Victoria Tiger
After a year, I finally earned my freedom. I was fifteen. That day, I was just strolling by, taking a break from training and fooling around. You see, I was a bit too curious for my own good—so, of course, I ended up wandering into the slums.
That's where I met her.
A girl taller than me, brown skin, purple eyes, one long braid that reached her waist. She was well-built, older-looking, and had two boys behind her—one skinny, and the other with curly brown hair. He was about my height.
"Are you the one kidnapping kids around here?" she asked. Her voice was calm, but her eyes burned with rage.
I don't even remember how I ended up in that area, but I do remember helping a crying kid and giving her some sweets. Maybe it was the way I looked—I had a cloak covering most of my face and clothes. Yeah, probably that.
"Oy! I'm talking to you," she raised her voice when I didn't respond.
"Hm? What were you saying?" I asked, deciding to mess with them a little.
She clicked her tongue. "Don't waste my time. I said—are you the one stealing kids?"
I grinned under my hood. "And what if I am?"
Her eyes narrowed. Her face went blank. "Then I'll have to catch you so we can chat," she said flatly.
"Really? Unfortunately, I don't have time to stay for that long, you see."
"Too bad."
She launched at me—fast. Her hand reached out, but I sidestepped, and she grabbed nothing but air. She spun to face me again, surprised, then irritated. The boys started to pull out their weapons, but she stopped them with a gesture.
"I'm not in the mood to play around. So I'm going all out. Sorry if you get hurt," she said.
She launched again—faster this time. I dodged to the side, but she stopped herself mid-motion with a stomp that cracked the ground. She spun and aimed a high roundhouse at my head. I ducked. The force of her kick pulled the air with it. She followed with a spinning back kick—bam!—straight to my stomach.
I staggered. She aimed another for my face, but I crossed my arms and channeled Hashi into them to block.
Damn. She was strong. That kick felt like a hammer. I jumped back, breathing hard, my hand on my stomach. I couldn't help but smile. I was amused—interested.
"I guess I'll go a little psycho too," I said with a cherry tone.
Over the last year, I'd trained in the Great Tiger Technique. I wasn't a master yet, but I wanted to see how far I'd come. And this girl? A perfect test.
I bent my fingers like tiger claws, channeling Hashi through my limbs to boost my speed and flexibility—my greatest assets.
She shifted into a stance too. She could feel the change.
I leaped forward. She threw a punch—I dodged—and kicked the back of her knee. She dropped to one knee. I followed with a kick to her face, but she blocked with both arms, absorbing my continuous strikes.
Then, she grabbed my leg.
"Shit."
I tried to pull away, but her grip was solid. I surged Hashi into my hand—fingers forming sharp hooks, palm pushed forward.
Great Tiger Technique: Fierce Claw.
Just before I struck—she grabbed my wrist with her other hand. In one swift move, she yanked me forward—
—and headbutted me.
This barbarian—
My head snapped back. She swept my legs. I hit the ground flat on my back. Then she jumped on top of me and rained down fists. I blocked with my arms, but after ten seconds, my arms went numb. Every punch felt like a hammer—relentless. She snuck in a few to my stomach.
After twenty more seconds, I couldn't take it anymore.
"I give up," I muttered.
She stopped. Breathing heavily, she climbed off me. My face was still hidden. Blood ran from my mouth and nose.
She helped me up. Weird.
"Aren't you going to ask questions?" I asked, wiping blood from my lip.
"Nope. If you were the one stealing kids, you would've run instead of fighting me," she said, brushing off her clothes.
"What if I just wanted to kill you?"
"You didn't fight to kill—you were testing yourself." Her voice was steady. Smart girl. Annoyingly smart.
I pulled my hood down, revealing my face.
The boys watching gasped. Eyes wide.
"Well," I said, switching into noble mode, "you're not bad yourself. Anyway, where are my manners? Please forgive me for not introducing myself. My name is Victoria. Nice to meet you."
I did a proper curtsy, just for fun.
The girl gave me an annoyed smile. I grinned. I was loving this.
"My name is Natasha," she replied with a short bow.
I turned to leave, pulling my hood back up.
"Hey, pretty lady," the curly-haired boy stepped forward, puffing out his chest. "Name's Danny—but you can call me Dan."
"And I'm Fleeces," said the skinny one.
"Hey, can't you see I'm tryin' to charm the lady?"
"I see you, bro. But I'm tryna get to know her."
They started bickering.
I ignored them. "Well, like I said, I don't have the time to stick around. Bye-bye~" I sang and turned away.
And that's how I met Natasha.