The village lay quiet under the night sky, save for crackling torches and distant insect songs. A crowd had gathered in the town square around a single old television perched on a wooden cart—a rare sight in this humble settlement where technology was scarce.
Farmers, blacksmiths, merchants, and children huddled together, faces bathed in the screen's bluish glow.
Elder Hagan, grizzled and bearded, leaned on his cane. "Turn it up, lad."
The boy at the front twisted the knob.
The broadcast flickered. Static crackled. Gasps rippled through the crowd as the picture distorted. Then, emerging from the darkness itself, a tall figure stepped into frame. His top hat cast a long shadow, his coat swayed, and his voice—smooth yet unnervingly playful—echoed through the village.
"Hello, hello there, viewers~"
Villagers exchanged wary glances. Some clutched prayer necklaces. Others reached instinctively for weapons.
"I have hacked everyone's TVs. And I mean... everyone's."
A collective shiver ran through the crowd. Even in their secluded corner of the world, they felt the weight of those words.
"And you're probably wondering—who am I?"
The man chuckled, twirling his cane before resting it on his shoulder. His presence felt both regal and dangerous, like a king long bored of his throne.
"I am the strongest man alive."
Silence.
The baker dropped his loaf. Village guards froze, hands white-knuckled on their spears. Even the distant cattle seemed to quiet.
"And I want to be beaten."
Murmurs erupted. The blacksmith's son clenched his fists. A cloaked traveler at the back tilted his head. Even Elder Hagan's eyes glimmered with something between suspicion and curiosity.
"It's been, what, a month since the Supreme Council officially recognized me as the strongest? And let me tell you—it's been so boring."
Nervous laughter scattered through the crowd. Others frowned, warrior spirits stirred by his words.
"Now, I won't reveal myself, and I won't say where I am. But here's all you need to know—"
He leaned closer, as if speaking directly into their souls.
"Whoever defeats me, kills me, or makes me surrender... will be rewarded handsomely. One trillion gold. The strongest sky ship. Mythical weapons beyond imagination. Magic scrolls containing spells lost to time. And best of all... the power to create your own domain."
Stunned silence.
Then—chaos.
"Is this a trick?!" a merchant shouted.
"He must be mad!" a mother clutched her child.
But some stood perfectly still. The ambitious. The fearless. Those who saw opportunity, not madness.
"Invitations have been sent across all worlds. If you accept, know this—you will be hunted by the Supreme Council. But that's fine, isn't it?"
The man chuckled, the sound lingering like whisper on wind.
"Anyway, I must go. I wish you all luck."
With a final tip of his hat, the screen went black.
Silence.
Then—
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
Laughter exploded from the tavern as a burly warrior slammed his fist on the table. "A trillion gold?! A sky ship?! I'm in!"
"This could be our chance," a robed sorcerer murmured, mind already racing.
The village erupted with excitement and fear. Some trembled. Others felt something awaken—hunger, thrill, the call of adventure.
One thing became clear: the world would never be the same.
The television's glow flickered in the small wooden home. Half-eaten plates sat on the table, a single candle burning low. On the floor, wide-eyed and ears perked, sat Eleo—an 8-year-old bunny kid with enough energy to shatter mountains. Beside him in a creaky rocking chair lounged Grandpa Gou, an old warrior-turned-fisherman with a face like weathered stone and the personality of a shipwrecked sailor.
The TV cut to black after the mysterious broadcast.
Silence.
Eleo's nose twitched.
"GRANDPA GOU!! I WANNA BE THE STRONGEST!!"
Gou rubbed his temples. "Boy, did you not listen to a single word that man said?"
Eleo grinned, buck teeth shining. "Yeah! He said if you beat him, you become the strongest!"
Gou facepalmed so hard his chair nearly tipped. "Not just that, ya goofy furball! You'll be hunted by the Supreme Council! You know what that means?!"
Eleo tilted his head. "Uh... they wanna shake my hand?"
Gou's eye twitched. "No, boy, they wanna KILL you!"
Eleo stood on the couch, puffing out his chest. "PFFT! I don't care! I'll kick their—"
WHAM!
Gou's fist crashed into his face, sending him flying back into the couch with a loud "OOMPH!" He sat dazed, legs sticking up like a knocked-over toy.
Eleo rubbed his cheek. "Hey!! What was that for?!"
Gou crossed his arms. "You said a very, very bad word."
Eleo sat up. "Wait—a—"
WHAM!
Eleo hopped up and double-kicked Gou square in the face, sending the old man skidding back, his chair flipping. Gou sat up, nose bleeding, and wiped it with his thumb.
"Heh... you made me bleed." His grin widened. "I'm proud of ya, boy."
Eleo beamed. "YEAH! I AIN'T WEAK! I BEEN TRAINING WITH MASTER KUMA!"
Gou cracked his neck, standing. "I can tell. You hit like a malnourished squirrel, but hey, it's somethin'."
Eleo's ears twitched. "Wait... what's a squirrel?"
Gou stared at him for a long moment. Then, sighing like a man who'd just given up on life, he patted Eleo's head. "Boy, ya ain't got a single brain cell workin', huh?"
Eleo gasped, ears perking. "WAIT! I GOT A BRAIN?!"
Gou closed his eyes and muttered a prayer for patience.
He stretched. "Alright, I need to hit the sack. I'll be leavin' Pork Island tomorrow."
Eleo's ears drooped. "Already?! But ya just got here!"
Gou shrugged. "I know. But hey, at least you got your lil' friend Abby."
Eleo pouted. "Ughhh, but Abby's no fun! She always tells me not to punch stuff, and that's, like, my favorite thing!"
Gou chuckled. "Good. Maybe she'll knock some sense into that thick skull." He started toward his room. "Alright, go to bed—"
WHAM!
He punched Eleo in the face, sending him flying into his pillow.
Eleo groaned. "Whyyy...?"
Gou grinned. "Told ya to get some sleep, didn't I?"
Eleo, half-buried in his blanket, gave a thumbs-up. "Night, Grandpa Gou... when I wake up, I'm gonna be the strongest."
Gou chuckled, walking away. "Yeah, yeah, kid. Just don't forget to wake up first."
The sun barely crested Pork Island's horizon, casting warm light through wooden windows. The salty breeze rustled curtains. Inside, peaceful morning was about to be obliterated by an energetic bunny kid.
BAM!
Eleo kicked open Gou's door, tail wagging wildly.
"GOU! GOU! GOU!! WAKE UP, OLD MAN!! I ALREADY WOKE UP FIRST!!"
The only response: the loudest snore imaginable—like a walrus choking on a bagpipe. Gou sprawled with arms behind his head, snoring so deeply he might've been in another dimension.
Eleo squinted. "Okay... you asked for it."
He hopped onto the bed, crouched like a pouncing tiger.
"GRANDPA WAKE-UP ATTACK!!!"
THUMP!
Eleo flopped onto Gou's stomach like a sack of bricks.
"BLAGHH!!" Gou gagged, eyes snapping open, nearly choking on spit. "KID, WHAT THE HELL?!"
Eleo, still lying on top, grinned innocently. "Well, I didn't want you sleeping all day. Also, I called your name a bunch and you wouldn't wake up, so... yeah."
Gou sighed, rubbing his face. "Good grief, boy. If you weren't my grandson, I'd have punted you into the ocean."
After prying Eleo off, they went through their morning routine:
Brushed teeth (Gou stopped Eleo from eating toothpaste—again).
Ate breakfast (Eleo devoured a pancake stack in two bites).
Did push-ups (Gou did them casually while Eleo screamed, "ONE TRILLION!" after every rep).
Punched each other for fun (Gou smacked Eleo across the yard, Eleo kicked his shin).
Gou grabbed his travel bag and stretched. "Welp, I'm off."
Eleo pouted. "Man... I'm gonna miss you."
Gou smirked, messing up Eleo's hair. "I'll miss you too, kid. And hey—keep that dumb little smile of yours, alright?"
Eleo grinned wide. "OKAY!!"
Gou glanced at his watch. His eyes widened. "Oh hell, I'm gonna be late—"
WHOOSH!
He sprinted off like a madman. "BYE, ELEO!!"
Eleo waved, sighing. Then his brain caught up.
"OH, WAIT! I GOTTA SEE MASTER KUMA!!"
And just like that—he blasted off.
Eleo raced through the forest, weaving between trees, leaping logs, accidentally knocking over a guy on a donkey, finally bursting into the rowdiest bar in town—The Iron Fang.
The place thrummed with laughter, clinking mugs, and the occasional bar fight. At the counter, a fox woman with sleek orange fur—Lucy—served drinks with warrior-like speed.
At the biggest table sat a massive, muscular bear in a kung fu gi—Master Kuma. He laughed heartily, large beer mug in his paw. Beside him sat Abby, Lucy's daughter and Eleo's best friend, sipping juice.
Eleo ran up, jumping onto the table dramatically.
"MASTER KUMA! DID YOU HEAR THE NEWS?!"
Kuma sipped his drink, unfazed. "Yep."
Eleo grinned. "THEN YOU KNOW I'M GONNA BE THE STRONGEST!"
Kuma calmly set his mug down. "Boy, you ain't ready."
Abby nodded. "Yeah, Eleo! You gotta be extremely strong! Right, Master Kuma?"
Kuma chuckled. "That's right."
Eleo puffed his chest. "I am strong! Stronger than you! All you do is sing."
The entire bar went dead silent.
Kuma froze mid-drink. A single beer drop fell from his mug.
Abby's eye twitched.
SNATCH!
Before Eleo could react, Abby grabbed his ear and twisted.
"YOU WANNA SAY THAT AGAIN, PUNK?!"
Eleo flailed. "OW! OW! OW!! ABBY, STOP!!"
Kuma calmly sipped. "Abby, no hurting Eleo."
Abby kept twisting. "I'M NOT HURTING HIM! I'M DISCIPLINING HIM!"
Kuma chuckled. "Mhm."
Eleo dangled by his ear, flailing helplessly. "AAAAH!! KUMA, HELP ME!!"
Kuma smirked. "Nah. You brought this on yourself, boy."
The bar erupted in laughter.
Eleo eventually escaped, rubbing his sore ear while pouting. Kuma smiled, watching his student.
Kuma leaned back, crossing his arms. "You really think you can be the strongest, Eleo?"
Eleo grinned, confidence unshakable. "NO—I KNOW I CAN!"
Kuma chuckled. "Well then, let's see if you can survive today's training."
Eleo's ears perked. "TRAINING?! AWESOME!"
Abby sighed. "Oh boy, here we go again..."
Everyone headed toward the woods.
The crowd gathered in the clearing, trees swaying with anticipation. Iron Fang regulars stood on the sidelines, drinks in hand, whispering about what was to unfold.
Master Kuma stepped forward, massive fur-covered arms relaxed. He still held his wooden beer mug, taking a slow sip like this was just another day.
Eleo bounced on his feet, tail twitching, ears perked.
Abby cupped her hands. "Eleo, you can do it!"
Eleo turned, grinning wide. "Thanks, Abby!" He pointed dramatically at Kuma. "Alright, Master! Let's FIGHT-FIGHT!!"
Kuma sighed, swirling his beer. "Boy, you're more impatient than a starving wolf at a feast."
Eleo cracked his knuckles. "Yeah, yeah, enough talking. Time to see if this training actually worked!"
The crowd went silent. Tension thickened.
"BEGIN!" someone shouted.
Eleo sprinted forward, fists clenched. His tiny legs kicked up dust as he charged with a war cry that sounded more excited than intimidating.
Kuma yawned and scratched his belly.
Eleo swung a wild punch straight at Kuma's chest.
Thud.
His fist connected.
With a soft boop noise.
Like punching a pillow.
Eleo blinked. His ears twitched. He looked up.
Kuma blinked back.
"...That was it?" Kuma sounded disappointed.
Eleo stepped back, shaking his hand. "Owowow—dang, you're built like a brick wall!"
The crowd burst into laughter.
Kuma smirked and finally moved.
BAM.
His massive paw came down, aiming for Eleo's head.
"GAH—"
Eleo barely dodged, tumbling backward and rolling to his feet. His heart pounded.
Kuma had moved so fast for such a big guy.
Eleo gulped. "Alright, okay, so you're actually pretty strong—who knew?"
Abby facepalmed. "EVERYONE KNEW, ELEO!"
Kuma stood slowly, dusting himself off.
"Well, boy, looks like you at least dodged that one. Let's see if you can dodge the next."
Eleo's ears shot up.
"Oh, crap—"
WHOOSH.
Kuma vanished.
Eleo's eyes widened. "WHERE'D HE GO—?!"
BAM.
Kuma lightly chopped Eleo on the head.
"OWWWW!"
Eleo face-planted into dirt.
The crowd howled with laughter.
Abby sighed, rubbing her temples. "This is painful to watch."
Eleo popped up, clutching his head. "HEY, WHAT KIND OF TEACHER HITS THEIR STUDENT?!"
Kuma sipped his beer. "The kind that teaches lessons. Ready to learn?"
Eleo gritted his teeth.
He lunged again, throwing a barrage of punches.
Left. Right. Left. Right.
Every punch—dodged.
Kuma simply leaned left, right, back, forward, sipping his beer without spilling a drop.
The crowd gasped.
"He's dodging without even trying!" someone whispered.
Eleo growled in frustration.
"STOP DODGING, OLD MAN! LET ME HIT YOU!!"
Kuma smirked. "Alright."
Eleo's ears twitched. "Huh?"
WHAM.
Kuma backhanded Eleo across the clearing.
The bunny kid flew, tumbling through dirt until he crashed into a bush.
The crowd cheered and laughed.
Kuma stretched. "Welp, that was fun."
Abby ran up and peeked into the bush. "Eleo, are you alive?"
Eleo popped out, twigs stuck in his ears. "Yep! Totally fine! Not even hurt!"
His legs wobbled.
Kuma walked over, standing over him. "You done yet, boy?"
Eleo took a deep breath.
Then, despite everything—
He grinned.
"Not even close."
Kuma raised a brow. "Oh?"
Eleo wiped dirt off his face, stomping his foot.
"You might be stronger, faster, and way better than me at everything..."
"...BUT..."
Eleo puffed out his chest.
"I REFUSE to stay weak!!"
The crowd went silent.
Kuma watched him for a long moment.
Then—
He laughed.
A deep, hearty laugh that rumbled like thunder.
He put a paw on Eleo's head, ruffling his ears.
"Good answer, boy."
Eleo blinked. "Huh?"
Kuma smirked. "You lost, but you ain't broken. That's good."
Eleo's eyes widened. "Wait... does that mean—?!"
Kuma took one last sip, then grinned.
"Alright, Eleo. I'll keep training you."
The crowd cheered.
Eleo pumped his fist.
"YEAH!!!"
Abby sighed. "Well, at least he survived."
Five days later.
Eleo lay sprawled on the ground, panting like a dog, sweat soaking his fur. His ears twitched as he tried to lift himself, only to collapse face-first into dirt.
Kuma sat on a log nearby, completely relaxed, drinking from an oversized jug.
"Alright, boy," Kuma finally said.
Eleo peeked up. "Y-Yeah?" he wheezed.
Kuma sipped. "I'm leaving soon."
Eleo shot up immediately. "W-WHAT?!"
Kuma sighed, stretching. "Gotta handle something big—dangerous stuff. Can't stay here forever, kid."
Eleo's ears drooped, but he forced a smile. "Oh, uh... okay! Yeah! No big deal!"
Kuma's eyebrow twitched. He saw straight through it.
"Follow me."
Eleo blinked. "Huh? Where we goin'?"
Kuma didn't answer, just started walking. Curious but confused, Eleo scrambled after him.
They stopped in a small clearing away from the village. Kuma reached into his coat, pulling out something glowing.
An orb, dark blue, swirling with ink-like patterns inside.
Eleo's eyes lit up like fireworks.
"WHOA—WHAT IS THAT?!"
Kuma smirked. "This, boy, is a Soul Orb. We call it an S-Orb for short. Here, take it."
Eleo snatched it immediately and...
Licked it.
Kuma stared. The wind blew softly.
"..."
"..."
"...Boy, what the hell are you doing?"
Eleo wiped his tongue, gagging. "ACK—IT TASTES LIKE A SWEATY ROCK!"
Kuma palmed his face. "You're supposed to absorb it, you idiot."
Eleo blinked. "Oh."
He closed his eyes and concentrated. Slowly, the orb began sinking into his body. For a brief moment, he felt warm. Powerful.
Then—
PAIN.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Eleo dropped, rolling around like a fish out of water. His body felt like it was on FIRE.
Kuma sipped his beer. "Oh yeah, forgot to mention—it hurts."
"YOU FORGOT TO MENTION THAT?!!" Eleo screamed, flailing.
Abby, who'd just walked up, froze in horror. "What did you do to him?!"
Kuma shrugged. "Gave him an S-Orb."
Abby stomped over, pointing accusingly. "You just gave him a legendary artifact like it was a snack?!"
Kuma nodded. "Yep."
"AND YOU DIDN'T WARN HIM?!"
"...Nope."
"ARE YOU EVEN A RESPONSIBLE ADULT?!"
Kuma sipped his beer. "Nope."
Eleo finally stopped twitching, panting heavily. His fur was ruffled, ears crooked, face full of regret.
"I... I think I saw my ancestors..."
Kuma patted Eleo's head. "You'll be fine, kid. Might not be strong now, but that orb will be useful someday."
Eleo groaned. "D-Does it at least give me super strength?"
"Nope."
"Super speed?"
"Nope."
"Heat vision?!"
Kuma tilted his head. "Why would a bunny need heat vision?"
Eleo gasped. "I'M STILL WEAK?!"
Kuma grinned and stood. "No, but now you've got potential."
Eleo blinked. "...What does that even mean?"
Kuma ignored him. "C'mon, let's all head to the docks."
Minutes later, the three stood at the docks watching Kuma prepare to leave.
A massive sky ship with dragon-like wings floated above, sails billowing. The engines hummed softly, filling the air with a low rumble.
Kuma stood at the boarding ramp's edge, his usual grin replaced by something softer.
Eleo's ears drooped. "You really gotta go?"
Kuma sighed, looking at his small student. "Yeah. But don't worry, kid. I'll be back someday."
Eleo forced a grin. "Heh, y-you better! 'Cause by then, I'm gonna be the strongest!"
Kuma chuckled. "That so?"
Eleo puffed his chest. "YUP! And next time, I won't lose!"
Kuma smirked. "Looking forward to it."
Abby smiled beside Eleo, though her eyes held sadness. "Stay safe, Master Kuma."
Kuma ruffled her hair. "You too, kiddo. Watch over Eleo for me."
Abby sighed. "Ugh, that's a full-time job."
Kuma laughed and turned to board. As he stepped up, Eleo waved wildly.
"BYE, KUMA!!"
Abby waved too. "Come back in one piece, old man!"
Kuma grinned, raising his hand. "You bet."
With a final whoosh, the sky ship lifted off, vanishing into the clouds.
Eleo and Abby stood watching until the ship disappeared.
Then—
Eleo suddenly collapsed, twitching.
Abby panicked. "ELEO?!"
Eleo groaned, rolling onto his back. "...That orb still hurts."
Abby sighed. "You're hopeless."
Eleo grinned up at the sky. "Yeah... but I'm gonna be the strongest, anyway."