nice

Last Panel: Meiling's thoughts seem to be on Sakuya's track, but her voice is confused. Is Meiling understanding perfectly and playing dumb?

As to Sakuya, how does she not qualify as a Tigress already? She manipulates time and space and wields knives at any range like a master.

Meiling CAN defeat her battle (as her win-quote in Unthinkable Natural Law attests) when Meiling gets serious...

I look at it as more of a growing up from child to woman then a ability kind of metaphor.
As she wants Meiling to know she wants her to look at her differently then she did when they first met.