The next day, the sun rose as usual in South Korea. Ryu woke up from his sleep, staring at the mirror in his room. His white hair still flowed freely, and his blue eyes remained calm. He held the katana sheath made by his father—the same one that had witnessed his victory yesterday—and then placed it into his school bag. He did not feel proud, nor did he feel amazing—he simply thought that yesterday's opponent had been too weak. He was still convinced that his own strength was weak.
Upon arriving at Cheongju High School, the atmosphere that was usually noisy had become extremely silent. All the students stopped talking the moment Ryu stepped through the school gate. Some looked at him with eyes full of respect, some with doubt, and others with hatred.
Ryu walked toward Class 10-B as usual. When he opened the classroom door, all eyes immediately turned toward him. The classroom became even quieter—you could even hear the ticking of the wall clock.
Student 1 (whispering with a trembling voice):
"That's him… the one who defeated Seo-jun in an instant. His power is seriously terrifying…"
Student 2 (curling their lips):
"He must have been hiding his strength from the start! This is all just an act to make himself popular!"
Several students standing in the corner of the classroom stood up and approached Ryu. They were Ryu's new fans, who had only appeared after yesterday's victory.
Fan 1 (smiling widely):
"Ryu hyung! You were so cool yesterday! Can you teach me how to control power?"
Fan 2 (holding an autograph book):
"Hyung, please sign this! I'm your fan starting today!"
Ryu only nodded slowly, saying nothing. He immediately sat down in his usual corner seat, burying his head in his book like always. He did not care about what they were saying—he only wanted school to go on as usual.
After the first class ended, Lee Joon-ho—the gang leader who had won the first round of the competition—approached Ryu's desk. Joon-ho stood straight in front of him, his cruel eyes staring directly into Ryu's. The air around them grew cold, causing several students to back away.
Lee Joon-ho:
"You defeated Seo-jun. But that doesn't mean you're stronger than me."
Ryu (without lifting his head):
"I don't want to argue."
Lee Joon-ho (slamming his hand on Ryu's desk):
"Don't be arrogant! I know you're hiding your power! You've been pretending to be weak all this time to deceive everyone, haven't you?"
Ryu finally lifted his head, his blue eyes calmly meeting Joon-ho's gaze. There was no expression on his face, but a faint blue light appeared at the corners of his eyes.
Ryu:
"I'm not hiding anything. My power really is weak. It's just that my opponent was too weak."
Those words made Joon-ho furious. He clenched his fists tightly, and strong winds began to swirl around him—a sign that he was about to release his power.
Lee Joon-ho (shouting):
"What did you say?! I'll show you who's weak here!"
Suddenly, Teacher Kim entered the classroom at high speed. Seeing the heated situation, he immediately raised his voice.
Teacher Kim (loud voice):
"Joon-ho! Stop that right now! You two have already advanced to the finals of the competition! Don't fight here—show your strength in the arena tomorrow!"
Joon-ho let out a hard breath and released his clenched fists. The strong winds disappeared. He glared at Ryu with eyes full of anger.
Lee Joon-ho:
"Fine, teacher. Tomorrow in the arena, I'll defeat you and prove that you're nothing but a fraud!"
After that, Joon-ho left the classroom with quick steps. All the students were shocked—they hadn't expected Ryu and Joon-ho to meet in the final round of the competition. The tension in the classroom grew even heavier.
In the afternoon, Ryu returned home and went straight to the backyard to train. His father, Mikael, was already waiting there with a newly forged katana that had just been completed. The katana was black and gold, with star-shaped decorations on its sheath—it looked stronger and more beautiful than the old one.
Mikael:
"You've heard the news, right? Tomorrow you face Joon-ho in the finals."
Ryu:
"Yes, Father."
Mikael:
"He possesses high-level wind control—almost on par with your current strength. You must be cautious. And remember, Ryu—your power is not weak. You simply haven't learned to fully control it yet."
Ryu nodded, but he still didn't believe it. He held the new katana, and immediately a dark blue aura emerged from the blade. The aura was stronger than yesterday, causing the grass around him to float.
Mikael (shocked but proud):
"Wow… your power is growing rapidly. Tomorrow, the world will see who you truly are—the Bearer of the Blue Power we read about in the legends."
That night, Ryu couldn't sleep. He stood by his bedroom window, staring at the dark sky. He thought about Joon-ho, about tomorrow's competition, and about his father's words. He was still convinced that his power was weak, but a feeling began to rise in his heart—the desire to prove that he wasn't a fraud as some people claimed.
The next morning, the stadium was once again filled with thousands of spectators. The cheers and screams were louder than yesterday—everyone wanted to witness the battle between the mysterious Ryu and the powerful Joon-ho.
In the stands, Mikael and Elena sat side by side, their hands tightly clasped. They felt proud, but also worried—they knew that if Ryu released his full power, there was a chance he wouldn't be able to control it.
The loudspeaker announced:
Loudspeaker:
"NOW, THE FINAL ROUND OF THE NATIONAL POWER HOLDERS COMPETITION! RYU ARION VERSUS LEE JOON-HO!"
Ryu walked into the arena with calm steps. On the opposite side, Joon-ho stood in an attacking stance, his eyes filled with hatred. The crowd shouted their names—some for Ryu, some for Joon-ho.
Lee Joon-ho (loud voice):
"Today, I'll prove that you're just a fraud hiding his power!"
Ryu said nothing. He simply held his katana, his eyes remaining calm. The referee stood in the center of the arena and raised his hand.
Referee:
"READY… BEGIN!"
Immediately, Joon-ho leaped into the air at incredible speed. He unleashed a violent wind as strong as a storm, causing objects in the arena to float. The wind took the shape of a giant serpent that flew toward Ryu at high speed.
Lee Joon-ho (shouting):
"KING OF WIND – SERPENT STRIKE!"
The wind serpent struck the spot where Ryu stood, sending dust flying everywhere. All the spectators thought Ryu had been blown away—but when the dust cleared, Ryu was still standing in the exact same position. He slowly opened his mouth, and his voice was clearly heard despite the raging wind.
Ryu:
"Your power… is good. But it's still not enough."
Suddenly, Ryu vanished from his spot. Joon-ho was shocked, frantically searching for him—until he felt an overwhelmingly powerful dark blue aura behind him. He turned around quickly, but it was already too late.
Ryu stood behind Joon-ho, his katana raised above his head. The dark blue aura from the blade intensified, causing the sky above the stadium to darken. All the spectators fell silent—they had never seen such immense power.
Ryu (calm but powerful voice):
"This… is the power I have. Nothing is hidden. It's just something I haven't fully understood yet."
He brought his katana down swiftly—but not to harm Joon-ho. He merely slashed the wind surrounding him, shattering it instantly. Joon-ho collapsed to the ground, sweat covering his face. He was unharmed, but he knew he had lost—lost to a power far greater than his own.
Referee (with a trembling voice):
"R-RYU ARION… IS THE WINNER OF THE NATIONAL POWER HOLDERS COMPETITION!"
The spectators were stunned for a moment, then suddenly erupted into deafening cheers. "RYU! RYU! RYU!" The atmosphere became overwhelming. But Ryu remained calm. He sheathed his katana and walked out of the arena—but this time, he lifted his head, and his white hair shone clearly under the sunlight.
In the stands, Mikael and Elena smiled in relief. But they knew this was only the beginning. Because in a distant corner of the stadium, someone wearing a black cloak stood watching Ryu. His eyes were dark red, and he smiled in a terrifying way.
Man in the black cloak (whispering):
"The Bearer of the Blue Power has appeared… good. Now it's time for us to meet, Ryu Arion."
END OF CHAPTER 3