The sun barely touched the forest floor when Draven arrived at the central clearing.
The trees there were ancient, enormous, with trunks so wide that two people embracing couldn't encircle one.
The wind rustled the treetops, leaving shadows dancing on the ground, creating a natural labyrinth of light and darkness.
He sensed something large watching him.
The Great Sage whispered:
Presence detected: legendary creature
Estimated strength: extremely high
Behavior: predatory and territorial
Draven smiled slightly, feeling his heart race.
— Finally… someone worthy.
Suddenly, the ground trembled.
A roar echoed through the trees.
The monster emerged from the shadows: an Alpha Dracorak, larger than any creature he had ever faced.
Black scales gleamed in the filtered sunlight, languid red eyes stared at him. Each beat of its wings kicked up dust and leaves into the air.
Claws that looked like sharp blades dragged across the ground. The smell of iron and burnt blood reached Draven's nose.
Without warning, the monster attacked.
The first blow was a sideways spin of its claws. Draven rolled to the left, feeling the wind cut his face, and stood up in an instant.
His entire body reacted instinctively. He activated Armament Haki in his arms and punched the Dracorak's side.
The impact echoed through the clearing: CRASH, its scales partially cracking.
The monster took a step back, but didn't give up. It roared and charged again, this time with its jaws wide open. Draven dodged, feeling the teeth almost tear his arm. The metallic taste of blood entered his mouth.
— This is… perfect.
The pain only increased his focus. Each blow received made him more alive, each scratch made him more alert.
Draven advanced, attacking in sequence:
Punches to the Dracorak's side
High kicks aimed at its legs
Noctharum slashes, creating shadowy blades that pierced and slowed the creature
The monster reacted with impressive speed and ferocity. Each blow Draven landed was answered almost instantly, and he needed to use all the perception of Observation Haki to predict attacks.
The monster let out a deafening roar and flapped its wings, creating a blast that threw Draven several meters back.
He rolled on the ground, feeling scratches all over his body.
Blood dripped from cuts on his arm, shoulder, and leg. Every movement hurt, but he didn't stop.
His eyes gleamed. He activated Noctharum more intensely, partially enveloping his body in sharp, living shadows.
The blades of dark energy emerged and intertwined with Armament Haki, creating an attack that no one could ignore.
The Dracorak advanced once more.
This time, Draven focused completely. Every muscle in his body reacted on its own, pure instinct. He dodged the right claw, rolled under the left, and launched a powerful kick to the creature's ribs.
The monster roared in pain, but recovered immediately, showing that it wouldn't be easy to take it down.
For hours that felt like minutes, the fight continued:
Each of Draven's blows pierced or cracked scales.
Each of the Dracorak's attacks forced him to jump, roll, or block.
Blood flowed from both him and the creature.
The pain began to affect his balance, but his excitement grew.
He felt every cut, every impact. It wasn't fear. It was the pleasure of fighting, of feeling the risk, of overcoming limits.
Finally, after one last combined attack: Noctharum covering its body, Armament Haki amplified, and a direct blow to the Dracorak's chest, the creature fell heavily to the ground of the clearing.
She was breathing heavily, wounded and exhausted.
Draven fell to his knees, sweaty, bleeding, and felt his heart race.
The Great Sage recorded:
Prolonged combat concluded.
Results:
- Enhanced Noctharum control
- Improved Armament Haki integration
- More efficient Conqueror's Haki reaction
- Combat motivation: evident fanaticism
Draven looked at the monster, still breathing heavily. A tired smile formed on his face.
— This… is real living.
He knew that, after this combat, no creature in that forest would be underestimated again.
And for the first time, he felt the true pleasure of a difficult battle, pain, blood, and adrenaline mixed into something that made him grow in a real way.