Pirate: Crew of Desire and Bonds

And it thought it was...

...Beautiful.

But by the time Samu’dra truly understood the beauty of swordsmanship, it was already too late.

There was no one left for it to fight.

The creatures that had once challenged its strength were gone, while the predators that had once hunted it had either been killed or driven away.

Even the creatures that might have been able to stand against its sword had disappeared from this world.

Samu’dra had finally found something it loved, only to realize that there was no one left to share it with.

But it continued practicing anyway.

Every day, it swung the swords through the endless darkness, trying new movements, new techniques, and new ways to make the blades flow more naturally with its body.

Its swordsmanship continued to improve, and with each passing day, Samu’dra became stronger and more skilled.

Yet no matter how much it practiced, it always felt as though something was missing.

And that...

There was no opponent who could force it to improve, no one who could dodge its attacks or block its sword, and no one who could push it far enough to make Samu’dra wonder how much further its swordsmanship could truly go.

Sometimes, after practicing for hours, Samu’dra would simply stand in the darkness with its swords hanging loosely in its hands.

It would look around the empty world and find nothing but silence.

And at that time, for the first time in its life, Samu’dra began to understand what it meant to be alone.

It had spent its entire life fighting simply to survive.

It had fought against predators, rival creatures, and anything else that threatened its existence.

It had always believed that surviving was enough.

But now it had discovered something it genuinely loved... It had found something that made it feel alive....

....And yet, after finally finding something worth fighting for, there was no one left to fight.

...Until today.

Its single eye remained fixed on the two-legged creature standing before it.

At first, Samu’dra simply watched Jake in silence.

But then, something stirred deep within its chest.

Its heart began to beat faster.

Thump.

Samu’dra’s massive hand tightened around the greatsword.

Thump.

Its single eye widened slightly.

It knew this feeling.

It was the same feeling it had experienced long ago, when it first discovered the beauty of the sword.

Except this time, it was far stronger because this time, there was someone standing before it.

Someone capable of fighting.

Someone able to push boundaries further.

Someone who might actually withstand its sword.

Samu’dra’s enormous frame started to quiver slightly as anticipation surged through it.

For countless years, it had swung its swords through the empty darkness, imagining what it would be like to finally meet an opponent worthy of them.

It had imagined someone who could dodge its attacks, block its strikes, and force it to discover how far its swordsmanship could truly go.

And now, that opponent was standing right in front of it.

Its heart began pounding harder.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

The loneliness that had followed Samu’dra for so many years suddenly seemed to disappear.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, it no longer felt alone.

Someone was finally here... someone who grasped the language of the sword without needing words, someone who could finally give purpose to all those years spent practicing in the darkness.

Samu’dra’s single eye slowly curved into a wide, almost wild grin.

The feeling spreading through its chest was overwhelming.

It was excitement, anticipation, and the joy of finally finding something it had been searching for without even realizing it.

After spending so many years believing that it would be forced to swing its swords alone for the rest of its existence, Samu’dra had finally found someone who could stand before it.

And for the first time in years, Samu’dra felt truly alive.

This feeling... was also beautiful.

Samu’dra didn’t care about the outcome.

It didn’t care who would live or who would die.

At this moment, there was only one thing it wanted: to swing its sword against someone who could finally appreciate its beauty.

_

_

_

Samu’dra stared at Jake almost reverently, its massive body trembling with excitement as the beastly aura surrounding it continued to grow stronger.

Jake could feel that aura pressing against him.

There was wildness and bloodlust within it, but beneath those feelings was something else, something... almost pure.

Jake couldn’t help but smile.

’So this guy really is enjoying himself.’

But then his smile slowly faded at the sight of Samu’dra suddenly opening its mouth, its massive jaw moving awkwardly as though it had forgotten how to use it for anything other than biting.

The giant Naga’s throat vibrated, and a rough, hoarse sound escaped from its mouth.

”I...”

Jake’s eyes widened.

It was speaking.

For the first time since they had met, the enormous Naga was actually trying to speak.

Samu’dra struggled to form the unfamiliar words while keeping its single eye fixed on Jake.

”I... am...”

Its voice was deep and rough, like stones grinding against each other.

”...happy.”

With that, silence fell over the cavern.

Jake stared at it, momentarily unsure of how to respond.

The words were simple, almost ridiculously so, yet hearing them from this enormous, scarred creature somehow made them feel strangely heavy.

Samu’dra’s eye curved slightly as it looked at Jake.

”I... am happy,” Samu’dra repeated, this time with slightly clearer words.

Its grin grew wider.

Jake’s expression slowly changed as he tightened his grip around the sword of light.

Then a faint smile returned to his face.

”...Yeah.”

His eyes sharpened as he looked at Samu’dra.

”I think... I’m starting to understand you a bit.”

With one last happy smile,

Samu’dra lowered its body and brought both swords into position, while Jake raised his own sword in response.

The atmosphere between them became incredibly tense. Neither of them needed to say anything more because they both understood what was coming.

Their next clash would be the fiercest one yet.

_

_

_

Meanwhile,

Aria stared intently at the two figures as the battle intent between them continued to rise.

She could clearly feel the change in the atmosphere.

Jake’s aura had become sharper, while Samu’dra’s already terrifying presence had grown even more ferocious.

The two of them stood several meters apart, neither willing to take their eyes off the other.

Aria’s expression slowly became serious as she murmured,

”So this is... how the strong fight.”

She slowly clenched her fists as she watched the two monsters standing before her.

Something inside her stirred as she watched them, and for a moment, she couldn’t help but imagine herself standing there one day, strong enough to fight against someone like that.

However... at that moment, Aria was unaware that something else was watching her from above.

High up on the cavern wall, the four-eyed Naga stared intently at her.

Its four eyes remained fixed on Aria as saliva slowly gathered at the corner of its mouth.

It was hungry.

The scent of prey had already reached it, and its instincts were becoming increasingly difficult to suppress.

Its stomach twisted painfully, while every part of its body urged it to move closer.

Samu’dra had ordered them to stay put, and the four-eyed Naga knew that disobeying their leader could have serious consequences.

Yet the longer it stared at Aria, the harder it became to remain still.

Its hunger was no longer something it could simply ignore.

It had become a physical torment that gnawed at its body and mind, slowly drowning out every thought except the desire to feed.

Its claws tightened against the stone as it struggled to restrain itself.

The Naga’s eyes flickered toward Samu’dra before returning to Aria.

And... for the first time, the fear of disobeying its leader was no longer enough to hold it back.

Slowly, its body shifted forward.

Its muscles tensed as it prepared to descend from the cavern wall.

The four-eyed Naga was ready to strike.