Yamile and Zhao agreed to Uncle Marco's offer. They finally left the hideout and headed toward a hill on the outskirts of the eastern city.
The atmosphere there was still cold, pristine, and far from any tall buildings. Trees stood tall and strong, flowers bloomed endlessly, and butterflies lingered to sip their nectar.
Peace was the only presence in this place, making it perfect for training. Yamile, Zhao, and Uncle Marco walked along a narrow path, pushing through the shrubs in the hilly area.
From a distance, a large house eventually came into view. Every part of it was made from tree trunks, arranged neatly so it looked cozy to live in.
This was where Uncle Marco had been spending his retirement as an intelligence agent.
"Is that your house, Uncle?" asked Yamile, amazed as they approached.
Suddenly, the door opened, and a young man appeared.
"Who's that? Is he Uncle Marco's son?" asked Zhao innocently.
"Yes, that's my son!" Marco replied firmly.
The man stepped out of the wooden house with confidence. His face showed friendliness, but his eyes were sharp. He wore a black training outfit that hugged his body tightly, revealing he was no ordinary man.
"My name is Tora," he said, looking at Yamile and Zhao.
Yamile nodded slightly. "I'm Yamile, and this is Zhao."
Zhao nodded with a small smile. "Nice to meet you."
"Father, so these are the ones you mentioned?" Tora asked, glancing at Marco.
"Yes," Marco answered briefly. "They'll be staying here for a while. Yamile and Zhao need more training to face the threats that lie ahead."
Tora looked at Yamile from head to toe, then did the same to Zhao. The air grew tense for a moment. But then he smiled and said, "Well then, let's see what you two can do."
"Right now?" Zhao raised an eyebrow.
"Why not?" Tora replied quickly. "You came here to train, not for a vacation."
Yamile nodded. She was ready—more than ready. Ever since Marten's death, guilt and rage had filled her heart. She needed a release, and if Tora could help sharpen her skills, she wouldn't refuse.
"Yes, that's best! Train with Tora—he holds the power of the Amonan demon, and it has already awakened," Marco said as he turned and walked back to the house.
"What?" Yamile and Zhao both exclaimed in shock.
Tora just gave them a faint smile.
The three of them moved toward a flat field not far from the wooden house. The area seemed prepared for training: wooden targets, iron poles, and a few handmade weapons scattered around.
"This place is secluded, so we can train as we please without disturbing any nearby villagers. That's why I want you to attack me with full force," said Tora.
"What if you get hurt?" Zhao asked.
"If I get hurt, I'll return the favor," Tora replied sternly—and then attacked.
"Draw your weapons. If you don't attack me with intent to kill, I'll defeat you easily," he added.
Tora moved swiftly, his body nimble, making it hard to predict where his attacks would come from. Yamile and Zhao struggled to keep up.
Tora seemed to leap around with ease, striking them with powerful punches and kicks that hurt even when blocked.
"He's so strong!" Zhao muttered.
"So this is the power of an awakened demon," Yamile said with frustration.
Yamile got serious and summoned her trident. "What kind of demon power do you have?"
"Amonan Demon—White Ape Spirit," Tora answered. Now he too got serious and drew his weapon—a mace, similar to a staff, but with a large circular end.
Yamile and Zhao panicked at the sight of it. One hit from that and they'd be seriously injured.
They attacked together, but Tora remained calm, swinging his weapon casually. Then he slammed the mace into the ground. A thunderous boom followed, the earth shook, and a powerful shockwave surged toward Yamile and Zhao.
The attack was swift and overwhelming. Running side by side, Yamile and Zhao had no time to dodge. They could only block it with their weapons, but the blast still flung them into the trees.
Both groaned in pain. "His power is terrifying," said Zhao.
"Come on, hit me again!" Tora taunted, now even more fired up.
Zhao wiped blood from his temple, his eyes narrowing at the upright Tora in the center of the field. Dust still swirled from the earlier blow, yet Tora didn't seem out of breath. Meanwhile, Yamile, half kneeling, gripped her trident tightly.
"We need a strategy," Yamile whispered. "If we keep attacking blindly, he'll pick us off one by one."
Zhao nodded quickly. They moved in opposite directions to try and flank him. Tora only smiled slightly. "Attacking from two sides? Basic strategy. But let's see it."
Yamile jumped first, swinging her trident toward Tora's head with full force. Tora spun his body, deflecting it with his mace, and countered toward Zhao. Zhao blocked, but the mace's weight pushed him back several steps.
Tora didn't let up. He moved like a deadly dance—lethal yet graceful. Leaping high, he slammed the mace into the ground again, sending a shockwave in all directions. Yamile was thrown back, and Zhao nearly fell, only managing to stay upright by using his sword as support.
"He has no weakness…" Zhao muttered.
"I told you—attack me like you mean to kill me," Tora said firmly.
Suddenly, Yamile reacted. She stabbed her trident into the ground and used her powers to draw water from beneath the earth. A whirlpool formed in front of her.
She prepared to attack, using the water vortex as ammunition. Thousands of water bullets formed and fired at Tora like a rainstorm.
"Good. This is what I want from demon powers," Tora said.
The bullets rushed at him. Tora didn't stand still—he dodged and deflected them with his mace. They just kept coming, relentless.
Eventually, Tora leapt backward. Upon landing, he readied his counterattack. With all his strength, he struck the air with his mace, sending out a massive shockwave that blew all the water bullets away, leaving only splashes on the ground.
Tora was getting more serious. "Since you're getting serious, I will too."
Suddenly, the ground around Tora trembled violently. A white aura shone from his body. Slowly, fur grew all over him, a tail sprouted behind him, and his fingers lengthened into claws.
Tora had transformed into a White Ape Spirit. This was the awakening of the Amonan Demon's power.
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