Ironically, Tora had been napping and dreaming of better days. When he was young there had been more than just him training here. However, none held his aspirations. His dreams. Nor his talent. Still, Tora remembered them- until he was jarred from his restful state by an almost familiar voice. An incredible power had entered his dojo, unbeknownst to him. Rising from bed he quickly prepared himself, phasing around his room as he got dressed. He would at least look prepared, if nothing else.

Thus, he appeared before Kuueru, his wild and unkempt hair tossed around messily. His blue eyes pierced through her, despite the fact they were widened in surprise. This was the girl who had bested him in the eating competition! His eternal rival! The woman who was both a bottomless pit of hunger and incredible well of strength!

She was merciful at that. Tora had been made dreadfully aware of his shortcomings in his fight against Kuueru. He discovered he was not as skilled a fighter as he initially imagined. Beyond that, he saw a being that was levels ahead of him. And she spared him.

She was humble. That was a unique quality, especially now that he truly recognized her for who she was. A demon, of some sort. Although, in her current form Tora didn't see anything demonic about her. Still, there was that glint in her eyes... something mischievous. But the Tiger of Earth didn't see her as a threat. No, more of a friend.

"Kuueru! A pleasure to see you again!" He laughed out, glancing around the room. It was a mess. And she was a girl. This was not good. He turned slightly red as he gestured for the door.

"It's a wreck in here! Why don't we, uh, go outside? Plenty of fresh air in the jungle!" Tora exclaimed. He hurried for the door, realizing that a unique opportunity had unfolded before him. Here was a person with untold strength right in front of him! He could ask her questions, maybe get a feel for the universe.

The news had been tumultuous lately. A large vacuum had opened up in terms of power. Tora recognized that- and while he had no personal aspirations to conquer, he knew the hearts of men. They were greed filled creatures, desperate for power. Tora was no different. He simply coveted power in a more traditional sense. His strength had multiplied since last meeting Kuueru, but he hid it underneath the surface.

In truth he didn't know much about this girl beyond what his animal senses had deciphered. It led him to question his sensibility in lowering his guard in front of her. But she seemed relaxed, straightforward... strangely genuine. That was why he turned to her with a massive grin, speaking honestly as they entered the jungle around his home:

"Listen. I don't know you, exactly. But you could've been a monster, and killed me. As one would expect of a 'Demon'. But, I don't judge people by any standard besides kindness. And you seem like a kind sort. Merciful, in the least. I guess, what I am trying to say is--... thanks. Most of the powerful folks I've met are really out of touch. You seem strangely normal. It's a pleasure to have you visit me. What can I do for you?"

(558 words)

Tora felt comforted by her relaxed and inquisitive nature. Once again, another normal quality. Her apparent closeness to the now dead Emperor Polaris? That was surprising to him. She was a big player after all, whether she realized it or not. She teased him, asking what other powerful creatures he was seeing; he shuddered at recollection.

The corrupting presence of Amatricina was the first thing that came to mind. Her miasmic essence had changed the very life on the nearby island- he figured out of anywhere, there would be a good place to start. Afterall- the pair both shared demonic blood.

"... well, when you put it that way I don't quite like my answer, but... Have you heard of the Demoness, Amatricina the Avaricious? She claimed allegiance to the Emperor Carambolis, but with his demise I don't know where her plans lie, beyond the conquering of her home dimension. She told me she held little concern for the fate of this realm... from there, the only other powerful warrior I've encountered would be Kamui, another member of Carambolis' 'Empire'. Amatracina's strength is far more toxic than most I've encountered. Although, she seems to be mostly... prideful, and lost. I'd be wary around her."

With that he leaned against a nearby tree, appreciating the shade. The lively jungle life around him was something he hardly noticed, yet felt intertwined with.

"Polaris. Tell me of the late Emperor. What do you know about him? I've always wanted a first hand understanding." he questioned, still smiling. This was unique. Although to most it would seem useless to learn of a dead man, Tora always felt it necessary to learn. Especially from a man of such ambition. He imagined that Polaris would've liked to have ruled the entire universe. Tora imagined every conqueror felt that way.

"And more importantly, tell me of yourself! I am curious to your lineage. Don't tell me your some Demon Lord, ruling over some mystical realm?" he asked, laughing. He figured this adorable girl, although in disguise, was more like him. A free spirit.

(345 words)

Tora listened intently to Kuueru, nodding in confirmation as she spoke. He was surprised to learn of several things; First, that she had beaten Polaris in a fight. Second, that his power exceeded levels of sixteen million. That was... Impressive wasn't even the word. That was ridiculous. And if she had been capable of besting him, she was more than impressive herself. She spoke of her plans to help a new emperor come to fruition, that of his heir. Beyond that, she professed that she was actually quite ancient. Over 700 years old!


Tora looked her up and down, surprised. Genuinely. That was one thing he couldn't have guessed himself. Then again, apparently Amatracina was even older than her. She said that the Demoness more than likely held more dark plans for this universe. He couldn't help but agree with that suspicion. The main thing that interested him was her description of her hybrid heritage.



She claimed demonic and holy heritage. A strange mixture, indeed. Tora felt no judgement of her in this explanation; Just a natural curiousity. The funniest thing of it all was her desire for mortal delicacies. He wasn't surprised- that was how they had met, in fact. Tora smiled at her, scratching his head. "So, I could ask a million questions about the whole holy demon schtick, but I really don't care what you are! You're fine to me. I was just wondering. I am actually more interested in this whole food fiasco, actually. What led you to start experimenting so much with food? And, uh, what is your favorite food? And favorite place to go to eat? I'm just curious..."


From there, he shifted to a more serious topic. "And are you sure that this Absolut is really willing to just become and Emperor? Is he the type..? Neither of us seem to be ambitious in that sense. Are you sure you should continue making Empires? I have to be frank with you, I've found that men who call themselves Emperor, King, President... They all have something in common. They clutch to that power with their dying breath- it's much different from physical strength. If you're strong, it's rare your strength wanes short of disease or age. But you still retain that mental strength. The power gained from controlling an Empire is... Intoxicating, probably. Are you sure you're picking the right person? You don't want to create a madman with too much power. I know nothing about Polaris, or his heir, it's just a question."

Apparently, Tora considered himself a philosopher as well as a martial artist.

(432 words)

Kuueru described her passion for mortal delicacy in more detail, almost causing Tora's mouth to salivate at the thought of some prime rib. Tora was a skilled cook himself; But his style of cooking was not designed for the kitchen. He was primal, with most of his dishes seared on an open flame. The concept of dining out for him was not unknown, but it was a rare treat. She spoke of Absolut, and his inheritance from Polaris- a large portion of the known universe.

Quite the family heirloom. Tora wondered if his deceased parents had written up a will. They had been wealthy entrepeneurs, dedicating their life to business and pleasure. Their drive for travel was how they had ended up crash landing, and dying, on this island the pair now stood on. She insisted that if it came down to it, she could 'tame' Absolut if he became sick with power. The notion of that actually evoked a sense of fear in Tora no Seishin. He had seen firsthand a glimpse into Kuueru's strength. He imagined that it ran far deeper than he had seen- back then he had definitely not been powerful enough to challenge her very much.

If only he had achieved then what he had achieved now. For a moment he contemplated bringing it up to her- his recent boost in power. But then he recalled- she was a member of a rather foreboding Empire. Not that he didn't trust her anymore. She was still his friend. But sometimes you should even be wary of friends, and sometimes it was for their own good. At the end of the day, Kuueru seemed to be many things to Tora. Perhaps it was an act, but she overall seemed naive for her standing and power- especially for her age. A few centuries old, yet still not wary of the corrupting nature of greed.

Then again, perhaps her unique heritage made her the perfect person to bring balance to such an unbalanced universe. She seemed aware of the misguided intentions of Polaris, and seemed to have faith in his heir. Maybe this boy would be better than his father. But, still, he'd be an Emperor. A man to rule other men. Something about that never sat right with Tora no Seishin. He sighed at Kuueru, his shoulders relaxing.

"A tournament, huh..? I'll be sure to catch it..." he said. Tora didn't mean that in the sense of spectating. If Kuueru was going to be in a tournament, Tora wanted in. It would be a chance to have a rematch, one more befitting than a casual demonstration. Tora wanted an opportunity to prove himself to the girl. More importantly...

Tora wanted to feel stronger himself. It wasn't as if he had complete faith in the power he held now- even in comparison to what he had seen of Kuueru, it was a candle to a flame. He remembered all of his losses up to this point. Kamui. Kaijin. Kuueru herself. A few scattered victories, almost hollow in nature in between. Against small fry. Like himself, or the man he had been before. On the precipice of greatness.

Was he great now? Truly? Having discovered an old technique thought lost to the ages whilst dreaming, Tora wondered if he was destined for something. It was like... A reverse premonition. A demonstration of what came before. The old masters of the Tiger Style would pick one of the animals and bind their soul to them; They could draw on the chi, or ki, of the animal and augment their own with it. It would alter their appearance, and give them not only a partner to fight with, but a set of armor to shield them as well as changed physical attributes.

Claws. Fangs. A bladed tail, whose strength was deceptive. All part of the next level in the Tiger Style, the level that Tora had obtained. But he had yet to test the new form, as well as its' limitations. He imagined as he gained combat experience within the form he could further master it. He already had achieved something beyond what the previous masters of the Tiger Style were capable of- his levels of power were beyond what most humans were ever going to achieve in their lifetimes.

But he still felt like a child sometimes. Helpless against a world much larger than himself. In this moment, Kuueru represented that plateau he had yet to reach. He felt as though he had been climbing for years, never to reach for anything. But, he didn't want to explain himself to the girl- nor did he want to give away his desire to face her again in the same tournament she had just described. He flashed a care-free smile her way, nonchalantly transitioning to his next question:

"What's it called, exactly? This tournament? Don't want to miss my chance to see you in action."

(822 words)