Not a Shred of Camaraderie?

The intruder had chosen his moment perfectly.

It was right when Randall abruptly relaxed after the fierce battle.

That was when a person's guard was at its lowest.

And so...

With a savage look in his eyes as he wrestled with his own hesitation, the intruder drove his Finger Pistol straight into Randall's temple.

Yet the strike did not punch a hole through Randall's skull as the intruder had expected.

A metallic clang rang out, and the intruder's finger pressed against Randall's skull, unable to advance an inch.

Randall's head did not even budge.

The intruder froze. What was going on?

Refusing to believe it, he jabbed forward a few more times, but it was still useless.

Moreover, what his finger felt was not the softness of skin, but something as hard as steel!

"Stop wasting your strength. It won't work!"

Randall spoke quietly, without a trace of surprise in his voice.

At those words, the intruder recoiled as though electrocuted, withdrawing his hand and backing away several steps.

"You... you knew..."

Randall remained in the same position, not even looking directly at him.

He said:

"Wondering why I'm not surprised in the slightest?

All I can say is that you're still far too inept, Pietro!"

To Randall, Pietro was as obvious as a drop of ink on white snow.

His Qi had told him clearly that Pietro had begun secretly following him the moment he entered the forest.

And he had followed him all the way here!

He certainly was persistent!

The intruder—Pietro—suddenly flushed crimson and snarled:

"What did you say?!"

But a moment later, his anger vanished.

He sneered and said:

"Heh, stop trying to act mysterious, Randall!

You can't scare me!

So what if you spotted me early on?

Yes! You're strong! Incredibly strong!

Stronger than I ever imagined!

If you were in peak condition, I'd turn around and leave!

But after fighting those two terrifying monsters for so long, how much stamina do you have left?!"

At first, his blustering tone betrayed his uncertainty, and even a hint of fear.

Clearly, the sight of Randall fighting the two massive beasts had terrified him.

Either beast could have crushed him effortlessly, yet Randall had fought both at once and even defeated them.

He had wondered whether he was dreaming!

But as he had said, Randall was formidable.

He simply refused to believe Randall could still be that formidable now!

And so his tone gradually grew vicious.

Randall finally turned around and stared expressionlessly at Pietro's twisted face.

"Really? You think I've exhausted all my stamina?"

Under Randall's gaze, Pietro instinctively stepped back.

When he realized what he had done, his embarrassment immediately turned to anger.

His voice abruptly rose, as though he were trying to bolster his courage:

"Isn't that exactly what happened?!

I told you, Randall! Your little tricks won't work on me!

Stop pretending!

You're barely keeping yourself from passing out right now, aren't you?!

Drop the act!"

With that, Pietro suddenly charged at Randall, seemingly eager to expose his bluff.

"Wait!"

Randall suddenly held up a hand.

Pietro should not have stopped, yet that was exactly what he did.

"What? Going to beg for mercy?

Fine! Beg, and maybe I'll let you off!"

Pietro spoke mockingly.

Randall sighed and said:

"We're comrades. Are you really going to kill me? Doesn't that count for anything?"

Pietro said impatiently:

"Heh, there's no bond between us! I just want you gone!

Don't worry. I'll report your heroic deeds to our teacher!

You fought two Ferocious Beasts, but ultimately fell in battle!"

Randall sighed and said:

"All right, let's put that aside for now.

I'm just curious. What's with all this resentment?

Did I do something to you?

If I remember correctly, we've never even met outside those few fights!"

Pietro's eyes widened in fury as he pointed at Randall and roared:

"You have the nerve to ask me that?

Do you know what these past few days have been like for me?

Those bastards used to treat me with respect!

The instructor thought highly of me, too!

Then you showed up, and everything changed!

Everything!

Those bastards think I don't know! They're all laughing at me behind my back!

The instructor has given up on me, too!

It's your fault I'm in this miserable state!

And you still have the nerve to ask me?"

The more Pietro spoke, the angrier he became, until he raised his hand to strike Randall's face.

Yet under his bewildered gaze, Randall suddenly caught his hand faster than he could react, then sent him flying with a kick.

Looking at Pietro, who sat on the ground without understanding what had happened, Randall said evenly:

"First, aside from the first fight, which was arranged by our superiors, you were the one who challenged me every time!

Losing only proves you weren't good enough.

Second, everyone loses.

People look down on you not because you lost to me, but because you lack character.

So you brought all of this on yourself!

Don't pin it on me!"

Pietro's reasons were exactly what he had guessed.

He sighed inwardly.

Blaming everyone else for everything—he really did lack character...

Listening to Randall's words, Pietro finally came to his senses.

He stared blankly at Randall and asked in disbelief:

"How do you still have any strength?"

Randall said evenly:

"Is it so strange that I still have strength?

All I can say is that you know nothing about power."

Knowing someone was tailing him, how could he possibly have let himself run completely dry?

Half of his earlier exhaustion had been an act, meant to lure Pietro out.

"Impossible. It's impossible..."

Unable to accept reality, Pietro kept repeating those words as he stared blankly at Randall.

Seeing Pietro in such a pathetic state, Randall lost any desire to keep talking.

He slowly walked toward him.

"Wait! What are you going to do?"

Randall frightened Pietro.

"Whatever you were about to do to me, I'm going to do to you!"

Randall had never been a forgiving man. Repaying a wrong in kind was the right way to handle it.

Feeling the chilling killing intent radiating from Randall, Pietro went pale with terror.

He realized that Randall was serious.

He hurriedly said:

"Wait! You can't do this!

We're comrades! You can't kill me!"

Randall kept moving and said expressionlessly:

"There's no bond of comradeship between us!"

Pietro said in a panic:

"W-wait! If you kill me, you won't be able to stay in the Navy either! Murdering a comrade is a serious crime!"

Unmoved, Randall said evenly:

"No. These two Ferocious Beasts killed you."