One week has passed. Leonardo has fully healed up despite the injuries Josol gave him. Narso woke up. The fighters, those who have a spot and those who don't, and the other spectators gather at the center of the resort. Nine hours before the tournament begins, the tournament brackets are announced. The anticipation could be felt throughout the island. Narso tugs Jack on his shirt.
- "What is it, Narso?"
- "I have a question. What is the Devil's Engine?"
Jack looks a bit surprised to hear that term.
- "I didn't know you knew about that."
- "I didn't. Someone told me I had one, but that's it."
- "The Devil's Engine has many names. The name we're using currently is just how Paraiso fighters describe it. Basically, it is a skill that allows fighters to freely overclock their heart. It grants the user superhuman speed and strength, but it is very dangerous as it can lead to heart failure. You need to undergo specific training or be in a life-threatening situation. Anyway, you said someone told you that you had it?"
- "Yes, Mr. Jack."
- "I see, well now that you've experienced it one time it'll be easier to use later, but I advise against it. It's both a crutch and a curse."
- "Okay, thank you Mr. Jack."
Meanwhile, many of the fighters have formed groups to discuss with one another. Although to people on the outside they seemed to be having friendly conversations, their intentions were much different. To some, even just knowing the way another fighter speaks is enough of an advantage in a fight. This is why quite a few fighters are also holed up in their rooms. Out of the range of the groups is Jacques Williams. He is sitting down next to his personal student, Adam Ludwig, a white-haired kid who seems to be bored with what's going on.
- "You see Adam, they're not really trying to make friends."
Adam just gives a slight groan as a reply.
- "Remember what I told you?"
- "A fighter should take advantage of everything they are given, right?"
- "Good job, I'm buying you ice cream later."
Adam smiles. Jacques starts inspecting them from afar.
- "Do you recognize any of them?"
- "Of course I do, I see a lot of them on TV all the time."
- "Cut the sarcasm kid."
Adam too starts inspecting the crowd of fighters. His eyes start changing color. The regular white sclera turns black, and his pupils turn white. His eyes return to normal after a few minutes of him looking around.
- "No, I don't."
- "Hm, alright."
Once again, the tv screens on the island light up. It is a live video of chairman Henry Ku.
- "Good morning, everyone! The brackets are ready, so let's get this over with!"
The tv screen switches to an image of the roster.
https://imgur.com/m515cc3
- "Like always, our previous champion fights last!"
Henry exclaims. The fighters murmur as they inspect the brackets.
- "Fifth round, eh?"
Leonardo says looking at the screen. Jack taps Leonardo on the back. He nods at him, and he nods back. No words were exchanged, but they signaled that it was time to prepare for the biggest event of their lives. The two go back to their rooms to get some rest before the tournament properly starts.
Many of the fighters also go back to their rooms. Katsuya Masamichi approaches Evan Armstrong.
- "Young master, what do you need?"
- "You don't need to call me that Evan-san. Why won't you come back to the dojo?"
- "I just…I just had business okay."
- "We heard you haven't opened a school yet. Isn't it quite a waste to not pass your skills on? Why don't you come back to teach at the dojo, just like you used to?"
- "I…I lost faith in Karate."
Katsuya looks perplexed.
- "You…what?"
- "Come on kid, I didn't even bring my gi with me. One day Karate will be overshadowed by other combat sports. What then? Do I keep teaching a dead art?"
- "How could you abandon our way!? You who always-"
- "That's in the past now. Let's continue this conversation later. If you beat me when we meet in the ring, I'll reconsider, but until then I am superior to you and every single person in the dojo in every way, so leave me alone."
Evan leaves, as Katsuya stays still, confused and saddened by what had just transpired. He clenches his fist.
- "I still haven't given up, I will bring you back no matter what, Evan-san!"
He shouts as Evan leaves. Evan can't help but crack a smile and shed a tear at the same time.
- "You really have grown up, but I'm sorry that it has to be this way."
He mutters to himself.
The hours have passed, and the tournament is about to begin. The venue is the massive underground colosseum beneath the resort. The seats are filled, with fighters and rich men alike. The chairman views the fights from a VIP room above. The referee for tournament matches like this is named "DMCF." No one knows his real name.
- "That referee looks pretty weird."
Leonardo says, staring directly at him.
- "He was the referee from when I was a young fighter."
- "Huh? Then why does he look so young."
- "Beats me. He's been a referee since Waldemar was 30 too."
- "Strange."
The commentator checks his microphone.
- "Hello everyone! I'm this tournament's mc, David Santiago! Now, I'm sure you've all been waiting for this very moment. For those newcomers, every 10 years this organization holds a tournament to decide the man who shall be the strongest in the world! The winner of this tournament is awarded with the prestigious title of The Strongest Under the Sun and a belt made of pure gold! Now, let's get this long event started! Introducing the fighters for round 1, match 1! Johnny "The Lion King" Lewis versus Benjamin "The Iron Man" Evans!"
The two fighters enter the arena. Johnny looks around and grabs a handful of sand.
- "The sand is mixed with teeth, nails, and the smell of dried blood. This is perfect."
He says, before continuing to the center.
- "Wow, Johnny is quite a tall fighter, but Benjamin towers over him!"
The two stare each other down.
https://imgur.com/nm69wSK
The referee gets into position.
- "Fighters are you ready!?"
The two then get into their respective fighting stances before nodding.
- "Then…BEGIN!!!"
Johnny rushes in with a quick jab. Benjamin parries, and counters with a straight punch. Johnny gets knocked back a bit. He continues his assault with a Fa Jin, a skill that compresses the entire body's power into a single area, blowing Johnny away. Johnny is hurt, but it's not enough to stop him. He spits out blood and goes for a jab rush. Benjamin parries, but Johnny throws even more jabs. Johnny speeds up and gets more aggressive until Benjamin can't handle the ferocity, and he starts taking the barrage of fists to the face. Benjamin backs off.
- "He's fast for a heavyweight. I'll have to play a bit more passively."
His thoughts get cut off as Johnny comes in with an overhand right, knocking Benjamin back. Benjamin clicks his tongue, and while Johnny tries to continue his assault Benjamin counterattacks with his Triple Median Line Strike, hitting Johnny's abs, solar plexus, and throat in quick succession.
- "OH! Benjamin successfully lands a Triple Median Line Strike! Johnny is visibly damaged!"
Johnny is injured, but he shakes it off. He counters with a liver blow, as Benjamin's previous skill left that part wide open. Benjamin almost falls to his knees, but he recovers just in time. He raises his knee up, and stomps on the ground, causing a shockwave. The Earthquake Stomp. Johnny loses balance, and Benjamin goes for a roundhouse kick. Johnny parries and then counters with a 1-2 punch to Benjamin's face.
- "Not even The Earthquake Stomp could fully render Johnny defenseless, what a monster of a man he is!"
Johnny winds up a massive hook, but Benjamin spins, redirecting the force into a backhand, sending Johnny back.
- "My own punch..!!"
- "A redirection counter! Now that's gonna leave a mark!"
Benjamin closes the gap to attempt a side kick but gets countered with a body blow to the kidney. Benjamin staggers and winces in pain. Johnny follows up with a 1-2 combo, combining it with a hook and ending the combo with an uppercut. Benjamin gets sent back and is on his knees.
- "Get up. I know this isn't boxing, but I'm the type of guy who sticks to his own rules."
Benjamin gets up, without worrying of Johnny attacking him as he gets up.
- "Oh! A boxer plays by a boxer's rules! Johnny lets Benjamin get up!"
Johnny goes in again, but Benjamin leaps up and uses Johnny's body as a jump pad. Benjamin, still in the air, does a backflip into a kick, sending Johnny into the ground. Benjamin drops back down and looks at Johnny trying to get up.
- "Lucky for me, I don't play by those rules."
- "Unlike Johnny, Benjamin doesn't play boxer!"
He says, trying to kick Johnny, but Johnny counters with a punch from an odd angle, stunning Benjamin. Benjamin is visibly shaken.
- "OH! I didn't know Johnny could throw a punch like that! What an amazing fighter!"
- "What's wrong?"
- "…Nothing."
Johnny, impatiently, goes for a right hook, which gets countered by a palm strike to the chin and a Fa Jin to the torso, once again sending him back. Johnny is breathing heavily, but he is still standing. Benjamin goes for the offensive this time, trying to land another Fa Jin, but gets met with a hook to the temple, tilting his vision. His balance is off, and once again he falls to the ground. Johnny still abides by the rules of boxing and waits for his opponent to fully get up.
- "I can't lose to this! Not to someone who only uses one part of their body as their weapon!"
He thinks to himself before getting up. He reminisces about the first time he was exposed to Kung Fu. He was a young man who got separated from his parents in the city. There, he saw a demonstration of Kung Fu. Of course, there were many fantastical elements to the showcase like fire spitting and sword swallowing, but it got him hooked. Once he graduated, he went to China to study Kung Fu. Since then, he has been an honored guest in many martial arts circles. He is a fighter that many respect, and that same fighter is now on the ground against a man who only uses his fists to fight. He launches himself at Johnny, but he gets caught in a clinch.
- "Grit your teeth."
He opens the clinch just a tiny bit, and hits him with a nasty body blow, but both fall to the ground, wincing in pain.
- "WHAT'S THIS!? BOTH FIGHTERS FALL TO THE GROUND! DID BENJAMIN HIT JOHNNY TOO!?"
- "I was aiming for your heart."
Benjamin says. He snuck a One-Inch punch on Johnny. He missed slightly due to Johnny opening the clinch. Benjamin gets up before Johnny and throws him away. Johnny coughs up blood before getting up. Benjamin couldn't follow up due to his injuries.
- "Just a few hits…and my ribs have been shattered."
He thinks to himself, as Johnny recomposes himself. Benjamin starts circling around Johnny. He then lunges forward with a flying knee kick. Johnny dodges but gets clipped in the face with a straight punch. Benjamin readies a Fa Jin, but Johnny slips the punch with a shoulder roll, and clocks Benjamin right in the temple, once again knocking him down. Johnny looks at his opponent and reminisces too. He remembers being brought to America by his parents. His parents were a British-Canadian family. Sadly, they were killed a mugging incident, causing him to be orphaned on the streets. He was picked up by a local boxing gym. Since then, he trained nonstop and then became the boxing heavyweight champion of the world in three organizations. He wants to show the world that being the best boxer is synonymous with being the strongest in the world.
Benjamin once again gets up. He tries to recover lost stamina, but his broken ribs are making it quite difficult. They both realize they are nearing the end of the fight, so they get into position once more. Johnny goes in for a jab rush, but Benjamin goes with an Earthquake Stomp, knocking Johnny off balance. He tries to hit him with a front kick, but Johnny parries, but that was just a feint. The real attack was a Fa Jin, going directly for Johnny's face.
- "I win!"
Benjamin thinks to himself, before Johnny slips off it with a shoulder roll. Johnny then goes for a massive overhand punch to the chin, shaking Benjamin's brain and giving him a concussion. Benjamin falls to the ground unconscious.
- "I wish to fight you again someday."
Johnny says before leaving the arena. A medical crew with a stretcher comes to get Benjamin.
- "And the winner is…JOHNNY "THE LION KING" LEWIS!!!"
In the hall of his entrance, another fighter awaits Johnny. It's Jacob Santos.
- "Yo, champ."
- "What is it?"
Jacob gets quite close to Johnny.
- "After I beat that phony, you're next in round two."
Johnny chuckles.
- "Sure, but that's only if you beat him."
- "Oh I'll beat him alright. Professional wrestlers don't even deserve to be called martial artists."
He says before heading to the ring.