After a rather eventful night brawl, Hiroki was taken into custody at the central police station in Naha as an eyewitness. They have also apprehended 13 known criminals who smuggled Beast Wrestler eggs illegally to other countries for handsome sums of money. Apparently, they've evaded the police for years without a single sign.

There was a long wait as the criminals were being processed first, some of them casting intrusive glares at Hiroki for foiling their schemes, which startled him at first, but didn't bother him very much. He knew that these bums were going where they deserved. He was also told that they called a scientist forward to consult about the dragon.

The fact that the seats were only plastic, without any fabric, put his mind slightly at ease, because his wet clothes wouldn't be so troublesome. And even though his wait was tedious, the staff were kind enough to offer Hiroki some tea as he waited to be called into the interrogation room. When the time came for him to deliver his side of the story, he stuck around for a lot less than he anticipated. The conversation about what happened lasted no longer than 30 minutes.

"Thanks to you, we're finally gonna start putting an end to this smuggling ring," one of the officers noted, smiling towards his only witness.

"I'm glad I was able to help you," Hiroki replied, not knowing any better way to respond.

"That being said," another one of the officers said, shuffling some folders before turning back to continue speaking. "As far as your contact with the Beast Wrestler egg is concerned, we're afraid that it's necessary for you to become the Beast's legal owner."

"I'm not sure I follow," Hiroki puzzled, not liking where this was going.

"The creature has formed a psycho-physical bond with you through contact and incubation, as shown by its defensive reaction when you were threatened with imminent danger," the scientist explained. He was a short, old man with glasses and buck teeth, and a rather high-pitched voice. Just like the mad professor types Hiroki used to see in cartoons when he was young, "Even if you were to sell it, the Beast would return to you. The bond cannot be severed, nor effectively replaced. This big boy is yours, and you're gonna become a Beast Wrestler!"

"In other words, you're telling me that I'm stuck with this thing," Hiroki's only firm strand of hair flopped clumsily over his brow as he slumped in his seat, growing more and more disaffected with this realization.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," the scientist chuckled, trying much harder than necessary to show the situation through rose-colored glasses. "When you compete in tournaments, you'll have to earn lots to take care of your Beast, so you can certainly save up! If you simply open your mind to the possibilities, I'm sure that you'll do the right thing."

"Yes, I'm sure I will…" A crestfallen Hiroki, who had no idea how to house the creature or take care of it, couldn't disagree more.

"What you're obligated to do now is to take legal ownership of the Beast, and find a certified trainer who will help you learn the martial art of Beast Wrestling," one of the officers added. "Your time limit is 7 days starting tomorrow. We would urge you not to take your responsibilities lightly."

"There's one man in particular that I recommend that you should visit," the scientist raised his finger, before showing a business card, "His name is Kentaro Omori. He was a champion in his time and he has a training facility next to his home by Miibaru Beach. If anyone can teach you how to make the best of this situation, it's him."

"Thank you very much, doctor," Hiroki said, not knowing if the old coot even deserved it after what he's been saddled with. Whatever way he tried to spin it, he was forced to register this creature as his own property due to what the police described as a 'coincidental bonding'. In layman's terms, he was stuck with an eight-foot-tall reptilian hulk that had to be fed, trained and taken to Beast Wrestler fights, while his little sister was dying. Who would have thought that one of his childhood fads would have caught up to him in such a bizarre manner?

Feeling like there was no other way he could get around this, Hiroki organized a meeting with the trainer the old scientist mentioned. Fortunately, the beach where Kentaro Omori resided wasn't too far from the city center. Therefore, Hiroki called in sick at work (though he had only a light sniffle from being out in the rain), bought lunch for Shizue early and jumped on his bicycle for the first time in what felt like forever. His legs were getting stiff fairly quickly, which was a scathing reminder of how little he was working out. He packed up the dragon's egg in his bag and rode from the center to Miibaru Beach in no less than 20 minutes, 4 of which were relegated to asking for directions and buying an extra bottle of water.

When he arrived at his destination, he saw a grassy outdoor field enclosed by a fairly tall electric fence, adjacent to an extravagant, rather traditionally Japanese-styled house with a lush garden and what seemed to be a koi pond with a red wooden bridge. Neither of these were surprising. Considering how large and powerful Hiroki's dragon proved to be, high security and open space were part and parcel. It also made sense that a former champion had enough money to go by, both from his former glory and from his profession as a teacher, to have such a high-end estate. With a quick glance at the nearest puddle so he could tweak his fuzzy hair, he dismounted his bicycle, secured it to the nearest post and went in for his interview.

From within, the garden was even more captivating. It's been so long since Hiroki has ventured anywhere near greenery that he couldn't help the urge to have a stroll on his way to the interview. Various Beast-shaped topiaries, trees of all shapes and sizes dancing in the morning breeze, flowers arranged in vivid patterns – all brush strokes on the grand canvas that was this exquisite garden. Even though it was autumn, the trees haven't yellowed out just yet, thanks to the island's warm climate. To top it all off, koi were meandering gracefully through the pond and thrashing outside occasionally. A sigh of calm and relaxation escaped Hiroki's mouth as he took it all in – the bird song, the splashing of the pond, the fresh air filling his lungs and the gentle wind tickling his face. So beautiful, yet so close. A desire to enjoy life, stifled by years of work in a stale warehouse inhabited only by robots and drones, awoke within him. Just as he stood there, he took a note in the back of his mind that Shizue had to come see this garden. She loved the outdoors, and Hiroki was sure she'd enjoy spending time here.

"You gonna plant your roots there?" A deep, imposing male voice shook Hiroki out of his bliss. He jerked around to see a man that looked just as imposing standing a few yards away. Clearly a couple of inches above him in height, with a muscular physique and a firm stance, arms folded. His hair was long and spiked upwards at the forehead, black with bright orange fringes, sitting like a lion's mane above a pair of bushy eyebrows and red eyes with a focused, intense gaze. His pronounced, but still fair chin was decorated by a short, but pointed goatee, and he wore a black kimono under a red, fire-patterned haori, both of which ever so slightly exposed his pectorals and his forearms.

"I, uh…" Hiroki tried to compose himself, embarrassed for being caught off guard in a manner like this. He rubbed the stubborn strand of hair on the back of his head into place, "Is this not the Omori Training Ground? I called Mr. Omori last night. My name is Hiroki Hamaguchi. Pleased to make your acquaintance." He finished his greeting with a hasty bow.

"Hiroki, eh?" The man lowered his arms and approached his younger counterpart with a curious, but leisurely stance. His serious expression turned into a subtle smile, "You're in luck. I'm Kentaro Omori, and I'm in charge here. Come with me."

Finding Omori's presence reassuring, Hiroki followed along. He couldn't help but recall how his interview at Shimano Warehouse went, and make a comparison. While Shimano's seeming good cheer in conversation was nothing short of glibness and a means to get his underlings under control, this man seemed to exude a seriousness that made Hiroki assume that he was going to be more sincere about his dealings with him. He couldn't tell his exact age, but he could reliably conclude that he was a lot older than him. It also made him admire his fitness and the firmness with which Omori carried himself. Another thing that piqued Hiroki's interest is his clear love and respect for tradition. Hiroki always disliked how some people disregarded it in favor of disingenuous "cosmopolitanism", helped further by the fact that his grades in English were never that great.

Omori led Hiroki to one of the rooms in his dojo that had an open sliding door looking out into the garden. The floor was laden with tatami, with a square red carpet positioned neatly in the center of the room, with a teapot and two cups on one side. On the inside, there was a hardwood floor, resembling a basketball floor without the necessary outlines: the only thing that stuck out as strange was what seemed to be a large, blocky refrigerator with a single door. Presumably, this was where training for the Beasts was taking place. Before entering, Hiroki made sure to take off his shoes.

"I heard about your incident a while ago," Omori said, as he seated himself into a lotus position just opposite Hiroki. He poured some tea, which was still warm, and offered it to Hiroki first, "I'm assuming that you're getting into Beast Wrestling out of necessity."

"Well…" Hiroki, looking for a way to express himself, twiddled his fingers meekly while his eyes darted over them, "I just want to train my Beast."

"Why?" Omori asked, quizzically raising his left eyebrow.

"Because it's become my obligation through a series of unfortunate events, and the police said I have to register him, so…" Hiroki frowned, with his arms pressing more firmly against his body as if he was being backed into a corner.

"So, you'd do it by force just because someone else said you should?" Omori cooled his tone of voice, while sipping his tea.

"Yes," Hiroki bowed his head. However, what escaped the older man's lips was not another question, but an amused chuckle.

"Okay… just keep in mind that won't get you anywhere. Not as a Beast Wrestler, or anywhere else in life," Omori stopped laughing and focused on an ever more tense Hiroki. "Nobody's ever come to my dojo and said they wanted to wrestle because somebody else ordered them to. Everybody has their own reason."

"Beg your pardon, but I do have a reason," Hiroki retorted nervously and rapidly, clasping his hands together in order to stay at ease. "My sister's deathly ill, and we're all alone. If fighting means I'll be able to save her, I'll do it."

"Your sister's still somebody else, even if she is family," Omori replied, as calm as he's been all this time.

"No, she's all I have left! I lost my father, and my mother left us like we were nothing! Am I supposed to let my sister go?" Hiroki pressed, growing more agitated and tense.

In response, Omori folded his arms beneath his chest, leaned backwards just enough to be looking at the younger man from high up. He shot an intense stare at him, "What will you do if your sister's kidneys give out and she dies before you can make enough money to care for her?"

At this notion, Hiroki was petrified. His brows congealed into a panicked furrow, his throat tensed like a sprinter's legs before the start of a race and his teeth clenched into a frown. He was here to talk about his next move to save his sister, not to speak ill of someone who isn't even in mortal danger yet.

"Do you think that's impossible?" Omori lowered his gaze.

"I…" Hiroki finally muttered, his mouth quivering with fear, before he steadied his breathing enough to continue speaking. He lowered his head bleakly, "I would just stop doing it. Stop everything. No point going on."

"Bullshit!" Omori bayed at the top of his lungs, startling Hiroki and forcing him to look up. What he saw was a man who looked equal parts baffled and enraged, as he pointed a finger at him, "If I were your sister, I wouldn't trust you to save an old woman stuck on a train track! And you'd show gratitude to your family by pulling the plug on yourself?! Don't give me that shit! You're slow. Stale! All this while we've been talking, and you can't think of a goddamn reason why you'd fight! You waltz in here thinking your sister won't bite the dust if you start wrestling, but that's not how life works, kid! Is this really how sure you are that you want to heal her?! I don't think we have much to talk about anymore."

This didn't sound good to Hiroki. Just as it dawned on him that he wasn't helping his impression in the least, he realized he had to salvage this interview before it went all the way south.

"I do want to heal her!" Hiroki's voice cracked, and his head faced the mat again, while his hands grasped at the rug in a nervous motion, "I've been trying and trying, for years! I even work at a warehouse and it's still not enough! I'm just useless and I suck with people! And now that I've been saddled with this… thing, I thought visiting here might change things. If I could, I'd turn the world upside down to save Shizue. I'd do anything…" Much to Hiroki's embarrassment, the dams in his eyes broke, and tears started rolling down his face. His heart stung with a pain that seemed even less curable than Shizue's predicament. From Omori, he was expecting another cold shoulder, just as he did from everyone else.

This time, his grief and guilt did not fall upon a heart of stone. As he opened his eyes, Omori's expression was still firm and focused, but with a hint of warmth that he never got from his boss, "Would you change the way you live, the way you think and see the world, if it was for your sister's good?"

This time, Hiroki paused only for a fraction of a second before responding, "Y-yes."

"You can do it, but it's you who has to make that decision and act on it. It has to be for your own good, too," Omori noted, his expression softening considerably. "Will you?"

"Yes, please," Hiroki confirmed, without any hesitation.

"That's more like it," Omori gave a gentle smile, before patting Hiroki's shoulder. He motioned to the young man's left, "Your tea's gonna get cold. Drink it up. Once you've relaxed, we'll get into our first lesson. I'm gonna go get some stuff." Having said this, Omori rose from the tatami mat and headed towards a different section of his dojo.

Hiroki couldn't believe what he heard. Someone looked him in the eyes and said that he would help him. It's something he hasn't heard from anyone other than his father and his sister. This small gesture of empathy was enough to get a few more tears out of his eyes. This time, however, he quickly wiped them off and took a sip of his tea. Judging from the earthy taste, it was clearly made with natural herbs, presumably grown in Omori's luscious garden. He could also make out the subtle taste of honey, which made him take his second sip a little more quickly. Taking care not to overseason Shizue's food has rendered his tongue numb to anything sweet or salty, so it was a welcome change, even if it was served to him by someone else. In any case, he felt like he was moving forward, and he looked forward to whatever was waiting for him.

Hang on, Shizue. I'll get you out of this, no matter what.

When Omori returned, he switched from his traditional clothing into a tracksuit, which led Hiroki to believe that training was about to commence quickly. He also had some eggs in his pockets. Hiroki felt a bit embarrassed about letting his emotions out the way he did, but did his best not to show it. After all, his new trainer didn't have anything against it and seemed to understand him.

"Come over to the training floor. Bring your Beast with you," Omori spoke, with his hands positioned at his waist, an expectant expression outlining his face. Hiroki checked his bag once more to make sure the dragon egg was in place and unharmed. He took it out and headed to the training floor as requested. For safety's sake, he set it down on the floor.

"When was it that your Beast first showed itself?" Omori nudged his eyebrows.

"Well, I was surrounded by the crooks who stole it," Hiroki explained, motioning his head and eyes in a way that showed he didn't like recalling the incident, "I think it was when one of them punched me that he came out."

"So, it acted on instinct to defend you. Feels a bit like a movie scene," Omori rubbed his chin with curiosity. Of all the incidents Hiroki's been in, that one was certainly the most eventful, and Omori seemed to have echoed that sentiment. He lowered his hands, "Fortunately, that's not the only way a Beast will hatch, and certainly not the default one. See the green spots on the egg? Those are buttons that, when pushed, will trigger the hatching reflex. Push all three at once."

Truth be told, Hiroki was quite nervous about taking another look at his Beast. He hasn't done so since the night brawl. While he was reluctant to do it, stopping his hand twice, the novice Beast Wrestler took his thumb, index and middle fingers, placed them onto the buttons and gave them a press. They felt like flexible rubber buttons, soft and pliable to the touch. As soon as he pushed them, he jerked his hand and body out of the way. The egg's buttons glowed brightly and it started to expand, with the dragon once again being given form. From a curled, fetal position he rose upright, and his massive tail unfurled from around his body. He faced Hiroki, with an expression that couldn't be very pleased, "Ya know, if you wanted to starve me to death, you might as well have left me in the alley, smallfry!"

"Smallfry?" Hiroki was pretty disappointed that a dig at his height was the first thing the creature decided to blurt out. He wasn't tall, but not so short that he deserved a jab like this.

"And what are you smiling at, ol' man?!" The dragon snarled towards Omori, who was grinning in amusement at the creature's boisterous temperament. In a huff, he stamped towards the man, dragging his tail as opposed to having it raised, "Are you my next punching bag?"

"Why, you-" Hiroki felt his jaw hit the floor. He couldn't help but run over, "Will you stop picking fights?! You absolutely do not fight Mr. Omori! He's our teacher, and he's gonna help us get better at this, so please! Pipe down and listen." He then turned back to Omori and bowed apologetically, "I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Omori!"

Omori couldn't help but laugh at the dragon's petulant frown and Hiroki's dorky apology. But he was quick to resume a more serious disposition, "Hiro, you are one lucky son of a gun. This guy's an ENTALL 2019, the latest model from HALT Co. High base stats compared to other Beast bases, very compatible for fusion and surprisingly easy to train. Does he have a name?"

"I'm afraid not, sir," Hiroki shook his head. However, he could almost see a rain cloud with thunder and lightning forming above his trainer's head when he saw his unamused deadpan.

"You didn't even register him, did you?" Omori asked. As Hiroki stammered to answer, clearly flustered by this question, Omori seemed to regain some semblance of cheer, "Okay. I'll let it slide this once, but don't come back until you've registered him. I don't want any illegal Beasts coming to my dojo. Deal?"

"Of course," Hiroki nodded hastily, with an embarrassed sweat drop hanging on the right side of his forehead.

"Who cares about that?! Lemme fight!" the dragon snarled.

"Shut up!" Hiroki elbowed the creature in the hip (which was about as high as he could reach).

"He seems unruly and aggressive at first, but loyalty is also baked into his DNA. That's why he lunged out to protect you," Omori continued, pacing in front of Hiroki and his dragon as he spoke. "With proper training, a bond of trust will form between you, so try to be patient with your big boy here. After all, the one who actually makes for the best teacher is you, Hiro," he finished by pointing his finger at him.

"Me? How am I supposed to train him?" Hiroki didn't quite see where his trainer was going with this, but he was curious all the same.

"All masters have their own methods. Some of them even give their Beasts cybernetic implants as weapons. My philosophy is simple: the best way for a Beast to learn how to fight is to follow the example of its master. If a master knows a skill, the easier it is to pass that skill down to his Beast. In other words, you will learn how to fight so you can teach your Beast the same skills, or similar ones," Omori explained, without one stammer or pause.

Suddenly, the method started making perfect sense to Hiroki. If he were studying something, he would much rather learn it directly from someone who was skilled in the art, as opposed to merely watching videos online explaining things. Furthermore, when you have proof of whether what you're doing is right or wrong, you could paint both of the pictures in your mind and you'll know if your trainee is doing the right thing. To top it all off, Omori was in remarkable shape for his age, and it shows that he took his method as seriously as he was passing it down to Hiroki.

"So, I'll be in for a major workout," Hiroki rubbed his chin quizzically, entertaining the prospect. It's been a long time since he's trained for anything, so he figured he could use the physical activity.

"Yep! But that's not all there is to it," Omori added, focusing his attention mostly on Hiroki, "Have you ever had any interest in Beast Wrestling before this whole thing happened?"

"I used to watch it on TV when I was a boy and I owned a couple of action figures, but I haven't really paid any attention to it after I started middle school and all," Hiroki explained, ending it with a shrug. But just then, something dawned on him that he hadn't thought of before, "Would it be a good idea to rewatch matches on the internet to find references?"

"So long as you don't get caught up in imitating others, I think it'll be okay," Omori nodded.

Suddenly, both men were caught off guard by a liquid, rumbling sound coming within earshot. Concurrently, the dragon scrunched his face and rubbed his belly with his right hand with a groan. Taking note of the sound, Hiroki recalled that the creature complained about being starved. Therefore, he couldn't help but ask, "Will this be a problem?"

"Not for long," Omori winked, before opening the large fridge. Turns out that it was a meat compartment used for Beasts in training. It was stacked from top to bottom with large, thick cuts of lean beef, as well as poultry liver and eggs. This alone was enough to make Hiroki's monstrous hulk of a companion salivate from both sides.

"Grub!" The dragon called out, before rushing over to the fridge and being as messy and loud as can be when it came to destructively devouring the delectable dome of domesticated meat products. Even though Hiroki knew that the dragon was more beast than man, the fact that his anatomy was still anthropomorphic made for a very discomforting combination with his utter lack of table manners.

"I'm sorry," Hiroki giggled nervously, "It seems like he's going to eat it all…"

"No worries," Omori waved off his apprentice's concerns with his right hand, "So long as you feed him once every two months, there shouldn't be any issues whatsoever."

"Two months? For an animal that big?" To Hiroki, this sounded like torture.

"Despite what you might think, Beasts are programmed to have a condition called ambithermia," Omori raised his index finger to explain, "Meaning that they can generate internal temperature, like a warmblooded animal, but can go for long periods of time without food, like cold-blooded animals. Pretty convenient, amirite?"

"I'd say so," Hiroki nodded, relieved to know buying stacks of meat won't be burning a hole in his pocket. Finding that he found out most of what he needed to know, he addressed his mentor, "I think it's for the best that we continue training once I've registered and named him. It'll make things easier for us both."

"Agreed," Omori nodded, before shooting a challenging grin to his apprentice, "Looking forward to it."

For the first time in a long while, Hiroki felt that a day wasn't spent in vain. Just like his trainer, he was looking forward to their next meeting.

It was at around 3:30 PM that Hiroki returned home and packed the bicycle in the common garage of his building. His ride back was shorter and smoother than his first arrival. The liberating feeling of hopping on the bicycle again certainly helped, as did the burst of courage he got from speaking to Omori today. Intense and disciplined, yet warm-hearted and jovial at the same time, he greatly reminded Hiroki of his late father, who would laugh in the direst of times and look to give those around him strength, as opposed to sapping it from them. Shizue must have taken after him…

…and after him she has taken, indeed. When Hiroki unlocked the door, he saw her at the kitchen counter, stirring what seemed to be pancake or tempura batter.

"What are you doing?" Hiroki asked in an overprotective, nagging tone.

"Oh, I'm making souffle pancakes," Shizue smiled, in spite of her brother's concerned appearance, still stirring.

"Why are you pushing yourself so much?" Hiroki sighed sympathetically, before he started removing his bicycle gear. He was still worried, "The doctors told you to lie low."

"Well, I'm feeling a little better than I did yesterday," Shizue looked at her big brother with loving, compassionate eyes. "Besides, you push yourself every day, all day. It's only fair that I do something for you every once in a while."

It couldn't be helped. Even when she was worse off between them, she put Hiroki above herself. The fact that she chose a beloved dessert for both of them made the act so tender that Hiroki didn't have the heart to reprimand Shizue any further. For a second, he thought he may have been a bit too stringent with her since her sickness showed. Perhaps a little bit of freedom every once in a while wouldn't hurt. Besides, the doctors never said sweets were completely off limits.

A few more stirs, a couple of cubes of butter and some frying later, dessert was ready. For herself, Shizue garnished her pancakes with some sliced strawberries. She let her brother use his own favorite, chocolate syrup. They sat at the couch while eating, and made sure to watch the news as they did. They were talking about foreign affairs, which didn't interest the siblings in the least.

"So, how'd the meeting go?" Shizue's curiosity soon came to the surface.

"Oh, it went really well," Hiroki replied, munching on a piece of pancake, "He told me to come back as soon as I've registered my Beast. I really wanna do it, but I can't think of a name yet. Honestly, I'm still trying to make sense of everything going on right now." With this, he took in the last of his pancake and set the plate down, clearing the last drop of chocolate syrup from his lips with a swift lick.

"I'm causing you heaps of trouble, aren't I?" Shizue sighed forlornly as she set her own plate down and clutched her stomach. This gesture caught Hiroki completely off guard as he glanced toward her, seeing an unusually glum expression, looking down.

"What do you mean?" Hiroki asked.

"I'm sorry," Shizue's two sad little saucers turned to her big brother, "It just kills me to see you go through so much trouble, and not being able to help any more. You probably want to prosper, get a car and find a girl to settle down with, and I'm just dragging you down…"

'It kills me', she said. Hiroki gasped as if he was actually stabbed in the chest with a syringe. All of a sudden, the scathing reality check he received from Omori earlier today came back to him. This time, he had to let his sister know that she was no more a burden to him than he was to her.

"Don't say that!" Hiroki shook his head, and held his little sister's hand reassuringly, "If there's anyone I'd want to cause me 'trouble', it's you. All this time, we've been together. I know it's going to be hard. But I also know what's waiting at the end of the tunnel, and I'm gonna make sure I get there." It wasn't long before the two siblings wrapped each other in their arms with all the trust and love in the world. Then, almost with a whisper, he asked, "Shizue?"

"Hmm?" Shizue hummed back.

"You can help me right now," Hiroki said, breaking the hug and facing her, whilst still holding her by the shoulders, "I still need a name for my Beast. Got any ideas?"

After a few seconds of deliberation, Shizue broke the silence, "Can I see him? I reckon it'd be easier to name him if I knew what he looked like."

Hiroki was a bit apprehensive of the idea, because he wasn't sure if the law permitted releasing Beasts in houses. But since this was private property, he agreed, "All right. Let's make some room." He moved the couch as far back as he could and moved the little table that was usually in front to the side. This way, the living room floor was all but clear. That done, Hiroki called the dragon forth once more.

As soon as he emerged, the dragon knocked his head straight into the ceiling and crouched down with a strained cry of pain, then jerked his head around "Gah! What is this?! Smallfry, where'd you go?"

After seeing this uneventful summoning, Shizue couldn't help but laugh, even if she was doing her best to withdraw from the creature's imposing presence.

"That's Hiroki to you. This is home. If you don't want to hit your head again, you'd better sit down," Hiroki stepped in front of his Beast with his arms folded at the chest. Feeling like he had no better option, the creature obliged.

"This little place? And this little critter?" The dragon pointed at Shizue, who was certainly curious about the dragon, but very apprehensive about his proximity. He leaned forward and gave her an inquisitive sniff, much to her discomfort. He recoiled as if he smelled something strange, "You smell kinda weak."

"Hey!" Hiroki clenched his fists, "That's my little sister, Shizue! Don't talk to her that way!"

"What the Hell is a sister?" The dragon tilted his head.

"Oh, my bad," Hiroki raised his hands apologetically, "You wouldn't happen to know, because you were made in a test tube…"

"That test tube gave me nutrients and care! Don't be an ass just because you don't know it!" The dragon shoved his snout all the way into Hiroki's nose with an angry huff.

"Now, now, you two," Shizue got between the two, trying to break the tension with a smile, "There's no use arguing, okay? If we're gonna give you a name, we need to be nice. Hiroki?"

"Of course. Sorry I bad-mouthed your test tube," Hiroki rubbed the back of his head and looked to the side. He couldn't believe that he was saying this, but he cared more about the dragon not making a ruckus than he did about common sense.

"You too," Shizue looked at the dragon, but he only snorted in annoyance. Shizue saw that she had to take more drastic measures, so she leaned into his ear canal and whispered, "If you don't, Hiroki's gonna throw you in the ocean…"

The dragon was horrified at this notion, "Okay, okay, okay! I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Just don't throw me somewhere they won't find me!"

Hiroki chuckled at his sister's quick wits, then resumed talking by placing his hands on his sister's shoulders as if to demonstrate, "Shizue's my sister. We're family. We have the same mother and father."

"The spawn of a mated pair?" The dragon inquired. The awkward wording earned another chuckle from Shizue.

"Yeah…" Hiroki nodded reluctantly, "So, if you wanna fight, you'd better fight for somebody you care about. Not just me, but Shizue, too. She's gonna be really nice to you if you're nice to her. We're gonna help her get healthy again."

The dragon snorted again, "What's that gotta do with fighting?"

Shizue saw it fit to take it from here, "Well, we always fight for each other. We take care of each other and make sure we have everything we need for life. Just like Hiroki trains you and feeds you, you'll win matches to take care of us. You'll be family, too!" To make her point more clear, she gently petted the dragon's face, notably softening his gaze. He looked almost like a puppy being petted by his owner.

Alas, it was short-lived, as he abruptly cut to the chase, "Now, how about that name?"

"All right, I guess we've been holding it off long enough," Hiroki laughed, before turning to his sister, "What's your first thought?"

Shizue put her index finger to her chin and stared at the ceiling with a quizzical hum, "How about… Hercules?"

"Nah, that stinks," Hiroki waved it away. The dragon seemed to echo that response by scrunching his face.

"Hmm…" Shizue pouted, before looking down and trying again, "Draco?"

"No, I don't want any European stuff," Hiroki brushed this one aside as well. The dragon stuck his tongue out in disgust.

"Then how about…" Shizue drummed at her chin with her index finger, before giving an excited beam when her next suggestion came up, "Shenron!" The dragon seemed to be intrigued as well.

"Oh, that's really cool," Hiroki seemed to echo Shizue's joy, but his smile collapsed when he realized something. "But it's copyrighted. I don't think they'll let me use it."

"Man, you're making this tough," Shizue pouted again, before folding her arms into silence. As she puzzled, she thought of how everything that happened these few days looked like a sign from above that things were going to look up for her and her big brother, before she cast a glance at the expectant dragon, "I think I have it. What about Tengen?"

A look of dawning realization crossed Hiroki's face, followed by a smile, "Now, that is perfect…"

"Tengen?" The dragon repeated the name slowly, processing it. Hiroki was very curious as well.

"It means 'origin of Heaven'," Hiroki looked up to him with a smile, "I've been thinking long and hard about why I found you, and what it meant for me. And I believe I've figured it out. I took it as a sign that things were going to get better. You're our sign from God that Shizue is going to get healthy again, and that's why I trust in you."

"Yep!" Shizue beamed, holding the creature's massive clawed hand with both of hers, "I believe in you, too. I'd only trust someone as brave and strong as you to fight for me. Thanks for coming to us, Tengen."

"Tengen…" Once again, the dragon was taken aback by the young girl's gentle touch and her warm, high voice, not to mention how kindly Hiroki was to him, despite having bickered with him only minutes earlier. His eyes and face softened once again and his loud tone started becoming quiet and almost whisper-like. Suddenly, he thrashed his face around violently and shouted again, "Stop giving me fuzzies! If I'm gonna help you get better, I have to be pumped for fighting! Fuzzies distract me!"

This earned Tengen a hearty laugh from both siblings, who both approached him and wrapped their arms around him into a group embrace. He stared at them blankly, before calling out again, "What are you doing? What kind of attack is this?"

"It's not an attack, it's a hug," Hiroki said, looking up to him with a smile.

"We do this to show we love each other," Shizue added, while giggling all the same at how clueless the creature was about human interaction.

"Love?" Tengen muttered with confusion, taken aback by how gentle both of them were in this. Then, seeing how there may be a reason for them doing this after all, the Beast placed his right hand over Hiroki's shoulders, and his left on Shizue's head, with a touch as gentle as the ones he was receiving earlier. He awkwardly looked down at them and quietly asked, "Is this love? Is this how you do it?"

"Yup." Shizue nodded.

Tengen couldn't help but snort in amusement at this, accepting the gesture wholeheartedly, "It's not fighting, but it feels kinda… nice."

With a newfound purpose and a new name, Hiroki and Tengen were ready to get their hands dirty with the upcoming training. As odd as it seemed, Hiroki owed the old scientist for sending him to Omori.

Character Profile!

Name: Hiroki Hamaguchi

Born: June 26th, 1996 (age 24)

Zodiac sign: Cancer

Height: 173 cm (5'8'')

Weight: 58 kg (127 lbs)

Hair color: Brown

Eye color: Hazel brown

Favorite food: Udon

Trivia: Until today, Hiroki has never taken a day off work, because he wanted to help Shizue as much as possible. He also worked overtime a few times.

And that wraps up chapter two! If you want to know what else awaits Hiroki and Tengen, make sure to follow and find out! Catch ya later!