Scene 1 — Morning Training
Morning came like a sharp blade through the thin curtains.
Leo stepped out of his small room and looked around — the house was quiet.
Leo (muttering)
"Chen Wei's gone? Hah… that idiot overslept again."
He tightened the band on his wrist and walked toward the training ground alone.
The training area was a cleared patch of earth, surrounded by concrete blocks and a line of pine trees.
Leo planted his feet firmly, rose onto his toes, and assumed his fighting stance.
Each punch sliced through the air. Each stance demanded focus and energy.
His movements became faster and more furious, sweat blurring his vision.
He leapt, spun, and smashed a suspended wooden dummy — the frame splintered with a loud crash.
Landing, he tasted iron in his mouth and felt the ache in his muscles.
Leo (whispering to himself)
"…This isn't enough. I won't admit this is my limit."
He slapped his thigh, frustration burning him from within.
Finally, he ended his morning drills and headed home.
Scene 2 — The Bookstore Discovery
On his way back, Leo noticed a small second-hand bookstore squeezed between a noodle stall and a tea shop.
The sign read: "Old Stories & Rare Finds."
Something pulled him in.
Inside, the shelves were packed with old books. The air smelled of paper and ink.
Then his eyes locked on a familiar spine:
Dragon Ball Super — Original Volumes.
His hands trembled as he approached the counter.
Leo
"How much for these?"
The elderly shopkeeper smiled faintly.
Shopkeeper
"Ten thousand."
Leo hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
Leo
"Deal. I'll take them."
He stepped outside, clutching the precious volumes, and immediately opened the first page under the sunlight.
He read everywhere — beside street stalls, on stairs, between traffic lights.
Goku, in those black-and-white panels, transcended limits with Ultra Instinct.
Leo's chest burned with excitement.
Leo (thinking)
"If he can break through… maybe I can too."
Scene 3 — Meditation and the Spirit
Returning to the training ground, Leo sat cross-legged beneath a pine tree and closed his eyes.
The city noises faded. The wind on the mountain disappeared.
His breath slowed, deepened, and the world dissolved into darkness.
From the void emerged a massive lion, its golden mane glowing like molten gold.
Its eyes burned like the sun.
Leo (smiling faintly)
"So… you are awake."
The lion's voice vibrated through his bones.
Lion
"I hunger for power. I will fight beside you… but you are not ready."
Leo
"Then give me everything."
The lion lowered its head, claws glowing, and pressed it gently against Leo's forehead.
Lion
"You cannot bear it. I will grant you one percent — a spark, enough to touch the gate.
But do not open it unless you are prepared to risk your life."
Behind the lion, an enormous iron-banded gate appeared. Cold wind brushed Leo's cheeks.
Leo (murmuring)
"A gate… to something beyond me."
Lion
"Take this one percent. Train. Return stronger."
Heat surged through Leo's veins, burning from head to toe.
Scene 4 — The One-Percent Power
Leo's eyes snapped open.
Golden light shimmered across his skin, forming a roaring lion-paw tattoo around his left eye.
His irises glowed molten gold.
He stood and tested the energy coursing through him.
He struck a nearby tree — Boom!
The trunk shattered into splinters raining down around him.
Then darkness engulfed him.
Leo collapsed, unconscious.
Scene 5 — Night and Resolve
When he woke, night had fallen. Streetlights bathed the streets in pale blue.
Pain ran through his body. Pride ached as well.
Leo (thinking)
"I'm not ready… not even for one percent.
I need more… I must train harder."
He clenched his fists, heart burning with determination.
He vowed to invest everything — money, time, blood — to become stronger.
He would break himself down and rebuild anew.
Footsteps approached.
Chen Wei (shouting)
"Leo?!"
Chen Wei ran up, breathless.
Chen Wei
"Where did you disappear this morning? You weren't home for breakfast either!"
(grabbing Leo's shoulder, worried)
"You idiot! You're so thin… your face looks awful! What did you do?"
Leo (weak smile)
"Heh… nothing. Just training."
Chen Wei frowned but helped him stand.
Leo looked up at the night sky, stars dim behind the city lights.
The gate
still lingered in his mind, waiting.
For the first time since his father's death, he felt his purpose sharpen like a blade.