What Lies Behind the Mask

Ray of light traveled through the night sky. The light was dim compared to the vast night sky like a pebble on the ocean, but it was piercing the atmosphere ferociously with incredible momentum as if nothing would stand in its way.

The trail of light made its way to the northeast from the imperial capital. About twenty minutes passed and the light stopped right above a rocky wasteland expanding a hundred miles away.

If it was during the noon then without doubt this place would be hot and scorching. But right now was late in the night where the sun had already switched place with the gentle moon shining the dark night sky, it was in no way hot or warm.

Cool wind breezed calmly around the area. It also blew on a young man whom revealed himself the moment the light dispersed, fluttering his clothes and raven hair.

The young boy was standing still on midair with his eyes closed as if he's trying to deeply concentrate.

'I still can't sense her presence. But I'm sure just for a second back then, there's a sign of her energy around this place.'

Haruto opened his eyes and began moving slowly around the air while observing the rocky ground below delicately.

Either his enemy used some kind of an artifact to perfectly conceal energy or they were in an isolated dimensional space, the reason why he couldn't track any of their energies.

To be honest both cases were extremely troublesome. The former meant he had to search around the hundred miles area covered by giant rocks and hills just for a few people's figures. The latter meant they were in a complete invisible and transparent private room and could only be detected if someone got close and sensed the disturbance of space.

The latter was a bit more hopeless but it also had its own advantage compared to the former case.

It was the fact that isolated dimensional space wouldn't be able to move and immobile unlike wearing some kind of concealing device and moving around the place.

In conclusion, since Haruto did not detect Lena's energy ever since he left the capital, that means she should still be in the same place at where he sensed the energy.

Well, that's only if the current case belong to the latter case of an isolated dimensional space.

Still, it was worth to try and even in the case he was wrong, perhaps there would be some kind of trace or clue about where they go.

Haruto remembered how Vegeta tried to find Dr. Gero who was hiding in a similar rocky place by charging a powerful attack to blast the area in an instant.

But there's no way he could do the same right now because the one he's searching for, Lena was with the culprit, highly possible being near. If he just blast the surrounding area carelessly and hit the jackpot, that could also harm Lena at the same time, that's absolutely must not happened.

In any case right now he was making his way on the spot where the energy was detected and disappeared again right after.

It was hard to pinpoint the exact location but at the very least it should not be too far away, probably about a few hundred meters off, an acceptable number to search with his own eyes in a short time.

He's still feeling anxious and worried about the condition of the girl he's trying to save. Bad forebodings would occasionally appeared on his mind making him frustrated.

'I have to find her quickly.'

Gritting his teeth he stopped at a spot with rocky towers arranged oddly forming a shape similar to a bird's head viewed from above high.

The rocky hill on the place where the bird's eye was located was the tallest and largest rocky structure compared to the others it attracted Haruto's attention and he moved there.

He descended and landed on the ground, at the pointed edge of the large rock tower silently and gently, not wanting to alert his enemy in case their were truly around here.

Haruto also made sure to suppress his energy as much as he could to avoid detection. The ability to sense energy signature was very scarce in this world but that doesn't mean there aren't, he already encountered a few people capable of doing that like Lumina or Wilhelm.

As for the emperor, Haruto did not sense that kind of feeling from him, maybe even though he was strong, his ability to manipulate and control ki was lacking.

After wandering for a bit Haruto found a crack forming a hole on the rocky structure. The moment Haruto wanted to sneak inside, he immediately sense a distortion in space.

It was a dim feeling and very delicate, much more powerful even compared to the barrier on the capital. If Haruto did not perform a double and triple check he may dismissed it as his own imagination.

'There's no doubt, it was here!'

He could not conceal his joy of hitting a jackpot on his first try.

But now what should he do in order to slip inside the isolated space?

The distortion was similar to how the barrier on the capital was but it also a completely different thing altogether.

The capital was a dimensional barrier while the one in front of him was a separate dimensional space. It was his enemy own VIP room located in the 4th dimension. Not to mention breaking in, he couldn't even see the door leading to the room.

In this case even Kaori's [Disintegration] would be useless as it was not a skill to cut through a space and opened a crack to enter inside.

"...."

Right, there's also the case of Buu opening a dimension gate with a powerful soundwave from his mad scream, Gotenks also managed to do the same in order to escape the hyperbolic time chamber.

.....Should he try it? But can his vocal chord afford such a thing? Well, Saiyan was a race with superhuman body so of course it was incomparable to normal human being but still....

No.... it was not the time to hesitate, there's no other idea came up on his mind and the more he hesitate the more dangerous Lena in.

"Suu~"

Haruto took a very very de~ep breath as much as his Saiyan lungs could take. His chest swelled from the air his lungs contained.

Just by shouting normally won't work, he also need to enchant his voice wave using his energy, multiplying the frequency and power of the sound wave to dozens or even hundreds of times!

Haruto's body began to glow with white aura while his cheeks swelled like a balloon.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!"

*BOOMM*

A terrible shockwave shot out at the instant Haruto yelled with everything he got. It was so massive that the rocky structure was shaking and cracking all over. The surrounding smaller rocks were crushed by the horrible shrilling sound wave.

The wave produced from the yell struck against the small distortion of space like a hammer hitting a wall trying to made a hole. It even produced a small spark of electricity from the clash while causing a shock to the entire space.

For a moment Haruto's view was blurring, revealing a different place altogether than the rocky structure. It was a dim stone room place like a dungeon located underground.

Unfortunately the sound wave Haruto produced was still not enough to blast open a hole to enter inside the space.

"Haa.....haa...haa....."

He was panting heavily from the intense effort of screaming. It was possible to further enhance the voice wave by utilizing Super Saiyan but if he do that he would lost a lot amount of energy while he still needed to save Lena and fought the culprit.

Yet it seemed he was forced to forfeit such thought now. If he can't even go in then there's no point in conserving energy anyway.

*Swirl* *Swirl*

"! What the..!?"

As he prepared to give another shot a small black vortex began to appear above him so he reflexively jumped backwards to avoid the vortex.

The black vortex spat out a humanoid figure before it disappeared.

The figure turned out to be a gray masked man wearing a dark long robe. The mask did not cover until the top of the head so his short silver hair could be seen sprouted there.

'A masked man!!'

Haruto's mind immediately entered battle state the moment he identified the figure. He still perfectly recalled that the main culprit this time was a masked man with dark robe.

The masked man stood still on midair staring at the black haired boy below him. Well, it was unknown if he was staring at Haruto considering his eyes could not be seen from the dark holes on his mask but from how his head was bent on Haruto's direction, it was very likely.

"....You are..."

There's a tinge of surprise and shock when the masked man opened his mouth. Haruto raised his eyebrows sensing the peculiarity on the masked man reaction on him.

"You are the one behind the kidnapping on capital right?"

Haruto asked the person above coldly. His answer would determine how he react after this.

"....And what if I am?"

The man answered indifferently and in that instant....

*BANG!*

A fist aiming right on his face was blocked by the masked man's gloved hand. His answer already decided on how Haruto would act that's why he instantly lashed out and landed a strong strike against his hateful enemy.

That's right, this man was his enemy. For what he had done by kidnapping Lena, there's already no word of mercy written on Haruto's dictionary.

Kill!

That's the only thing he's going to do.

Haruto already expected the man to block his attack that's why he immediately made his next move by whipping his left leg diagonally upwards.

*Whoosh*

"...What?"

Haruto was shocked seeing his attack did not hit anything and the masked man already disappeared from his sight.

"You're so violent huh, why did you suddenly attack me?" The man appeared midair on Haruto's side.

"...."

Haruto did not answer and leaped out once again charging at his enemy with cold eyes.

Nearing the figure, he unleashed a flurry of combo attacks by swinging his arms and legs vigorously.

The masked man calmly evaded and blocked Haruto's punches and kicks while also beginning to make his own attack by extending his palm on Haruto's solar plexus.

*Grab*

When the palm almost hit the target it was caught by a hand from the side, stopping the attack.

Gripping the arm tightly with his fingers, Haruto pulled the arm forward while also thrusting his right leg forward, performing a solid side kick to the masked man's abdomen.

*Whoosh*

"Again!?"

Once again his attack missed the target and even though he clearly grabbed the man's hand while attacking, it was suddenly 'slipped out' from Haruto's hand like an air. The figure in front of him too already moved to the side as his hand was released.

"You're quite skilled but with just that you won't be able to hit me."

The masked man gave his impression but at the same time was also mocking the boy in front of him.

"...What trick did you use?"

Just now Haruto was sure that even though the masked man moved to the side, his kick should still grazed on his waist and yet just like how his hand suddenly became intangible from Haruto's clutches, it missed.

"I prefer if you call it a skill than a mocking word like trick kukuku." The masked man chuckled.

"...."

"Well putting the joke aside, even if I tell you I don't think you would understand anyway." He shrugged.

"Is that so? If that's the case then how about this!?"

Haruto spread out his arms and charged energy blast on his hands. Thrusting his hands back and forth, he fired a continuous energy bullet intensely.

The energy blasts rain upon the masked man's figure, swallowing him within a countless beam of light.

*BAM* *BAM* *BAM* *BAM* *BAM* *BAM* *BAM* *BAM* *BAM* *BAM* *BAM* *BAM* *BAM* *BAM* *BAM* *BAM* *BAM*

A series of explosions occured by the energy blasts, wrecking the surrounding rocky area like mad.

"It's useless."

A voice sounded behind Haruto so he turned his body immediately in shock. There he found the masked man already a few meters away from him above.

"No matter what you do your attacks won't ever reach me."

The masked man said coldly and the dark holes on his mask where his eyes located began to reveal the eyes he usually covered from other's gaze.

Haruro could not hide his astonishment with his eyes opened wide in disbelief.

"....Sharin..gan...?"