My life was a whirlwind; everyone cast hateful glares at me. In that setting where resentment and euphoria reached their peak, my body trembled with emotion.
Walking toward the stage where my revenge began, they finally discovered who was the most powerful of them all.
As I got closer, the looks intensified. I was amazed by the silence that hung in the air, interrupted only by whispers among them. However, on that day, I would triumph and finally begin my revenge against a certain person.
As I approached, I noticed a smile on the announcer's face. It wasn't a smile directed at me, but rather a sign of his satisfaction at witnessing my imminent defeat.
It was evident that everyone present was eager for this outcome, and I knew that, if I were to supposedly fail, one of those guards might very well try to end my life.
"Today is the day of the grand final of the fighters' tournament, the crucial moment when the true holder of the title 'The Strongest in Mangoland' will be determined!"
This guy with his unbearable voice, spreading resentment and euphoria. His presence irritated me to the extreme.
"On the right side emerges the undisputed pride of our city, a young prodigy with a unique gift for spectacular explosions, and let's not forget that he is the heir to the city's leader, Max!"
The crowd erupted into a cacophony of applause:
"Max! Max! Max! Max! Max!"
"On the other end, there emerges a creature with a horrendous aura, sharp teeth instilling fear in all who dare to cross its path, its dark and filthy skin serving as a sinister emblem. It is said to be a direct descendant of the abyss itself, and its name is whispered with a shiver down the spine: Izumi."
There were moments in life when we could transition from one emotional state to another in an instant. It was like when you thought you were eating something sweet, but it turned out to be sour, and you ended up spitting it out.
That's how the audience was. Excitement turned into resentment, and all that negative energy was directed at me, something I could feel.
"Boo! Boo! Boo!"
"Aberration!"
"Max, finish him!"
"This is not your place, demon."
"Die already, monster!"
"Max is going to kill you!! Hahaha!"
"Today will be your last breath! Miserable abortion!"
They shouted, but they couldn't act because they knew I was strong, and they feared me. In a place where everyone harbored hatred for me. It didn't affect me, as this rejection only fueled my determination even more.
"Sorry, Izumi, but I will emerge victorious. The spectators are on my side," said the fighter Max, with a convincing look of his imminent victory.
"Is that what you think? I will be the one facing the fearless," I exclaimed coldly.
These individuals were humans endowed with demonic powers. One of the targets of my revenge. With this strength, I will exterminate each of these demons.
"We shall see," said Max, as he positioned himself for the battle.
"It won't last five minutes!" I said, showing five fingers.
"Of course. You'll lose even sooner!" he replied.
Max always displayed unwavering confidence in his abilities, but that was to be expected from someone who had been constantly praised since birth. Unlike me, who was treated as a defective object destined to be discarded without repair.
I harbored a deep hatred for him.
Observing his attire, it was clear how opposite we were. His yellowish skin symbolized the light of hope, with a short-sleeved shirt and white shorts, like a true angel.
However, his golden cape further amplified his notoriety, indicating that he was the protector of all.
I couldn't wait to see this hero stained in black.
"Let the fight begin!"
Max didn't hesitate; he advanced toward me without apparently having a clear plan and threw a punch with his left hand.
"You stopped my technique?" He showed surprise when he realized I had stopped his attack.
'What's so surprising about that?'
I knew Max was powerful, but maybe I had overestimated him. I grabbed his fist with my right hand and retaliated with a left punch.
"It was close," incredibly, he evaded my counterattack, "I didn't expect you to contain my dynamite punch."
"What do you call it? How weak!" I retorted.
"This is not even half of my power!"
His words unsettled me, and I was eager to finish this as quickly as possible. I wouldn't use it here, but I was confident I would win easily.
"I'll show you true power. Speed Iz!"
My Speed Iz increased my speed to a point where I became almost invisible to the eyes of ordinary people. My body radiated a dark glow, intensified by the fact that my skin was completely black, giving me an even more sinister appearance.
The moment I moved, I unleashed a series of rapid attacks.
"Arrrggggghhhhh!!!" He fell to the ground, writhing in pain.
"What happened? Can't keep up? Are you that weak?" I taunted with a smile on my face.
"Of course, I can!… I just didn't expect such agility, but that won't work again," he said, rising at the same time.
Max was confident that he could track my movements, but I didn't waver and continued to attack.
"So? Couldn't keep up and ended up kissing the ground again?"
"This can't be happening. I can't react to your mobility. Am I going to lose here?" On the ground, Max muttered and lamented.
Max kept getting up several times, falling victim to my blows in various ways. The outcome was inevitable, but he remained persistent. It was incredibly irritating, and even though his defeat was unavoidable, those eyes that wouldn't give up bothered me deeply.
"Max… Max, don't lose!!!"
"Yes! Hang in there, Max! You can do it!"
"Max!!! Win for us!"
The audience was in shock, and seeing them stunned motivated me even more to keep pounding their hope. It was such an electrifying feeling that I couldn't contain my smile. I could almost hear what they were thinking.
'Look at him, look at that smile, he's a true demon.'
I was aware that my somewhat peculiar appearance could inspire fear, but it was my smile, showing my serrated teeth, that truly terrified people.
"Aaaarrrrrrggggghhhhhh!" Max struggled to get up.
"That's it, Max! Get up and defeat this abomination of humanity!"
"Come on, Max!!"
"Max! Max! Max! Max! Max!"
"Quite persistent. Your defeat is evident to my eyes!" I taunted.
"What happened? Tired of hitting me!" with a sarcastic smile. He fell and passed out.
"Max! What happened?! Get up again, Max!!!"
"Please, Max!!!"
"One, two, three."
"Get up, Max. It can't end like this!"
"Four, five…"
"Max! We entrusted this mission to you!"
"Kill this monster for us, Max!!"
"Six, seven, eight."
"No, Max!!! Come on! One more time, Max!!"
"Get up, Max! Get up! Get up! Get up!"
"Nine…"
"Max!!! We believe in you!!!!"
"Max! Max! Max! Max! Max!"
"Ten."
When the count ended, I could feel the agony and despair of the audience. Did they really believe I would lose? How naive.
'They will die along with your hope at my feet! Watching them,' I smiled and thought.
"The winner... The winner of the final is… Izumi!" announced the announcer with a dejected voice.
"In the end, you were humiliated by me!" I directed my gaze downward, looking at Max with disdain as I spoke.