The village lay quiet under the night sky, broken only by the crackle of torches and the distant hum of insects. In the town square, a crowd had gathered around something rare for a settlement like this—an old television perched atop a wooden cart, its screen casting bluish light across weathered faces.
Farmers. Blacksmiths. Merchants. Children. All of them pressed together, eyes fixed forward.
Elder Hagan, grizzled and leaning on his cane, squinted at the screen. "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 steadied. A tall figure stepped into frame from the darkness. His top hat cast a long shadow. His coat swayed with each step. And his voice, when it came, was smooth and unnervingly playful.
"Hello, hello there, viewers~"
Villagers exchanged uneasy glances. Some clutched prayer necklaces. Others reached instinctively for weapons.
"I have hacked every TV. And I mean... everyone's."
A shiver ran through the crowd. Even here, in their secluded corner of the world, the weight of those words landed.
"And you're probably wondering—who am I?"
He 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, knuckles white on their spears.
"And I want to be beaten."
Murmurs erupted. The blacksmith's son clenched his fists. A cloaked traveler at the back tilted his head slowly. Even Elder Hagan's eyes glimmered—something between suspicion and curiosity.
"It's been 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, stirred by something older and fiercer.
"Now, I won't reveal myself. I won't say where I am. But here's all you need to know—"
He leaned closer to the camera, as if speaking directly into their souls.
"Whoever defeats me—kills me, or makes me surrender—will be rewarded. One trillion gold. The finest sky ship in existence. Mythical weapons. 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. The ones who heard opportunity where others heard madness.
"Invitations have been sent across all worlds. If you accept—know this: the Supreme Council will hunt you. But that's fine, isn't it?"
His chuckle lingered like a whisper on wind.
"Anyway. I must go. I wish you all luck."
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 somewhere far ahead.
The village erupted with excitement and fear. Some trembled. Others felt something wake inside them—hunger, thrill, the pull of adventure.
One thing was clear: the world would never be the same.
The television's glow flickered in a 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 eight-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 screen went black.
Silence.
Eleo's nose twitched.
"GRANDPA GOU!! I WANNA BE THE STRONGEST!!"
Gou rubbed his temples. "Boy, did you hear a single thing that man just said?"
Eleo grinned, buck teeth gleaming. "Yeah! He said if you beat him, you become the strongest!"
Gou facepalmed hard enough to nearly tip the chair. "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. "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 into the couch cushions 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."
"Wait—I didn't even finish—"
WHAM!
Eleo double-kicked Gou square in the face. The old man skidded back, chair flipping. He sat up slowly, wiped the blood from his nose with his thumb, and grinned.
"Heh. You made me bleed." His grin widened. "I'm proud of ya, boy."
"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, with a sigh that carried the weight of a man who had given up entirely, he patted Eleo's head. "Boy, ya ain't got a single brain cell working, huh?"
Eleo gasped, ears shooting up. "WAIT! I GOT A BRAIN?!"
Gou closed his eyes and muttered a prayer for patience.
He stretched. "Alright. I need to hit the sack. Leaving Pork Island tomorrow."
Eleo's ears drooped. "Already?! But ya just got here!"
"I know. But hey—at least you've got your lil' friend Abby."
"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, then paused. "Alright, go to bed—"
WHAM!
He punched Eleo in the face, sending him flying into his pillow.
"Whyyy...?"
"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, warm light filtering through wooden windows. The salty breeze rustled the curtains.
BAM!
Eleo kicked open Gou's door, tail wagging.
"GOU! GOU! GOU!! WAKE UP, OLD MAN!! I ALREADY WOKE UP FIRST!!"
The response: the loudest snore imaginable—like a walrus choking on a bagpipe. Gou sprawled flat, arms behind his head, possibly in another dimension.
Eleo squinted. "Okay. You asked for it."
He crouched on the bed like a pouncing tiger.
"GRANDPA WAKE-UP ATTACK!!!"
THUMP!
Eleo dropped onto Gou's stomach like a sack of bricks.
"BLAGHH!!" Gou gagged, eyes snapping open. "KID, WHAT THE HELL?!"
Eleo, still lying on top, grinned. "You wouldn't wake up. I called your name. Like, a bunch. So... yeah."
Gou stared at him. "If you weren't my grandson, I'd have punted you into the ocean."
They went through their morning routine: Gou stopped Eleo from eating toothpaste (again). Eleo devoured a pancake stack in two bites. They did push-ups—Gou's were casual; Eleo screamed "ONE TRILLION!" after every single rep. They punched each other for fun. Gou sent Eleo across the yard; Eleo kicked his shin.
Gou grabbed his travel bag. "Welp. I'm off."
Eleo's ears drooped. "Man... I'm gonna miss you."
Gou smirked, messing up his hair. "I'll miss you too, kid. Keep that dumb smile of yours, alright?"
"OKAY!!"
Gou glanced at his watch. His eyes went wide. "Oh hell, I'm gonna be late—"
WHOOSH.
He sprinted off. "BYE, ELEO!!"
Eleo waved until he disappeared. Then his brain caught up.
"OH, WAIT! I GOTTA SEE MASTER KUMA!!"
And just like that—he blasted off.
Eleo tore through the forest, weaving between trees, leaping logs, accidentally sending some poor guy's donkey into a panic, and finally bursting through the doors of the rowdiest bar in town—The Iron Fang.
The place hummed with laughter, clinking mugs, and the occasional scuffle. At the counter, a fox woman with sleek orange fur—Lucy—served drinks with the efficiency of a battlefield commander. At the biggest table sat a massive, muscular bear in a kung fu gi—Master Kuma—laughing heartily, beer mug in paw. Beside him: Abby, Lucy's daughter and Eleo's best friend, sipping juice with the expression of someone already exhausted by the day.
Eleo jumped onto the table.
"MASTER KUMA! DID YOU HEAR THE NEWS?!"
Kuma sipped. "Yep."
"THEN YOU KNOW I'M GONNA BE THE STRONGEST!"
Kuma set his mug down. "Boy, you ain't ready."
Abby nodded firmly. "Yeah, Eleo. You'd need to be extremely strong. Right, Master Kuma?"
"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. A single drop of beer fell from the rim of his mug.
Abby's eye twitched.
SNATCH.
Before Eleo could react, Abby had his ear in an iron grip.
"YOU WANNA SAY THAT AGAIN, PUNK?!"
"OW! OW! OW!! ABBY, STOP!!"
"Abby," Kuma said calmly, "no hurting Eleo."
"I'M NOT HURTING HIM! I'M DISCIPLINING HIM!"
"Mhm."
Eleo dangled helplessly. "KUMA, HELP ME!!"
"Nah. You brought this on yourself, boy."
The bar erupted in laughter.
Eventually, Eleo escaped—rubbing his sore ear, pouting. Kuma watched him, still smiling.
"You really think you can be the strongest, Eleo?"
Eleo met his eyes. "No—I know I can."
"Well then." Kuma stood, cracking his knuckles. "Let's see if you can survive today's training first."
"TRAINING?! AWESOME!"
Abby sighed. "Oh boy..."
The clearing was ringed with Iron Fang regulars, drinks in hand, buzzing with anticipation.
Master Kuma stepped forward, massive arms relaxed at his sides. He still held his wooden mug, taking a slow sip like this was a perfectly ordinary afternoon.
Eleo bounced on his feet, ears perked, tail twitching.
"Eleo, you can do it!" Abby called.
Eleo flashed her a grin, then pointed at Kuma. "Alright, Master! Let's go!!"
"BEGIN!"
Eleo sprinted forward, fists clenched, kicking up dust with a war cry that sounded more excited than threatening.
Kuma yawned. Scratched his belly.
Eleo's punch connected with Kuma's chest.
Thud.
With a soft boop.
Like hitting a pillow.
Eleo blinked. Looked up. Kuma blinked back.
"...That was it?" Kuma sounded genuinely disappointed.
"Ow—dang, you're built like a brick wall!"
The crowd burst out laughing.
Then Kuma moved.
BAM. His massive paw came down at Eleo's head.
"GAH—"
Eleo barely dodged, tumbling back and scrambling to his feet. His heart hammered.
"Alright, okay—you're actually really strong. Who knew?"
"EVERYONE KNEW, ELEO!" Abby yelled.
Kuma stood slowly. "You dodged that one. Let's see if you can dodge the next."
"Oh, crap—"
WHOOSH. Kuma vanished.
"WHERE'D HE—?!"
BAM. A light chop to the top of Eleo's head.
"OWWWW!"
Face-plant.
The crowd howled. Abby covered her eyes.
Eleo popped up. "HEY, WHAT KIND OF TEACHER HITS THEIR STUDENT?!"
"The kind that teaches lessons. Ready to learn?"
Eleo gritted his teeth and lunged again, throwing a barrage—left, right, left, right. Every punch met nothing. Kuma leaned left, right, back, forward, sipping his beer without spilling a drop.
"He's not even trying!" someone in the crowd whispered.
"STOP DODGING! LET ME HIT YOU!!"
Kuma smiled. "Alright."
Eleo blinked. "Huh?"
WHAM. A backhanded swat sent Eleo flying. He tumbled through dirt and crashed into a bush.
The crowd cheered. Kuma stretched.
Abby peeked into the bush. "Eleo. You alive?"
He popped out, twigs stuck between his ears. "Yep! Totally fine!"
His legs wobbled.
Kuma stood over him. "Done yet, boy?"
Eleo took a breath.
Then he grinned.
"Not even close."
Kuma raised a brow.
"You might be stronger, faster, and better than me at pretty much everything..."
Eleo stomped his foot in the dirt.
"But I REFUSE to stay weak!!"
Silence fell over the clearing.
Then Kuma laughed. Deep, hearty, rumbling like thunder. He reached down and ruffled Eleo's ears.
"Good answer, boy."
"Huh?"
"You lost. But you're not broken. That matters." He took one last sip and grinned. "Alright, Eleo. I'll keep training you."
The crowd cheered.
"YEAH!!!"
Abby exhaled. "At least he survived."
Five days later.
Eleo lay face-down in the dirt, panting like he'd run across the world twice. His ears twitched. He tried to push himself up. He collapsed.
Kuma sat on a log nearby, completely relaxed, drinking from an oversized jug.
"Alright, boy."
Eleo peeked up. "Y-Yeah?" he wheezed.
"I'm leaving soon."
"W-WHAT?!"
"Gotta handle something. Dangerous. Can't stay here forever, kid."
Eleo's ears drooped—but he forced a grin. "Oh. Yeah. No big deal!"
Kuma saw straight through it. He stood without a word and started walking.
"Follow me."
They stopped in a small clearing away from the village. Kuma reached into his coat and pulled out something glowing—an orb, dark blue, swirling with ink-like patterns inside.
Eleo's eyes lit up. "WHOA—WHAT IS THAT?!"
"A Soul Orb. S-Orb for short." Kuma held it out. "Here. Take it."
Eleo snatched it and licked it.
Kuma stared. The wind blew. A bird sang somewhere distant.
"...Boy. What are you doing."
"ACK—IT TASTES LIKE A SWEATY ROCK!"
"You're supposed to absorb it, you idiot."
"Oh."
Eleo closed his eyes and focused. Slowly, the orb began sinking into his skin. For a moment—warmth. Something vast and powerful.
Then—
PAIN.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
He dropped, rolling around like a fish out of water.
Kuma sipped his beer. "Ah. Forgot to mention—it hurts."
"YOU FORGOT TO MENTION THAT?!!"
Abby, who'd just arrived, froze. "What did you do to him?!"
"Gave him an S-Orb."
"You just gave him a legendary artifact like a snack?!"
"Yep."
"AND YOU DIDN'T WARN HIM?!"
"Nope."
"ARE YOU EVEN A RESPONSIBLE ADULT?!"
Kuma sipped. "Nope."
Eleo finally stopped twitching. He stared at the sky, fur ruffled, ears crooked.
"I think I saw my ancestors."
Kuma patted his head. "You'll be fine. That orb will be useful someday."
"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?"
"I'M STILL WEAK?!"
"No. Now you've got potential."
"...What does that even mean?"
Kuma ignored him. "C'mon. Let's head to the docks."
The sky ship floated above the docks like something out of a legend—dragon-like wings folded at its sides, sails billowing, engines humming low. The kind of ship that felt like a promise and a goodbye at the same time.
Kuma stood at the boarding ramp. The usual grin was softer now.
"You really gotta go?" Eleo asked, ears drooping.
"Yeah. But I'll be back someday."
Eleo forced a grin. "Well—you better! 'Cause by then, I'm gonna be the strongest!"
"That so?"
"YUP! And next time I won't lose!"
"Looking forward to it."
Abby smiled beside him, though her eyes were soft. "Stay safe, Master Kuma."
"You too, kiddo." He ruffled her hair. "Watch over Eleo for me."
Abby sighed. "That's a full-time job."
Kuma laughed and turned to board. Eleo waved wildly. Abby waved too.
A final raise of the hand. Then—WHOOSH—the ship lifted off and vanished into clouds.
They stood watching until there was nothing left to watch.
Then—
Eleo collapsed, twitching.
"ELEO?!"
"...That orb still hurts."
Abby sighed. "You're hopeless."
Eleo stared up at the open sky, grinning anyway.
"Yeah... but I'm gonna be the strongest."