Chapter 7: Korin's Tower – Aera's Ascent
The weeks of training on Master Roshi's island passed in a blur of sweat, laughter, and broken coconuts. Goku and Aera grew faster, stronger, and more synchronized in their sparring than ever before. Every sunrise brought new challenges, and every sunset saw the pair collapsing in the sand with wide smiles and bruised knuckles.
It was one particularly humid afternoon that a messenger bird, enchanted by the Lookout itself, dropped a scroll into Roshi's lap while he was napping with a magazine.
"Huh—wha?!" Roshi jolted up, his glasses falling askew. He unraveled the scroll and his expression changed.
"What's that, Master?" Goku asked, poking his head in.
Roshi's voice dropped into a serious tone. "It's a call for the worthy. An invitation to climb Korin Tower."
Aera's eyes lit up instantly. "Is there someone strong up there?!"
"The guardian of the tower is said to be a martial arts master beyond anything on Earth," Roshi explained. "If you pass his test… you might just unlock power you've never dreamed of."
"Let's go!" Aera bounced on her toes, tail wagging.
Goku grinned. "Yeah!"
Roshi hesitated. "It's not a game, kids. Climbing that tower—it's the kind of trial that's broken the will of warriors twice your age. It's said to stretch beyond the clouds."
Goku punched his palm. "Sounds fun!"
Aera nodded firmly. "We'll do it together."
---
The journey to Korin Tower was long, taking them through misty forests, steep mountains, and strange villages. Along the way, Aera's charm continued to bewilder everyone they met.
A pack of thieves tried to rob them but ended up begging Aera to train them instead.
A giant tiger tried to eat them and became her travel companion for three days.
Even an angry volcano spirit calmed down after she called its lava 'pretty and warm.'
---
They finally arrived at the base of Korin Tower—a thick white pillar that stretched high into the sky, vanishing into the clouds.
Goku tilted his head up. "Whoa…"
Aera giggled. "It looks like it touches the stars."
A monk approached, his staff tapping against the stone tiles. "Many have come to climb. Few have returned." He handed each of them a flask of water. "Drink sparingly. The climb is long. There are no rests."
Goku and Aera bowed, then looked at each other.
"Race you to the top?" Goku smirked.
"You're on!"
---
The climb began.
Hand over hand, they scaled the smooth, narrow pole that was Korin Tower. The wind howled past them. Below, the Earth shrank into a green and blue blur. Above, the clouds swirled ominously.
Aera moved with ease, her fingers gripping with instinctual precision. Her tail coiled around ledges and helped balance her in high winds.
"Hey Goku," she called. "This is fun!"
"You're crazy!" he laughed. "But yeah, it kinda is!"
They climbed for hours.
Then night fell.
Still, they climbed.
Their muscles burned. Sweat soaked their clothes. Goku's hand slipped once, but Aera caught him without thinking.
"You okay?"
He nodded, panting. "Thanks… you're really strong."
"You are too."
Their innocent smiles never faded.
---
After what felt like a full day, the clouds broke—and they pulled themselves up onto a wooden platform at the top of the tower.
There, standing with a staff in his paw, was a small, white cat.
"Welcome," the cat said. "I am Korin, guardian of the sacred water."
Goku blinked. "You're… a talking cat?"
Korin frowned. "I'm a martial arts master, thank you very much."
Aera gasped. "You're so fluffy!"
She hugged him immediately. Korin froze, eyes wide.
"I—what—stop that!" he sputtered.
She let go. "You smell nice too."
Korin cleared his throat, regaining composure. "Ahem. You have come for the sacred water, yes? But first… you must earn it."
---
The challenge was simple in concept, impossible in execution: take the sacred water from Korin's hand.
For three days, Goku and Aera tried.
They sprinted, dove, flipped, tackled, and even teamed up.
But Korin was fast. Unbelievably fast. Every time they lunged, he was gone in a blur.
Goku collapsed in a heap. "This guy… is faster than anyone I've ever seen."
Aera panted, sweat rolling down her cheeks. "He's like the wind."
Korin smirked. "Now you understand. Speed, timing, instinct. This is your test."
They trained nonstop.
Goku improved quickly, his instincts sharpening.
But Aera… she adapted in a different way.
She began to play.
She giggled as she chased him. She sang little songs. She started bouncing off walls, twisting midair, and smiling the whole time.
Korin found himself… distracted.
"Stop being so cheerful!" he shouted as he barely dodged a swipe.
"I'm having fun!" she replied, flipping over him.
One night, as Goku slept, Aera sat by the edge, staring down at the clouds.
Korin floated nearby. "You're different from most."
"I like strong people," she said simply. "They make me excited. They make me feel alive."
Korin was silent for a while.
Then he handed her the water.
"I can't explain it, but… you've earned this. Not just because of your speed or strength. But because of your spirit."
She took it, blinking. "I didn't catch you yet."
"You don't need to. Sometimes, reaching the top… is about what you teach others on the way."
---
The next morning, Goku finally snagged the bottle too, grinning wide.
"YEAH!"
Aera cheered. "We did it!"
They drank the sacred water and a surge of power flooded through them.
Their auras shimmered. Their eyes glowed for a moment. Every cell in their bodies felt sharper, lighter, faster.
Korin nodded. "You're ready for what's next."
---
As they descended the tower, Goku looked at Aera.
"You're amazing, you know that?"
She tilted her head. "I am?"
"Yeah. You're like… the sun."
She smiled. "I just like being me."
They laughed together, hand in hand, falling through the clouds toward their next adventure.
---
End of Chapter 7