"CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!"
The impact was deafening.
The pipe jerked violently in Draven's hands, metal screeching as it clashed. It slammed into the rock, wedging itself just enough to keep from being swept away by the whirlwind.
Draven gripped the top of the pipe, holding it firm to stop its wild, erratic movement.
The pipe didn't bend or break even with the strong force.
"I knew it; you are something else!" Draven exclaimed, trusting his 1-meter-long pipe.
Draven held fast, pressing the top of the pipe down, resisting with every ounce of strength he had.
To Naisha, it looked impossible, almost desperate.
But then something strange happened. Something Naisha hadn't expected.
The whirlwind stuttered.
Naisha's eyes widened as realization dawned. "It's working…"
The angle of the pipe was disrupting the chain's deadly flow.
"He's… slowing it down…" Naisha whispered.
'But it won't be enough to stop the whirlwind. Draven's strength will give out long before the whirlwind stops.' she muttered as he calculated the fight.
Draven gritted his teeth, holding on as the pipe vibrated so violently in his hands that he thought his bones might shatter.
The chains kept spinning, slamming into the pipe, but each strike chipped away at their speed. The heat was searing and burned Draven's hands as he fought to keep his grip.
"ZZZZZZZTTT!"
Draven's body shook and his feet dug into the ground as he maintained the position of the pipe.
'He's brilliant,' Naisha murmured in awe, watching Draven endure the intense pressure.
She could see the whirlwind beginning to slow even more now.
"Aaarrrghh!" Draven roared.
With one last burst of strength, Draven shifted his grip and slammed the chains upward with his pipe, creating an opening.
Naisha's heart raced as she saw a path open up straight to Gorvex.
Without wasting a second, Draven charged through the gap.
The Mad Clan leader stood there, dazed and disoriented, still trying to comprehend the collapse of his ability.
'This cannot be! A verdant stopped me?'
Draven reached Gorvex in an instant.
Gorvex's eyes widened in shock, but that quickly turned to a vicious glare. As his hands lifted, the chains wrapped around him, slithering from his arms down, forming a deadly armor over his body.
"C'mon Verdant!" Gorvex shouted, challenging Draven.
Draven's lips curled into a wide grin as he drew closer to Gorvex. "Be proud! You're the first to experience my real attack!"
Then, Draven tightened his grip and slammed the glowing-hot pipe into Gorvex, driving him straight into the ground.
"CRACKKK…" "BOOMMM!"
The pipe crashed into Gorvex's chain armor and his chest. And the force was so overwhelming that Gorvex's entire body slammed into the ground, leaving a deep crater as if the earth itself had become a grave for him.
Pain exploded across Gorvex's body, and he vomited blood as he hit the ground. Even though he poured every bit of his strength into his defense, he couldn't stop the sheer force of Draven's strength.
His entire body trembled, and his bones were about to give way.
"Argh!" Gorvex let out a strangled gasp. His eyes went wide with shock and agony. "Who is this Verdant?"
He tried to lift his arms, but his strength was failing him. The whirlwind chains, now completely disordered, fell limp around him.
Draven stood over him, gripping the pipe, which still glowed faintly from the heat and friction. His own chest heaved as he caught his breath, but his eyes never wavered from Gorvex.
"No more trump cards?" he asked, smiling.
Gorvex managed a weak, bitter laugh. "Don't fool yourself, boy. A verdant stays a verdant. You'll always be preys… till the day you die."
His words faded to a murmur as his head lolled to the side.
"Hmm... This is interesting," Draven commented as he shifted his gaze to the sky as if he were thinking about something.
Everyone was stunned. The leader of the Mad Clan had just been taken down by a mere Verdant of all people!
The Mad Clan members were paralyzed, eyes wide with terror, as if they had seen something far worse than defeat. They didn't know what to do.
For a moment, they stood there frozen. Then, slowly, they began to back away.
"Run!" someone from the clan finally yelled, breaking the silence.
Like a dam bursting, they scattered, vanishing into the trees.
A wave of cheers exploded from the villagers.
They had won.
"He really took down Gorvex!" one villager shouted in disbelief.
"Sister Naisha!" Ken's voice rang out as he and Auntie rushed toward her.
Naisha sprinted forward and pulled Ken into a tight embrace. "Are you okay? Did you get hurt anywhere?"
Ken shook his head, his eyes wide, but he was fine.
Relieved, Naisha stood up and made her way to Draven. "Thank you for saving me and the villagers," she said softly.
Draven didn't respond. His gaze was still fixed on the sky, lost in thought, his breathing ragged.
His clothes were torn and scorched from the battle. The cloth he had wrapped around his hand was blackened and frayed, revealing his pale skin beneath. Even his palms looked burned.
But his thoughts seemed far away...
He thought he felt something he had never felt before.
From Pentagon fights, he had always held back his true abilities.
These were fights you couldn't even call real fights.
Even the management and coaches kept forcing him to act like he was struggling just to make the matches look more exciting.
Until he eventually forgot what this feeling truly was.
A huge grin spread across Draven's face as he continued staring up at the sky.
"This is the life I want! "
"Real breathlessness, real sweat, real paint!"
"This is the world I long for!"
"This is a complete package! A strong opponent and…" He said, shifting his thoughts to Naisha.
He spun around to face her, his grin wide, and squeezed her shoulder. "A beautiful babe beside me."