Chapter 45: The Tournament of Power
The next day passed slower than Lee Kung expected.
Ever since the Dragon Sword had whispered those words in the classroom—
"The final piece..."
—his thoughts had refused to settle.
Gin Morino.
The ordinary-looking student sitting beside him.
The young man Lee had seen standing beside Kang on the bridge.
The same young man who somehow now attended the same school as if nothing had happened.
None of it made sense.
Even worse, Gin himself behaved completely normally.
He laughed.
He joked.
He complained about homework.
He slept through half of history class.
Nothing about him resembled a warrior destined to save realms.
Nothing.
Yet the sword insisted otherwise.
Lee glanced toward Gin during lunch.
The boy was currently arguing with another student over whose turn it was to buy drinks.
Completely normal.
"Maybe the sword is wrong..."
The thought lingered.
After all, even ancient artifacts could make mistakes.
Couldn't they?
The final school bell rang.
Students poured from classrooms.
As the crowd dispersed, Gin casually walked over to Lee's desk.
"Coming tonight?"
Lee looked up.
"The fighting ring?"
Gin grinned.
"You remembered."
Lee stood.
"I said I would."
"Good."
Gin slung his bag over his shoulder.
"The entrance isn't obvious. Follow the route I told you."
Then he walked away.
Just like that.
Leaving Lee with more questions than answers.
---
The underground fighting ring wasn't easy to find.
It sat beneath an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city.
From the outside, the structure looked forgotten.
Broken windows.
Rusting walls.
Faded paint.
Nothing special.
But inside...
Everything changed.
The moment Lee descended the hidden staircase beneath the warehouse floor, noise exploded around him.
Cheers.
Shouting.
Betting.
Laughter.
Hundreds of people filled a massive underground arena.
Bright lights illuminated a large circular fighting platform in the center while spectators occupied elevated seating around it.
Lee paused.
"This is illegal."
A nearby spectator laughed.
"Very."
The atmosphere reminded Lee of tournament grounds back in Azura.
Except this felt rougher.
More chaotic.
More modern.
People carried phones.
Screens displayed brackets overhead.
Money exchanged hands openly.
The smell of sweat and excitement filled the air.
"LEE!"
Lee turned.
Gin waved enthusiastically from nearby.
The crowd parted as he approached.
"Didn't think you'd actually come."
Lee raised an eyebrow.
"You invited me."
"Fair."
Gin pointed toward a large electronic screen.
Names filled the bracket.
Over thirty competitors.
Single elimination.
Winner takes all.
Lee frowned.
"You never said this was a tournament."
Gin shrugged.
"You never asked."
Before Lee could respond, a loudspeaker echoed across the arena.
"Ladies and gentlemen!"
The crowd erupted instantly.
"Welcome to tonight's qualifying rounds!"
Cheers thundered through the underground chamber.
The announcer continued.
"Sixteen fighters enter!"
The crowd screamed.
"Only four advance!"
More cheering.
Lee sighed.
"I should have stayed at the Hero's Lair."
Gin laughed.
"No chance."
The screen flashed.
MATCH ONE
LEE KUNG vs. MARCUS REED
The crowd immediately reacted.
"Who's Lee?"
"New guy?"
"Looks young."
Marcus Reed climbed into the ring first.
The man was enormous.
At least six-foot-six.
Muscular.
Scarred.
Clearly experienced.
He cracked his knuckles while staring at Lee.
The audience seemed confident.
"Poor kid."
"Marcus is gonna destroy him."
"That won't last thirty seconds."
Gin simply smiled.
Lee climbed into the ring.
The referee stepped forward.
"No weapons."
Lee nodded.
The Dragon Sword remained hidden back at the Hero's Lair anyway.
"Knockout or surrender wins."
Both fighters acknowledged.
The referee raised his hand.
"BEGIN!"
Marcus attacked immediately.
Fast.
Shockingly fast for his size.
His fist tore through the air toward Lee's face.
The crowd expected impact.
Instead—
Lee stepped aside casually.
Marcus missed completely.
A murmur spread through the audience.
Marcus attacked again.
And again.
And again.
Heavy combinations.
Powerful strikes.
Years of training evident in every movement.
Yet Lee avoided each attack effortlessly.
No wasted motion.
No panic.
No struggle.
The audience slowly quieted.
Marcus became frustrated.
"STOP MOVING!"
He launched forward with a charging tackle.
Lee finally moved.
A simple pivot.
Marcus lost balance.
Lee placed one hand against his shoulder.
Then redirected the giant's momentum.
BOOM.
Marcus crashed into the ring floor.
The crowd gasped.
The difference in skill became obvious instantly.
Marcus stood again, angrier than before.
This time he attacked relentlessly.
Punches.
Kicks.
Elbows.
Everything he had.
Lee remained calm.
Patient.
Measured.
Master Po's teachings echoed through his memory.
A warrior wins before the battle begins.
Marcus overextended.
Just once.
That was enough.
Lee stepped inside his guard.
Palm strike.
THUMP.
The impact wasn't flashy.
Wasn't dramatic.
But it was perfect.
Marcus froze.
His eyes widened.
Then his body collapsed.
Silence.
The referee checked briefly.
Then raised Lee's hand.
"WINNER!"
The crowd exploded.
"What?!"
"No way!"
"Who IS this guy?!"
Gin watched from the sidelines.
Smiling.
Watching carefully.
Far more carefully than a normal spectator should.
---
Later that evening.
The tournament continued.
Competitors fell one after another.
Eventually the screen updated again.
QUARTERFINAL MATCH
LEE KUNG vs. DAMIEN COLE
This opponent looked very different.
Smaller.
Faster.
Experienced.
Unlike Marcus, Damien immediately recognized danger.
The moment the match began, he maintained distance.
Circling.
Studying.
Looking for weaknesses.
Lee respected that.
The fight lasted far longer.
Damien used speed brilliantly.
Feints.
Counters.
Quick combinations.
Several times he nearly landed clean strikes.
The audience became fully invested.
Every exchange drew reactions.
For the first time all night, Lee needed genuine concentration.
Damien wasn't powerful.
But he was clever.
And clever opponents were dangerous.
Five minutes passed.
Then ten.
The crowd remained glued to the action.
Eventually Damien attempted his boldest attack.
A spinning kick aimed directly at Lee's head.
Fast.
Precise.
Dangerous.
Lee blocked.
The impact echoed through the arena.
Then Lee countered.
Not with overwhelming strength.
With technique.
Master Po's technique.
Three movements.
One opening.
One strike.
Damien staggered.
Another strike followed.
Then a sweep.
Damien crashed onto the mat.
Before he could recover—
Lee stopped.
His fist hovered inches from Damien's face.
The message was clear.
The fight was over.
The referee stepped in immediately.
"WINNER!"
The audience erupted again.
Now nobody doubted him.
The mysterious transfer student had become the tournament favorite.
---
Afterward competitors gathered around the updated bracket.
Only four fighters remained.
Lee.
Gin.
And two others.
Tomorrow would determine the champion.
Lee finally found Gin near the arena exit.
"You won too."
Gin nodded.
"Yeah."
"How?"
Gin laughed.
"What kind of question is that?"
Lee studied him carefully.
"I watched your match."
Gin shrugged.
"So?"
That was exactly the problem.
Lee had watched.
Closely.
Every second.
Gin fought like an ordinary human.
No hidden power.
No supernatural strength.
No extraordinary speed.
Nothing.
Just basic boxing.
Basic movement.
Basic endurance.
He won through persistence and determination.
Not destiny.
Not magic.
Not warrior blood.
Nothing.
Lee folded his arms.
"You're normal."
Gin blinked.
"...thanks?"
"No. I mean normal."
Gin stared.
"You're weird."
Lee sighed.
Maybe the sword really was mistaken.
The final piece was supposed to be extraordinary.
Someone chosen.
Someone important.
Not a student participating in underground tournaments for fun.
As they walked toward the exit, Gin glanced sideways at him.
"You don't trust me."
Lee looked at him.
"I don't know you."
"Fair."
For a moment silence stretched between them.
Then Gin smiled.
Not his usual casual smile.
Something different.
Something harder to read.
"You'll know soon enough."
Lee frowned.
"What does that mean?"
But Gin was already walking away.
---
That night.
Back at the Hero's Lair.
Lee sat alone in his room.
Moonlight filtered through the window.
The Dragon Sword rested beside him.
Quiet.
Until—
"The final piece remains."
Lee looked down at the weapon.
"No."
The sword hummed softly.
"He is."
Lee shook his head.
"I watched him fight."
"The strongest stars often appear ordinary."
Lee frowned.
"That's not an answer."
The sword fell silent.
As usual.
Frustratingly silent.
Lee leaned back against the wall.
Maybe tomorrow would provide answers.
Maybe tomorrow's final rounds would reveal the truth.
Maybe Gin Morino truly was ordinary.
Or maybe something far bigger remained hidden beneath the surface.
---
The next afternoon the tournament bracket was finalized.
The crowd packed the arena more tightly than before.
Excitement filled every corner.
The electronic display illuminated overhead.
Four names remained.
Then two semifinal matches appeared.
And finally—
The projected championship pairing.
The crowd roared immediately.
Because the anticipated final was now official.
TOURNAMENT FINAL
LEE KUNG
VS
GIN MORINO
Across the arena, Gin looked up at the screen.
Then slowly turned toward Lee.
Their eyes met.
Gin smiled.
Not casually.
Not playfully.
Almost knowingly.
And for the first time since arriving in the modern world...
Lee Kung felt genuinely uncertain about what would happen next.