After the commotion at school died down, Ryu walked home with the same calm steps as always. His cap still covered his white hair, his blue eyes lost in thought. The sound of his classmates' taunts still echoed in his ears: "It was just a coincidence the device broke!" "He definitely doesn't have any power at all!" But what confused him more was why Teacher Kim had put his name on the participant list. He let out a quiet sigh, dismissing it as a teacher's mistake.
As soon as he arrived home – a small but cozy house on the outskirts of the city – Ryu headed straight to his room without greeting anyone. He tossed his bag onto the bed, then sat in the corner of the room, staring out the window that faced the garden. Outside, a banyan tree swayed gently in the wind. He remembered his childhood in Malaysia, when his father had taught him to hold a katana for the first time.
"Ryu, your hands must be strong yet gentle. A katana isn't just a weapon – it's part of you," his father had said back then. Ryu smiled slightly, then closed his eyes for a short rest. Two hours passed just like that, with him sitting still, thinking about the past and what would happen tomorrow.
Without realizing it, his hand moved on its own toward the closet in the corner of the room. He opened it, and inside lay an old but well-cared-for katana sheath. He pulled it out carefully, his fingers touching the smooth metal surface. In that moment, a faint glimmer of blue light appeared at the tip of the sword – but Ryu didn't see it. He only felt a surge of energy flowing from his hand to the katana, as if something long dormant was starting to wake.
After that, Ryu went out to the backyard. There, his father – Mikael Arion – was already waiting, standing tall with a training staff in his hand. Mikael had black hair that was starting to gray at the ends, eyes as blue as Ryu's, and a strong build despite being over 40 years old.
Mikael: "Ah, there you are. Good, let's continue today's training."
Ryu nodded, then gripped the katana in the correct stance – just as he had learned since he was little. They began to train: quick strikes, agile dodges, and precise hits. Each of Ryu's movements grew smoother, his speed faster, until Mikael had to work hard to keep up with him.
Mikael (smiling proudly): "Ryu, you're getting stronger every day now. Good, keep up the effort. Your power has already started to awaken, even if you don't realize it yourself."
Ryu just nodded again, not understanding what his father meant. He only felt happy to be training with his father again. The competition was only 2 days away, but Ryu still felt no worry – he didn't even know what to expect there.
That night, Mikael went into his forging workshop at the back of the house. He lit the furnace with a strong flame, his skilled hands starting to hammer a large piece of iron. The fire blazed bright, illuminating his serious face. He was making a new katana for Ryu – a weapon worthy of the power that had awakened within his son.
Ryu's mother (Elena Arion) – who had come out to the backyard – said: "Mikael, are you sure? His power… it's stronger than we ever imagined. Even stronger than the ancient legendary heroes we read about in history books."
Mikael (not stopping his work): "I know, Elena. That's what worries me. But he has to learn to control it. This competition is his chance to do that. And we should be proud – our son gets to compete in an event only for the powerful."
Elena nodded, her eyes filled with hope and a hint of fear. They both already knew that Ryu's power had awakened – from all the katana training he had done without realizing it. What they feared was if that power would unleash itself without control.
Two days passed in a flash. Today was the day of the National Power User Competition, held at a large stadium in the city center. The stadium was packed with thousands of spectators, their cheers and shouts creating an electrifying atmosphere. In the stands, Mikael and Elena sat side by side, their hands clasped together.
The competition started quickly. The first participant to step up was Lee Joon-ho – the school gang leader with high-level wind-control powers. He faced off against a participant from another school and won the first round in the blink of an eye. A strong gust of wind swept through the arena, sending his opponent flying far away and forcing them to surrender instantly.
Spectators (shouting): "Awesome, Joon-ho! You're the best!"
The competition continued on. One by one, participants were defeated, until only a few remained. Finally, the loudspeaker announced:
Loudspeaker Voice: "Next up… Ryu Arion vs. Park Seo-jun – the strongest student at Cheongju High!"
The announcement made the crowd fall silent for a moment, then burst into laughter. Everyone looked down on him – they still remembered when the power meter broke, and they were sure it had just been a coincidence.
Spectator 1 (laughing): "Hey, is he really going to fight? He doesn't have any power at all!"
Spectator 2: "Oh my god, this is going to be so funny! Park Seo-jun will take him down in a second!"
Ryu walked into the arena with his usual calm steps. Across from him, Park Seo-jun stood with a cocky posture. Seo-jun had spiky blonde hair, sharp, arrogant eyes, and was the school's strongest student – with peak-level fire-control powers.
Park Seo-jun (shouting loudly in front of all the spectators): "Hey, you white-haired weakling! Did you come here just to embarrass yourself? You should go home and read a book instead – stop being a nuisance here!"
The entire crowd laughed out loud. Mikael and Elena sat in silence, anxious but still encouraging Ryu with their gazes.
The referee stood in the middle of the arena, then raised his hand:
Referee: "READY… BEGIN!"
Right away, Seo-jun jumped into the air. He opened his mouth, and a huge fireball – as big as a cube – shot toward Ryu at high speed, while Seo-jun laughed and looked down on him.
Park Seo-jun (laughing wildly): "Die, you fool!"
The fireball hit the spot where Ryu was standing. Flames blazed bright, creating a cloud of smoke. Everyone thought Ryu had been seriously hurt – but when the smoke cleared, Ryu was still standing in the same place. Not a single scratch on him.
The crowd fell silent for a moment. Seo-jun raised an eyebrow in shock.
Park Seo-jun: "What… what is this?"
Suddenly, Ryu drew his new katana. It was black with gold accents – sharp and sleek. As he gripped it, a dark blue aura emerged from the entire length of the sword – a powerful, intimidating aura that made the air in the arena turn cold.
In the blink of an eye, Ryu vanished from his spot. Seo-jun panicked, looking around for him – until he felt someone standing behind him.
Ryu (said in a calm voice): It's over.
Right after that, Seo-jun collapsed to the ground without putting up any fight. The dark blue aura from the katana disappeared instantly. The entire stadium fell completely silent – no cheers, no laughter. Only silence filled the air.
Referee (in a trembling voice): "R-Ryu Arion… WINS!"
Ryu said nothing. He just sheathed his katana, then walked out of the arena with the same calm steps he had used to enter. His face remained blank, no sign of joy or pride. In the stands, Mikael and Elena smiled with relief – but their worry didn't fade. They knew, this was only the beginning of everything.
END OF CHAPTER 2