Fight for Fuji

Asoka opened his eyes and was greeted by the sight of a massive creature standing in the middle of a split mountain. The creature's skin was made of jagged stone, and it stood on two legs, its body resembling that of an oversized, bloated human. With a deafening roar, it threw down a challenge, shaking the air around them.

"Insolent fat stone! How dare you challenge me!" Asoka thought, his fury igniting.

Without hesitation, Asoka charged toward the creature, claws outstretched, ready to pierce through its rocky exterior. But the distance between them was vast, and the terrain—a chaotic expanse of jagged rocks, fissures, and unstable ground—posed a serious obstacle. Asoka had to navigate this treacherous field before he could even get close to his opponent.

Asoka, a creature of muscle and instinct rather than intellect, made a simple decision: he would run, leap, and claw his way through, no matter the difficulty. He sprinted as fast as his powerful legs would allow, leaping over fissures and using protruding rocks as makeshift stepping stones. The sharp terrain slowed him down significantly, forcing him to expend more energy than expected. But Asoka's focus was singular—reaching the gigantic creature and tearing it apart.

Five grueling minutes later, Asoka finally crossed the stone field. He let out a triumphant roar, his eyes fixed on his target. But as he got a clearer view of the creature, doubt crept into his mind.

The monster was colossal, nearly three times his size. It loomed over Asoka, its immense bulk casting a shadow that made him feel insignificant. For a brief moment, Asoka hesitated, his confidence wavering. The sheer size of the creature was overwhelming, and a sense of helplessness began to take root.

But then, anger surged through him like a firestorm. He hated this feeling of weakness, this momentary submission to fear. The thought of being overpowered enraged him even more. His hatred for the stone giant fueled his resolve, turning his doubt into a burning desire to destroy the creature at all costs.

Asoka roared with all his might, his voice a defiant challenge echoing across the rocky battlefield. His roar wasn't just a declaration of his strength—it was a refusal to accept defeat, a vow to prove himself against an enemy far larger and seemingly more powerful.

The stone creature appeared to understand Asoka's intent. It answered with a low, rumbling growl and began to move. Each step it took was accompanied by a thunderous tremor, the ground cracking beneath its immense weight.

Asoka's heart pounded, not just from exertion but from a mix of fear and adrenaline. He had to admit—this creature's size was terrifying. Yet, his growing rage drowned out his fear. He clenched his claws, standing his ground as the gigantic opponent closed the distance.

When the stone giant finally stood before him, towering like a mountain, Asoka froze. His body was rigid, and his mind conflicted. The logical part of him knew the odds were against him, but the primal part—the part driven by anger and instinct—refused to back down.

This internal battle left Asoka momentarily paralyzed. He didn't know how to attack, let alone win. But one thing was clear: despite the fear gnawing at him, he would fight. He had no choice.

The clash was inevitable, and as the stone giant loomed closer, Asoka's mind raced to find a way to turn the tide in his favor.

*****

Back in Professor Sota's Lab

Professor Sota leaned back in his chair, watching the live broadcast of Asoka's battle with the gigantic stone golem. He smirked, his confidence unwavering. Despite the golem's immense size, Sota believed in Asoka's hidden potential. 

"Asoka may not look like much compared to that oversized rock," Sota muttered, "but I built him to surpass any opponent. He'll crush that thing and prove my work is superior." 

However, the broadcast revealed something unexpected. Instead of charging headfirst into battle, Asoka hesitated. His usual aggression was replaced by fear, his body stiff and unresponsive as the golem approached. 

"What the hell is this?!" Sota snapped, his smirk vanishing. "You're afraid? You're supposed to be a beast, not some cowering pup!" 

Frustrated, Sota stormed over to another computer and began typing furiously. A twisted grin spread across his face as he completed his input. 

"Don't worry, my dear boy," he muttered with a laugh. "Daddy's got something to fix that little attitude problem." 

He pressed a large button, sending his command directly to Asoka's neural systems. Returning to the broadcast, Sota grinned as he saw the effect of his intervention. 

On the screen, Asoka's posture changed abruptly. The fear disappeared, replaced by a cold, unrelenting fury. "That's more like it," Sota whispered with a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes. 

*****

Back at the Split Mountain of Mount Fuji

The stone golem loomed over Asoka, its massive hand reaching down to grab him. The golem's slow movements seemed deliberate as if mocking Asoka's smaller size. It wanted to demonstrate the futility of resistance—after all, in its mind, the bigger one was always stronger. 

But before the golem could seize him, something shifted in Asoka. Like a switch had been flipped in his brain, his fear transformed into disdain and hatred. With a guttural roar, he leaped onto the golem's hand, climbing up its arm with surprising agility. 

The golem tilted its head, watching Asoka curiously. It didn't react, as if unsure whether this tiny opponent could pose a real threat. 

Asoka reached the golem's head and slapped it hard across the ear. 

**PANG! BOOM!** 

The golem faltered, its balance disrupted as its head snapped to the side. It let out a deep, rumbling roar of anger, swiping at Asoka with its massive hands. But Asoka was faster. He darted onto the golem's back, evading its clumsy attacks and landing another slap to its head. 

**PANG! CRACK!** 

The second blow left a visible crack in the golem's stony surface. Panic flashed in the golem's glowing eyes as it began flailing wildly, trying to shake Asoka off. But Asoka used his smaller, nimble frame to his advantage, darting around its body and delivering calculated strikes. 

Asoka's strategy seemed flawless. A few more hits and the golem would collapse. But before he could land the final blow, a deafening roar echoed from above. 

Both Asoka and the golem froze, their attention drawn to the sky. Through the thick clouds, a new creature descended—a winged lizard, its body thick with muscle and its wingspan so vast it seemed to block out the sun. 

The lizard roared again, a primal challenge directed at both combatants. Its voice reverberated across the battlefield, declaring itself the undisputed ruler of the skies. 

The golem began to respond, its mouth opening to roar back, but it didn't get the chance. Asoka slapped its head so hard that the golem's neck twisted violently, and its head detached, tumbling to the ground with a thunderous crash. The now-headless golem swayed for a moment before collapsing in a heap of stone. 

Ignoring his defeated opponent, Asoka turned his attention to the winged lizard. He let out a roar of his own, his defiance and hatred for challengers burning brightly. 

The lizard, undeterred, roared back. Their contest for dominance intensified, but it was abruptly cut short as the remnants of Mount Fuji began to tremble violently. 

Asoka looked down, noticing a pool of magma rising from the depths. The molten rock crept upward, swallowing the golem's fallen body and dissolving it into a bubbling inferno. 

Before Asoka could react, the magma surface shimmered, covered by strange jelly-like objects that pulsed momentarily before vanishing. In the blink of an eye, the magma and the golem's remains disappeared, leaving the battlefield eerily quiet. 

The winged lizard, sensing the unnatural stillness, attempted to pick up the golem's body, but its effort was in vain. With nothing left to fight for, the lizard flapped its massive wings and ascended into the clouds, disappearing as swiftly as it had appeared. 

Asoka, still standing on the jagged battlefield, let out one final roar. It wasn't one of victory—it was a warning to whatever forces might come next. The battle was over, but the war was far from finished. 

*****

Professor Sota Was Furious!

Professor Sota paced back and forth in his lab, his fists clenched and his face red with rage.

"How could Asoka fail like that?" he muttered, slamming his hand on the nearest table. "Just because the enemy was bigger? Ridiculous! And that stone skin… it could have been the perfect addition to his body composition. All of it—wasted!"

But what infuriated him even more was the appearance of the winged creature. He knew exactly where it had come from.

"Laurel and Clarisa," he spat their names like venom. "Those hypocrites! They mocked my ideas, called me insane, and now they're doing the exact same thing!"

He paused, glaring at the monitor showing the footage of the battle. "And to make it worse, they gave their beast a pair of wings. Wings! That was supposed to be Asoka's defining feature!"

Sota spent the rest of the day in a storm of fury. He cursed, shouted, and kicked every piece of stray equipment on the floor. His tantrum was so loud he didn't even notice that Asoka, back in his containment chamber, had woken up and was watching him intently for the first time in weeks.

ROAAAARRRR!

The sound of Asoka's roar shook the lab, snapping Sota out of his tirade.

"SHUT UP!" he screamed, jabbing at the control panel. "I MADE YOU! YOU OBEY ME, AND ONLY ME!"

He slammed a button, and Asoka's roar cut off as the creature slumped back into unconsciousness. Sota stormed out of the lab, his anger boiling over until he eventually knocked himself out with exhaustion that night.

*****

On the Other Side of the World

In a sleek, high-tech facility, Laurel and Clarisa sat across from Sota's pilot, the man responsible for controlling their winged monster. Sota was unique—more puppet than the beast, incapable of independent movement without the pilot's neural input.

Clarisa held a tablet, her sharp eyes fixed on the pilot. "So, tell us exactly what happened out there," she demanded.

The pilot sighed, running a hand through his hair. "At first, it was just like training. I moved Sota the way I always do. But then… things got strange."

"What do you mean by strange?" Laurel asked, leaning forward.

"For starters," the pilot began, "I didn't make Sota roar. That was… him. I don't even know how it happened. And when that skinny beast—Asoka, I think—roared back, Sota just froze. It felt like they were sizing each other up, trying to figure out who was the dominant one."

Clarisa nodded thoughtfully. "Is there anything else?"

The pilot hesitated, fear flickering in his eyes. "Yeah. Toward the end, it felt like Sota wasn't just responding to me. It was like he was trying to control me, push into my thoughts while I controlled his body. It… didn't feel right."

Clarisa's expression softened. "Thank you for sharing this. You've been very helpful. You're dismissed for now."

As the pilot left, Laurel and Clarisa exchanged uneasy glances. Once the room was secure, Laurel finally broke the silence.

"We've failed, Clarisa." His voice was quiet, but the dread was unmistakable.

Clarisa sighed, her composure wavering. "We have."

"What do we do now?" Laurel asked, his voice rising in panic. "We can't just abandon this project! That creature—Sota—still has its consciousness intact. If it takes full control, it'll come for us!"

Clarisa, trying to remain calm, replied, "We'll find a way to suppress its mind. There has to be a way. If Sota can fight for dominance, we can learn to take it back."

But Laurel was spiraling. His breathing quickened, his thoughts racing. He buried his face in his hands, trying to push away the growing terror.

After several moments of tense silence, he finally raised his head, determination burning in his eyes.

"No time for fear," he said sharply. "We need to act now. Clarisa, gather every piece of data we have on mind control, neural links—anything that might help us. I don't care how unethical it is; we'll use whatever means necessary."

Clarisa nodded hesitantly. "What about you? What will you do?"

Laurel's expression darkened. "I'm going to shut down Sota's mind completely. Turn it into a submissive puppet that will never think of fighting back. No matter how monstrous it makes me, I won't let that thing turn against us."

Clarisa watched him, her unease growing, but she didn't argue. There was no time for doubt.