Eleo's fists tightened as ink began to swirl around them, forming spiraling tendrils that pulsed with energy. "Alright, big guy, let's see how you handle this!" he yelled, dashing toward the Glacier Golem. "INK BARRAGE!" he roared, his fists moving in a blur as he delivered a relentless flurry of punches. Each strike sent splashes of inky energy rippling across the monster's icy form, but the chilling cold radiating from its body quickly crept into Eleo's skin.
As the assault continued, Eleo's movements began to slow. "Cold… cold—COLD!" he stammered, pulling back abruptly as frost climbed up his arms. The Golem's glowing blue core pulsed ominously before it raised one massive fist and slammed it into the ground, releasing a powerful shockwave of freezing energy. Eleo crossed his arms in front of him to block it, but the frost spread further, encasing his arms in ice.
"Uh-oh," Eleo muttered, hopping back toward the group as the Golem began to rumble, chunks of its body breaking away to form a horde of smaller ice minions.
Chiyo, Tony, Kenji, and Olorun all braced themselves, their eyes narrowing as the creatures began to charge. Olorun glanced around and noticed someone was missing. "Timmy, you're going to help us out here, right?" he asked.
There was no response.
"Timmy?" Olorun turned around to see Timmy crouched behind a tree, his hands cupped around his mouth as he cheered, "You can do it, team! I believe in you!"
Olorun slapped his forehead. "Of course he's hiding"
Eleo quickly hopped back to the group, shaking his frozen arms. Chiyo stepped closer to him, her face showing concern. "Eleo, are you okay?"
"Yeah," Eleo replied, though his voice was strained. "My arms, not so much. Feels like I just tried to hug a glacier."
The icy minions didn't give them any time to recover, surging forward in a flurry of jagged limbs. Chiyo stepped forward, her hands glowing with dark energy as she summoned crackling tendrils. The energy lashed out in controlled arcs, slicing through the first wave of minions with precision.
The others froze for a moment, stunned.
"Wait," Olorun said, blinking. "You can do that?!"
"No time for questions!" Chiyo snapped, slashing another minion in half.
Kenji unsheathed his sword, the blade glinting in the icy light. "Alright, let's do this." He charged forward, his movements fluid and deliberate as he slashed through the minions with practiced precision.
Olorun cracked his knuckles, electricity sparking around his fists. "Let's light this place up!" he declared, rushing into the fray. Each punch sent shockwaves of electricity rippling through the minions, shattering them into shards of ice.
Tony stepped in with a confident grin, his movements a blur as he engaged multiple minions at once. His Wing Chun techniques were aggressive and precise, every strike sending shards of ice flying. "You all should take notes. This is how you fight with style," he quipped, landing a perfectly timed palm strike that shattered a minion's head.
Meanwhile, Timmy peeked out from behind the tree, pumping his fists. "Yeah! You got this! Show those ice cubes who's boss!"
Olorun dodged a swipe from a minion and shot a glare at him. "Timmy, stop cheering and start helping, or I'm chucking you at one of these things!"
Timmy ducked further behind the tree. "I'm moral support!"
"Morally useless," Kenji muttered under his breath, slashing another minion.
Chiyo chuckled as she sent a dark tendril whipping through another cluster of enemies. "At least he's consistent."
Tony, spinning to dodge a blow, called out, "Don't give him too much credit. You might inflate his ego."
Eleo stood by Timmy, blowing hard on his frozen arms in an attempt to thaw them out. "Dang it," he muttered, shaking his head in frustration. He slumped down next to Timmy, glancing at the battle unfolding before them. "Looks like I'll have to sit this one out for now."
Timmy, still crouched behind the tree, tilted his head curiously. "Eleo, what was that thing you just did earlier? All those punches—you called it… Ink Barrage?"
Eleo nodded, flexing his fingers slightly as he tried to get some feeling back into them. "Yeah, that's my ink powers."
Timmy's eyes widened with excitement. "Ink powers? Ohhh, did you get that from absorbing a soul orb?"
Eleo smirked faintly. "Yeah, I did. My master, Kuma, gave it to me."
Timmy blinked, intrigued. "Your master gave you a soul orb? That's crazy! What's he like?"
Eleo leaned back against the tree, a nostalgic expression crossing his face. "Kuma… he's one of a kind. Laid-back, friendly, but man, he doesn't let you off easy in training."
Timmy leaned forward eagerly. "Tell me more!"
Eleo's gaze grew distant as he began to recall the memory. ***
The scene shifted to a sunny clearing surrounded by bamboo trees. A young Eleo, just six years old, stood panting and determined, his fists clenched. Opposite him stood Kuma, a towering bear wearing a faded kung fu outfit, his large frame relaxed and unbothered. In one paw, he held a clay jug of beer, taking lazy sips from it between Eleo's attempts to strike him.
The young Eleo darted forward, throwing punch after punch with all his strength, but Kuma dodged effortlessly, weaving side to side like a leaf caught in the breeze. His massive paws deflected the few hits that got close, sending Eleo stumbling to the side with a light shove.
"Ugh!" Eleo groaned as he tumbled into the dirt. "Dang it! I can't even land a single hit on you!"
Kuma chuckled, taking another sip of his beer and patting his belly contentedly. "Patience, my boy. One day, you'll land a hit on the great Kuma. But today is not that day."
Eleo scrambled to his feet, brushing the dirt off his clothes. "One day? I don't have time for 'one day'! If I can't beat you now, how am I supposed to become the strongest?"
Kuma tilted his head thoughtfully, his ears twitching. "Ah, the strongest, huh? Always about being the strongest with you. But strength isn't just about punches and kicks, Eleo. It's about balance—like a good beer. Too much froth, not enough flavor? It's a waste."
Eleo furrowed his brow, confused. "What does beer have to do with fighting?"
Kuma laughed, his deep voice rumbling like distant thunder. "Everything, my boy! Fighting is an art. It's about control, knowing when to flow and when to strike. But more importantly, it's about understanding yourself. The strongest fighters are the ones who know their own soul."
Eleo frowned, his fists trembling. "I know myself just fine! I'm strong, and I'm gonna prove it to you!"
Kuma grinned, finishing his beer with a satisfied sigh. "Good spirit, kid. But strength takes time. Tell you what—if you can keep training and show me you've got what it takes, I'll give you something that'll help you find your path."
Eleo's ears perked up. "Something? Like what?"
Kuma smirked mischievously. "Ah, that's for me to know and for you to earn. Now, stop yapping and show me what you've got!"
Young Eleo's determination flared as he charged forward again, fists flying with renewed vigor. Kuma's laughter echoed through the clearing, his movements as fluid and effortless as ever. ***
Back in the present, Eleo chuckled to himself. "He always had a way of making things sound simple and impossible at the same time."
Timmy's eyes sparkled with admiration. "Wow, he sounds awesome! So… what did he give you? Was it the soul orb?"
Eleo nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "Yeah. After a few days of training, he said I was ready. He handed it to me, told me to absorb it, and said, 'Now go paint the world in your colors.' That was the start of my ink powers."
Timmy grinned. "That's so cool! I wish I had a master like that."
Eleo raised an eyebrow. "Trust me, Timmy, you wouldn't survive a week with Kuma. The guy's a pacifist, but his training? Absolute torture."
The memory continued as Eleo sat beside Timmy, recounting one of the most intense moments of his life.
The setting shifted again to a secluded training field surrounded by towering trees. Eleo, just a boy of six, stood battered, bruised, and drenched in sweat. His small fists trembled, not from fear, but sheer exhaustion. Opposite him stood Kuma, the towering bear who still looked as if he had just woken up from a nap. His fur was pristine, and in his massive paws, he held two clay jugs of beer.
"Hmm," Kuma rumbled, scratching his chin. "Six days, Eleo. We've been at this for six whole days. You sure you don't want to take a break? I mean, even I'm getting tired of dodging you."
He tilted his head back and chugged one of the beers in one gulp, wiping his mouth with a satisfied sigh.
Eleo gritted his teeth, his body wobbling but refusing to fall. "No… no! I won't quit! Not until I put a hand on you!" His voice cracked with determination, tears of frustration mixing with the sweat streaming down his face.
Kuma gave him a long, thoughtful look before sighing deeply. "Alright, kid. Come at me one more time. Show me what you've got."
Summoning every ounce of strength left in his tiny body, Eleo let out a war cry and launched himself into the air. He brought his leg down with all his might, slamming it into the ground and cracking the earth beneath him. Kuma easily sidestepped, his movements casual, almost lazy.
"Not bad, but you're still too slow," Kuma said as Eleo rushed at him again.
Eleo threw punch after punch, but the massive bear dodged them all, his movements fluid and effortless. Kuma stepped to the side as Eleo stumbled forward, tripping over his own feet and landing face-first in the dirt.
"Ugh!" Eleo groaned, pounding the ground with his fists. "Why can't I hit you?!"
As Eleo pushed himself up, something began to change. His body started to emit a faint red glow, his irises flickering with small, burning flames. Kuma's sharp eyes immediately noticed the transformation, and a grim expression crossed his usually cheerful face.
In his mind, he thought, Shit. That mark... Maldrath's curse. It's activating. The kid's going into kill mode.
Before Kuma could say anything, Eleo roared and surged forward with incredible speed, his small body moving faster than ever before. His punches were no longer clumsy—they were precise and deadly. Kuma knew this was no longer the boy he had been training; this was something far more dangerous.
In that moment, Kuma made a decision. He stopped dodging and allowed Eleo's fist to connect with his chest. The blow was strong enough to push Kuma back a step, and Eleo's glowing form suddenly froze.
Kuma clapped his hands together loudly, snapping Eleo out of his trance. "Alright, alright! You did it, Eleo! You passed."
Eleo blinked, the red glow fading from his body as confusion washed over him. "Wait… what happened? How did I hit you?"
Kuma let out a hearty laugh, rubbing the spot on his chest where Eleo had struck him. "Ah, don't worry about the details, kid. The important thing is—you hit me. And that means you've earned your reward."
Eleo's exhaustion melted away, replaced by pure excitement. "Yes! I did it! Woohoo! What's my reward?!"
Kuma motioned for Eleo to follow him, and the boy eagerly trailed behind, his small legs struggling to keep up with the bear's large strides. After a few minutes, Kuma stopped in a small clearing.
"Okay, Eleo. Stay right here," Kuma said, disappearing behind a tree.
"Okay!" Eleo replied, practically bouncing on his toes with anticipation.
Kuma returned, holding something behind his back. His expression was more serious now, and his usual carefree tone was tinged with something somber. "Alright, Eleo. I was going to give you this anyway, but you've worked hard for it, so don't think this was all for nothing."
Eleo tilted his head in confusion. "Wait… so I didn't need to go through all that?!"
Kuma chuckled, shaking his head. "No, kid. You did need to. You've trained harder than most grown warriors, and you've shown me you're ready for this." His smile faded slightly. "But… there's another reason I'm giving you this now. I won't be around much longer."
Eleo's heart sank. "W-what? What do you mean? Where are you going?"
Kuma looked away, his expression unreadable. "I have to leave Coco Village, Eleo. I've got… things to do. Very important things with my team."
Eleo's eyes welled up with tears. "But why? Can't I just come with you? I'll train even harder, I promise!"
Kuma sighed deeply, placing a paw on Eleo's shoulder. "No, kid. You've got your own path to walk. Staying here and mastering what I'm about to give you—that's your journey now."
He pulled out a glowing orb, its surface swirling with vibrant energy. Eleo stared at it in awe. "What is that?"
"This," Kuma said, holding it up, "is a soul orb. They're rare treasures that grant those who absorb them unique abilities. Some people can transform into animals, but for us animals, well…" He laughed. "That part doesn't work so well. Instead, you'll gain a power that's entirely your own."
Eleo reached out hesitantly. "Really? I can have it?"
Kuma smiled warmly. "Take it, Eleo. It's yours."
The moment Eleo touched the orb, a searing pain shot through his body. He screamed, clutching his chest as the energy from the orb fused with his soul. Kuma watched with a mix of pride and sadness, knowing this was the first step in Eleo's long and difficult journey.
As the pain subsided, Eleo looked up at Kuma, tears streaming down his face. "I'll make you proud, Master Kuma. I promise."
Kuma patted Eleo's head gently, his voice soft. "I know you will, kid. Now go paint the world in your colors."
The flashback faded, bringing the scene back to the frozen island where Eleo sat beside Timmy. His expression was thoughtful, his eyes staring out into the icy wilderness as he finished his story.
Timmy, sitting cross-legged beside him, was a mess of emotions. Tears streamed down his face, and he sniffled loudly, clutching at his chest as though the tale had struck him there. "T-That was… oh man, Eleo… that was beautiful! Kuma sounds like the best mentor ever!"
Eleo chuckled softly, though a faint sadness lingered in his smile. "Yeah, he really was. Kuma was more than a mentor to me—he was like a father. He believed in me when no one else did. And even though I didn't understand it back then, he left because he trusted I could stand on my own."
Timmy's sniffles grew louder, and he fumbled for something to blow his nose on. Finding nothing, he grabbed the edge of Eleo's clothes and honked into it, loud and obnoxious.
"Hey!" Eleo jumped, trying to pull his shirt away. "What are you doing? That's not a tissue, Timmy!"
"I'm sorry!" Timmy wailed, blowing his nose one more time before letting go. "It's just… I couldn't help it! Your story hit me right in the feels!"
Eleo groaned, glaring at the now-damp corner of his shirt. "You've got to be kidding me. Couldn't you at least use your sleeve or something?!"
"I didn't think of that!" Timmy said, his voice still choked with emotion. "Besides, your story was so moving, I forgot how to function!"