Hybrid

The temperature in the arena was beginning to rise again after Lotus took back her aura. But the sublime coldness was still there lingering around her body in the form of pale blue mist.

She was standing proudly on the stage donned in pure white robe with hood covering her face. Pale silvery long hair that looks extremely smooth and tender could be seen flowing out from the hood.

"...She's..."

Haruto widened his eyes as he observed the attractive figure below. Although most audiences that seat on the higher and back rows wouldn't be able to see her figure's clearly, his current spot could.

"What's wrong?" Asami asked.

"Haruto-kun, she is..." Kaori was also displaying similar reaction.

"....Her eyes and facial shape was slightly different but the aura and coldness she radiated is still the same." Haruto commented.

"Eh? What are you talking about?" Rikka was confused.

"That person is possibly the one we met back on the ship during the sea serpent Demon Lord's assault." Kaori answered in Haruto's stead.

"What? That lady is?" Selianna was stunned.

"Are you sure? She didn't look the same as the one we saw before though..." Fia commented.

"B-But she indeed has the same hair color...." Elsie said.

The girls they saw back on the ship was shorter with younger body shape, and her eyes were deep blue, overall she looked like a teenager around the same age as Kaori. The figure of Lotus meanwhile was a little older than Asami while her eyes were violet instead.

"...I don't know too, but this feeling I sense from her aura is extremely familiar. Selianna, you said she's hiding her true appearance using that hood artifact right? Maybe that's the reason."

They only met for a brief while but because she stood out very much on that time, Haruto was left with deep impression so his body automatically remembered her energy signature.

"I see. The hood she's wearing is indeed different than the one we saw. Could it be at that time was her true appearance?" Selianna pondered.

"It's too early to tell. She could have more than one of that hood or she could change the color of the hood and body appearance it altered, there's no telling." Haruto shook his head.

"I can perhaps reveal her true appearance using the Soul Magic but that would attract her attention." Kaori murmured. She's indeed curious but didn't want the person to misunderstood her having bad intentions.

"Let's just observe her for now." Haruto said and nodded.

The announcer and audiences were still paralyzed and only regained back their senses after a few minutes. The audiences cheered loudly in an instant, filling the arena with loud noises.

[T-The two contestants have appeared on the stage. The 28th match of contestant Lotus versus Aran....BEGIN!!]

The announcer started the match right away. Lotus' opponent Aran was glued on his place making a face full of hesitation and unease. The lady ahead of him instead was indifferently gaze at him with emotionless eyes without moving a single bit.

'Fuck, just why did I do to deserve this? Can't other people take my place here!? Ah screw it, I may as well go crazy!!'

He cursed angrily on his mind because of his terrible misfortune acting like a scapegoat. To be honest, he actually have some confidence with his own strength and could at least contend on some of the top ten fighters and yet how did he encounter the monstrous number one right in the first match!?

Discarding his thought as there's no use in complaining now, he decided to fight with the intent to die.

"Black rank adventurer Aran respectfully requested the White Monarch for a guidance! UOOOOOOO!!"

His body began to bulk up as brown fur started to envelope his tanned skin. The eyes changed shape, looking similar to a beast as the horns and hair on his head grew a bit longer.

A surge of energy shrouded his figure, making it glow brightly causing a gale of wind a few meters away. His figure was almost completely became like a humanoid ox as the power he emitted grew tremendously multiplied by several times.

This transformation is called as Beast Awakening, an innate ability solely belonged to beastman race. Not every beastman race could possess this ability so the fact Aran was using it is already a remarkable feat.

Comparing him to Haruto's first opponent, Riff, Aran was definitely a lot stronger, ten Riffs wouldn't be able to defeat a single Aran as he's several times stronger.

Lotus was silently observing her opponent without revealing a single ripple on her stagnant expression.

"Grahhhh!!!"

Aran took out two butterfly swords made from adamantium while roaring madly. He launched with incredible momentum like a streak of lightning towards the slender woman a few tens of meters away.

The swords was swung, producing a brilliant energy waves forming illuminating ray of light. The void and air trembled, the light made its way on Lotus' head from high above.

Against the powerful energy sword slash that could crush a small mountain into pieces, she moved her hands softly as her feet remained still on the place.

*WHOOSH!*

A horrifying gust of cold wave erupted in an instant. The wave blasted the energy slash Aran was launched without traces. The pale blue cold breath breezed past Aran's body, nearly freezing all of his inner organs just in the blink of an eye. If not for his reflexive reaction to protect his body, he would already fully turned into ice sculpture.

The majority of his body and swords was frozen by a terribly cold ice that felt so painful as if he was stabbed by countless knives. By this time, he knew he couldn't fight anymore. And yet unwilling to go down this easily, he poured the last of his power onto one of his pair of swords.

The sword exploded the ice prison with illuminating light. It was launched right from Aran's frozen hand like a bullet fired by magnum rifle that contains power far stronger than his previous attack.

Lotus who was about to turn her body noticed the incoming attack. She still unfazed and raised her hand to catch the blade of light with two fingers.

The blade was caught effortlessly as the energy it contained was completely dispersed. Waving the fingers slightly, Lotus threw the blade back on Aran, stabbing right on his left leg.

"AAAGHH!"

He cried in pain having his leg pierced by his own sword as the ice was stained by his red blood. Because he's still frozen, he didn't drop to the ground but that makes it even more painful as he couldn't move a single bit.

"What? Why is her body so powerful? Isn't she a magician?" Haruro was shocked. He thought judging from the ice techniques she used, she's a magician and should not possibly have that much strength to effortlessly block an attack directly with her body.

Kaori was possessing tremendous strength while she was considered as magician but that was because she's not originally belonged to the people from this world. For Fia although her strength is weak but she still a lot better than magicians on her level.

"She's a Hybrid, Haruto-nii. It's my first time seeing one too." Fia said.

"A Hybrid?"

"Yes, Hybrid is someone considered as half-magicians, they have the traits of both fighters and magician at the same time. That's why although she could use magic, her physical strength is also similarly powerful." Selianna explained. The rarity of a Hybrid is one in ten thousand magicians.

"Both? You mean she could use Ki and Mana at the same time?" He asked.

"Exactly, the combination of the result in tremendous power that could far exceed ordinary magic or Ki attacks. They could use Mana to improve their Ki attacks and also do the same by enhancing their magic with the power of Ki." She nodded and added.

"What!?" Haruto was shocked.

"But isn't that strange? How could a single person possesses two different types of energy?" Rikka sounded her puzzlement.

"They can. Similar to a water and oil being contained in a single vessel, they were stored separately. ...But that also have its own weakness." Selianna said.

"I see, so although they have two different powers but their body can only contain half of the usual amount thanks to that very trait of them right?" Asami realized and nodded.

"So they get tired twice as fast huh..." Haruto murmured.

At this time the announcer announced Lotus' victory making another loud cheering from the audiences.

"Luminette-sama is also one of the Hybrid. And I heard there's a few another in our countries' knights." Selianna said.

"Hmm, so that princess is one too..." Kaori murmured.

At the same time, Haruto was reminded of the image of his previous enemy Yomi. He was possessing extraordinary physical strength while also capable of using the recreation of Ninjutsu in the form of magic.

"But her ice elemental ability is absurdly powerful. Even if she's a Hybrid it shouldn't be this much...." Selianna narrowed her eyes, murmuring quietly while looking on Lotus who was standing still on the stage.

"Huh?"

Haruto could see the hooded woman below glancing at him revealing a slightly surprised face. That reaction though disappeared almost instantly as if it never happened.

Averting her face, she flew off from the stage with incredible speed. Her figure disappeared from the arena in the blink of an eye just like the way she came.

"What's with that?"

Haruto scratched his head confusedly not understanding her reaction.

'Wait, could it be she remember me?'

He recalled back in the ship, a similar silver hair girl faintly smiling at him before leaving.

'If what I thought is true then it seems like that girl is really Lotus after all. Heh heh this is getting even more exciting.'

Ever since the display of power that surpass his own capability back then, he was indeed grew some kind of curiosity against this particular lady so the fact he had the chance to fight her made him happy.

He wondered how he will fare against her with his current power right now. His body was screaming with the desire to fight and win. The other girls saw his excited face and smiled helplessly.

After that the match went on and the first round of the tournament was finally over.