Grudge

*WAAAHHH*

The audiences cheered loudly and clapped their hands. The people coming to watch the tournament directly were mostly a martial arts fanatic, a good and thrilling match was always their favorite thing. They were not afraid to spent a lot of money if they could spectate the match in person.

"Huft."

Haruto heaved a breath, reverting to his base form and landed on the stage. He was still holding up some reserve and was capable to achieve victory. This was all thanks to his Growth just before the main rounds began that boosted his power dramatically although not as high as the one after the fight with Yomi. Because he survived the impossible battle at that time, he also gained a monstrous benefits.

This time the increase in overall power allowed him to win without having to go to the second level. Before his Growth, he's certainly wouldn't be able to win this easily. To be honest, he wanted to challenge himself without going Super Saiyan at all, only by improving through his default state could he grow stronger quickly.

Whis the angel attendant had also said that a transformation was not the effective way to train, the less you used them, the better.

Alas, he was still not nearly enough to win against Tram without transforming at all. Haruto was a bit disappointed with his lack of skills and thought there's still a long way to go before reaching Goku's level, not to mention surpassing him. He had to train a lot more and covered what he lacks with diligence.

Walking through the passageway while dwelling on his thought, someone approached him right in front.

"Good afternoon."

"Huh?"

Raising his head, Haruto looked at the person ahead of him. It was a young lady looking in her early twenties dressed in lemon shirt and blue skirt with emerald cape on top of the shirt. Her shoulder length raven hair was flowing smoothly adorned with a white ribbon on the side, making her looked lovely and young like a teenage maiden. She was a bit short but it was natural considering she's a half-dwarf. Her facial structure resembled a Japanese except for her pale lemon eyes, a trait exclusive to dwarves in this world.

"...Haruna-san...is it?"

Haruto spoke her name, he was familiar with the lady in front of him because he just watched her match before this. She was supposed to be the next opponent of him in the fourth round quarter-finals, the number three in ranking, one of the wild cards of the tournament.

Haruna smiled brightly on his response.

"Yes! My name's Haruna, I'm just your everyday traveller. It's a pleasure meeting you Haruto-san." She extended her hands.

"I see. It's a pleasure to meet you too."

Haruto reached out his own hand to shake hands while also secretly putting on energy shield around his right hand. They were a stranger and about to fight each other soon enough, it wouldn't be weird if there's something wrong with her hand.

Haruna noticed his wariness but she didn't seem to mind, if she was in his position, she would do the same too. This kind of mentality was what made them able to survive long in this world and that is to never trust a stranger no matter how good your impression was towards them.

They pulled back their own hands and gazed at each other's eyes for some time with a smile on their face. Breaking the silence, Haruto opened his mouth.

"So? Can I ask what a beautiful lady like you wants with me?" He asked using a casual smile.

"Ara, Haruto-san himself too is a wonderful looking man, it made me wonder how many women had fallen to your fabulous figure?"

She chuckled and replied back. They both were honestly complimenting each other's appearance, but it was not a flattery, just a basic courtesy meant for 'greetings'.

The way Haruna spoke caused a flash to past on Haruto's eyes, his smile grew wider, not letting his guard down at all. He decided to match her attitude with his own.

"Oh? It's a huge honor to receive your praise but I myself don't think I'm that great of a man, at least not for a woman on Haruna-san's caliber. But I wonder what might attract your attention about me? Could it be there's something you want?" He maintained his smile as he asked.

"I think there's a lot thing about Haruto-san to attract my attention so there's no need to act humble. Also, you are right as I do have something I want."

"Hmm, what might it be?" Haruto already expected this so he's not surprised.

"I'll be direct, can you please walked out from the quarter-finals?"

".....May I ask why?"

Squinting his eyes, Haruto paused for a bit before asking. He indeed expected her to demand something like this but it still made him curious from how direct she asked him to. It was as if she didn't care to ruin her image inside Haruto's mind.

"I wish to advance to the semi-finals and to do that I have to win against Haruto-san to which I can't afford to do."

"...This is surprising, are you sure you're not overevaluating myself? Are you not thinking you can actually achieve victory?" Haruto frowned. And then he saw Haruna giggled hearing his words.

"Haruto-san sure loves to jest, me winning against you? That's only a pipe dream. You just fought against The Desolator and yet here you are, standing straight without a single bit of sweat on your skin. So far, the only person in this tournament I can imagine doing so is the mighty White Monarch herself. Are you perhaps hoping for me to triumph against such a person? Even I know my own limits."

"...."

The black-haired boy turned silent. Perhaps it was because he met a lot of people with muddy eyes that he didn't expect for someone around his caliber to be able to judge his strength accurately. It was indeed just like Haruna said, there's almost no chance of her being able to win against him.

In his evaluation, Haruna was on par with Tram, maybe a bit better than the latter, but just that wouldn't allow her to win against him, there's still a lot of gap between them. What made her chance kept from zero was if she had something up her sleeves or a heavenly tribulation suddenly struck his body out of nowhere.

"You said you wish to advance to the semi-finals. Is there a specific reason for it?" After being silent for awhile, Haruto spoke.

"...I'm sorry as I can't tell you the specific reason. What I can say is that I only wish to fight against the opponent there."

"The opponent there.... you mean the beastman crown prince?" Haruto raised his eyebrows. It was needed to say that his main objective was also to reach the semi-finals as his duty coming here was specially in order to defeat the opponent waiting on that match.

"....That's right.... I have to fight 'that' at all cost. The reason I participate in this two years was solely for that desire..."

As she spoke, a very thick hatred and murderous intent appeared on her eyes. Her demeanor became far colder. Despite trying to maintain her calm, she couldn't hide her darkened expression and overwhelming fury. The fact she called the man as 'that' already shown how deep her hate was.

"...."

Haruto opened his eyes wide because he did not think of the lady in front of him suddenly showing such an immense hatred. He was not unfamiliar with this emotion. It was the same as the time he learnt about the truth of his first death from Rikka, and the atmosphere she radiated as she told the story. That feeling he sensed was the exact same as the one he felt right now.

...It was the feeling of grudge and vengeance.

Such a terrible intent to cause unimaginable sufferings on the enemy out of unresolvable hatred just what did that prideful and arrogant man do for a young lady like her to harbor this kind of emotions?

Haruto knew why she had to re-participate on the tournament this year, it was because Haruna was placed on a different section before. She was stopped on the semi-finals on the fight with Lotus and placed as the number three during the third place match with the other contestant failing to proceed to the finals, Dyan. He already learnt about this from the other girls after they researched the records of the tournaments.

Erick, her enemy was someone with extraordinary status, he's not someone she could easily confront without using the tournament as a chance to fight and killed him.

"...You said you're not sure to defeat me but are you sure you can defeat 'him'?" He asked. Even though he was curious of her story but if she didn't want to tell him he wouldn't force her.

Haruna smiled bitterly at this and replied,

"Maybe not, or to be honest I'm not really sure. I feel like I can win and yet it can't be definite. But that doesn't matter, I will defeat 'that' even if I have to sacrifice my own life and then I will..."

"Kill him, right?" Haruna stopped her words in the middle but Haruto completed her statement on his own.

"...Yes." She didn't deny him as it was the truth. She also knew she couldn't hide the hatred she felt so didn't bother avoiding the topic.

"Do you know what you're saying? Even if you succeeded, you will be an international criminal for the crime of murdering a member of a royal family you know?" He asked.

"I don't care, if that was the case then so be it."

"...."

His question was actually one he already knew the answer will be. There's no way someone who's willing to risk their life would care for becoming a criminal but he still had to double-check her resolve and whether she knew what she's doing. That's why he asked again,

"Then what about your relatives? You may did not care about yourself but can you say the same if your precious people were targeted?" This time he drew a twitch on Haruna's face with his second question. But her reaction was outside his expectations....

"...."

"....You...."

Haruna did not say anything, she just made a bitter smile, a face full of despair and helplessness, her face was smiling but it looks like she saw crying even though there's no tears coming out on her eyes. Or maybe her tears already dried up, unable to cry anymore. There's no need for word, just by seeing her expression already expressed everything Haruto needed to understand her answer.

"...Is it because of him?" His expression turned grim.

"...."

"I see...."

Once again she only silently answered without changing her expression. It was a confirmation. Whoever precious people she ever had before, they were all gone, and the culprit was none other than Erick, the beastman crown prince.

Just by recalling the character of such person Haruto could already imagine what those people slaughtered by him must have gone through before they died. He still remembered the greedy and lustful gaze Erick covered using his cool demeanor against Haruto's companions. Perhaps the men would be killed instantly but what about the women? They must have suffered a lot more painful than death.

Unknowingly, Haruto's anger was constantly raising imagining the barbaric actions the scum committed. Although Haruna was a stranger and didn't have anything related to him, his sense of morality was causing him to feel wrath and despise to learn this kind of nauseating knowledge regarding someone.

Perhaps not even Haruna was intended to let him know her situation this deeply, but what's already revealed can't be taken back anymore. She also didn't know why she showed so much emotions in front of a man she never known of, maybe after seeing his match and talking with the person, she became strangely attracted to him?

"....Very well, I understand your desire but I still can't give you the match." Haruto thought for some time and gave his answer.

"....Why...?" Haruna was shocked, she thought if it's this person maybe he could understand how she felt and allowed her to fulfill her wish.

"Sorry but I can't tell you. What can I say is that I can't allow you to have your revenge the way you are now. If you can't accept my decision then you have to win against me."

He said coldly and passed through Haruna, walking through the hall without casting a single glance back on her.

She was left dumbfounded as she watched his back disappearing into the distance.