, then flexed his fists. He thought back to Ravagerak — the broken gauntlets, the blood dripping from his fists. With Armament hardening his body and Observation sharpening his senses, there would be no repeat of that.
"We'll master this," Hunnt said finally. "Our bodies, our awareness, our will — all of it. Together, we'll be ready for whatever comes."
The forest beyond the clearing was silent, but the air felt charged. Something vast loomed on the horizon, a storm waiting to break. But for now, the four of them stood stronger than ever, united by discipline and the promise of new power.
And as the sunlight streamed through the treetops, Hunnt clenched his fists, the memory of black steel flickering at his knuckles, and whispered to himself:
"This is only the beginning."