Jao Fuu looked at his brother in worry.

“Oh, that?” Jao Cong. “I entered my own name in the tournament.”

“You… You what?” Jao Fuu looked at her brother in horror. “Jao Cong, exit the tournament immediately. I can’t protect you in the tournament.”

Zen held back a giggle at that.

“But I don’t want you to protect me sister.” He said. ‘I want to fight. I want to test myself.”

“But… But… what if you get hurt?” she said with a sad pout.

“You also run the risk of getting hurt, Sister.” Cong said.

“Let him fight.” Zen said.

“Oh shut up, Zen!” Fuu said.

Zen shrugged. “He is here to learn to fight, isn’t he. Better he learn in a tournament then in in a real life or death battle out there.”

“I said, shut up.” She whined. She turned to her brother, her eyes shining with tears. “Brother, please be careful. And if it gets too much, give up immediately.”

He nodded.

A few matches went on and Zen waited for his turn. Soon enough, his name was called.

“Shibi,” Zen said to the Scorch Ape on the floor. “I’m going out to fight. Wait for me here and whatever happens, don’t interfere. Okay?”

“Will Zen be okay?” Shibi said.

“I should be.” Even though his face was hidden behind a mask Shibi knew that he was smiling.

The ape nodded and Zen stepped out.

He entered the ring with competitor. The ring was a square platform raised from the ground and made of white tile blocks. Zen looked at his opponent. The girl looked scared as she looked at him. Zen let his immense power leak out so that everyone could sense it and he also mixed a killing intent along with his power, making the girl even more scared.

Zen’s power and killing intent was suffocating the girl in pure fear, so much so, that her legs began shaking as the referee explained the rules.

“Combatants. Here are the rules. I will give the word to start the fight as soon as I leave the stage and the fight will begin. The fight will be will end one of the combatants wins or gives up. Combatants win when they knock out their opponent for a 10 second count, when any part of their opponent’s body touches the ground outside the ring or when their opponent gives up. No purposeful killing, weapons, or outside assistants will be allowed.”

The referee exited the ring and chopped the air while shouting, “Begin!”

“I… I surrender!” the girl said.

And just like that, Zen had won his first match, without lifting a finger.

“Hey!” Zen said, walking beside Jao Fuu with Shibi following behind him.

She was looking at the ring in worry as the referee explained the rules while Jao Cong and his opponent looked at each other.

“Jao Cong is about to fight.” Jao Fuu said.

“Ah, cool! Can’t wait to see what he does.” Zen said.

“I hope he doesn’t get beaten up too badly!” she said. “Whatever happens, be supportive, okay? He will need us to be there for him.”

“Okay?” Zen said.

The referee began the match. Jao Cong took a fighting stance and so did the girl he was fighting. She charged at him, her nails growing long with ki.

Jao Fuu gasped at this attack and had to hold herself back from leaping to her brother’s defence.

“Come on, Cong’er.” Zen said under his breath.

The girl slashed at Cong with her ki enhanced nails. He stepped back and raised his forearm. The girl’s nails shred through the sleeves of her shirt. Cong grimaced in pain as he kept jumping back to avoid the girl.

The girl kept chasing Cong, slashing wildly with her hands while screaming like a banshee. She connected again, her nails glancing against her shoulders, cutting his shoulder and drawing more blood.

“Come on, let up!” Jao Fuu shouted. “The ref should stop her!”

Zen said nothing. He knew that the girl had not broken any of the rules yet.

The girl withdrew her arm all the way back.

“Now,” Zen said under her breath.

Cong stopped and activated his ki technique. “Blitz Fist!”

Cong slammed 80 punches into the girl.

“Yes!” Jao Fuu shouted. “Go get her, Brother!”

The girl tried to recover but was then kicked in the face by Jao Cong. The girl fell on the ground. She gave an inhuman screech and got back up again. She was now enraged as she continued her wild attacks.

Jao Cong continued to retreat.

Zen was getting worried, as Cong was getting dangerously close to the edge. At the last moment, Cong stopped and side stepped her wild strike. He was not able to fully escape the attack as it glanced against his shoulder, her two nails cutting deep into him. With his new position, Cong kicked the girl in the butt, adding to her forward momentum which carried her well over past the ring onto the green grass that surrounded it.

The referee raised his hand and declared Cong the winner.

Fuu jumped for joy and rushed out to the ring and hugged her brother as he was leaving.

They approached the Combatants waiting area.

“Nice job, Jao Cong.” Zen said.

“Thank you,” Cong said. “I would not have made it without you.”

“What? What do you mean by that, Jao Cong?”

“Well, Wang Zen has been training me to fight.” Cong said.

“What? No wonder you wanted him to enter the tournament.” She glared at Zen.

Zen shrugged. “It’s a good way to test his skills. Which are impressive. Well done Cong.”

“You!” Jao Fuu said angrily at Zen. “If you ever train my brother without telling or make me that worried for his safety again, I will kick your ass!”

Zen shrugged in confusion.

“Also, thanks for training him.” She said. “Though if you needed training, I don’t know why you didn’t come to me, Brother.”

“Because I know you, Sister.” Cong said. “You would have coddled me and ny learning would have been slow.”

“I…! I guess you’re right.” She said. “Thanks, Zen’er. Now, Brother, let’s get those cuts wrapped up.”

Zen watched the twins walk away. “This tournament is getting interesting.” He said to Shibi…