My Scumbag System Chapter 510: What’s in Your File?

The tunnel echoed with the symphony of my throbbing ribs as Isabelle and I advanced towards the arena, Emi’s partial healing leaving a dull ache. With each step, the cacophony of twenty thousand spectators swelled, a sonic wave that made my very bones vibrate.

"You're limping," Isabelle stated, her tone utterly devoid of emotion.

"I prefer to think of it as walking with character."

"Your character," she retorted, "requires physical therapy."

A laugh escaped me, a painful reminder of my current physical state. "You're funnier than you look, you know that?"

She turned her head, her wine-red eyes reflecting the arena lights. "I'm not attempting humor. I'm stating facts."

"And that," I managed, "is precisely what makes it amusing."

We burst into the blinding sunlight, the crowd's roar intensifying tenfold. The previous event's flag was gone, replaced by a perfectly smooth, circular platform roughly thirty feet in diameter. Above us, the scoreboard displayed our faces alongside our opponents: Isabelle and myself versus Kenjiro Kobayashi and Jin Park of the Cobalt Vipers.

I had only witnessed Kenjiro fight once, during the entrance exams. A young man with turquoise eyes and unruly black hair, he moved with the fluidity of wind given human form. He had effortlessly dismantled his opponents, his hands remaining in his pockets as unseen blades of compressed air sliced through combat drones as if they were mere paper.

"Kobayashi is the primary concern," Isabelle murmured, her voice aligning with my own thoughts. "Jin is competent, but ultimately unremarkable. Kenjiro, however, is the fifth-ranked student in our year for a very good reason."

"And his weakness?"

She faced me completely, her flawless features betraying no hint of emotion. "Unknown. He has never been sufficiently challenged to reveal one."

"Then I suppose we'll have to find out."

The opposing tunnel opened, and two figures emerged clad in cobalt blue and black. Kenjiro mirrored his entrance exam performance—a mask of boredom, hands tucked away, moving with the languid grace of one who instinctively knew he was the most formidable presence in any space. Jin, his partner, appeared visibly nervous, his hands fluttering near the hilts of the twin short swords secured at his waist.

Maximus Hype's voice boomed through the speakers, amplifying my headache tenfold. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, it is time for our FIRST TAG TEAM DUEL of the quarterfinals! On my left, representing the ONYX HOUNDS, we have the STRAY DOG himself, Satori Nakano, and the ABDICATED QUEEN, Isabelle Okoye!"

The arena erupted in a frenzy. I raised my bat in acknowledgment, playing to the cameras.

"And on my right, representing the COBALT VIPERS, we have the QUIET STORM, Kenjiro Kobayashi, and his partner, the DUAL BLADE, Jin Park!"

Kenjiro offered no response to the crowd, merely offering a yawn as if the entire spectacle had already bored him to the point of exhaustion.

Professor Hanae materialized at the platform's center, her long dark hair confined to a practical ponytail. Though she appeared weary, her gaze was sharp, her purple eyes assessing the four of us with acuity.

"Standard tag team rules apply," she announced, her voice projecting across the arena without strain. "Two versus two combat, non-lethal force only. The match concludes when both members of a single team are rendered unconscious, submit, or are forced out of bounds." She indicated the white demarcation lines encircling the platform. "No weapons beyond those registered with your academy identification. No external interference. Engage cleanly, engage intelligently, and do not fall."

She stepped back, raising a hand, her expression settling into that cool, professional facade she adopted when demanding serious consideration. "Competitors, are you prepared?"

I adjusted my grip on the bat, the familiar weight settling reassuringly in my hands. The dragon witch’s ring throbbed against my finger, radiating heat and anticipation. Beside me, Isabelle’s spear began to emit a soft, verdant glow, Fujin’s power subtly manifesting as ripples flowed along the blade like living silk.

Across the platform, Kenjiro finally— withdrew his hands from his pockets. This single action sent a prickle of warning through my Protection from Arrows ability, akin to the static charge preceding a lightning strike.

A hush fell over the crowd. Even the announcer seemed to be holding his breath.

"BEGIN!"

The world dissolved into a maelstrom of motion.

Jin surged forward instantaneously, his twin swords glinting under the harsh sunlight like streaks of silver lightning. Isabelle met his charge without a trace of hesitation, her spear dissolving into a verdant blur of impossible speed, immediately forcing the Cobalt Viper onto the defensive. They moved with the deadly grace of dancers in a frenetic ballet, steel clashing against steel in a rhythm so rapid and precise that the onlookers struggled to follow the individual strikes.

This left me facing Kenjiro, one-on-one.

My head tilted a fraction, his unnervingly calm turquoise eyes scrutinizing me. Hostility wasn’t present in that gaze, nor eagerness or a thirst for battle. It was simply… clinical curiosity, as if I were a puzzle he found mildly intriguing to solve.

"You’re the one who fought Reyna to a draw," he stated, not as a question.

I offered him my most impertinent grin, the one I’d rehearsed before the mirror for precisely such a situation. "I prefer to view it as ’survived Reyna with my dignity intact.’"

"She mentioned you were interesting." A smile finally graced his lips, though it failed to reach his eyes. "I fail to see it yet."

Then, he moved.

I had encountered swift opponents before. Raphael when his fury was ignited. Skylar when she was in deep concentration. Even Reyna herself, and that girl moved with the speed of lightning incarnate.

Kenjiro was faster.

One moment, he stood ten feet away. The next, he had breached my guard, his hand making a swift, precise lunge for my throat with effortless grace. I barely managed to raise my bat in time to intercept, and the concussive force transmitted through my arms left my bones aching.

He had struck me with compressed air, transforming his palm into a battering ram solely through his Aspect.

Activating Kinetic Absorption, I felt the impact’s force transmute into raw power, my Strength surging by five points, and my Agility by another five. The transient enhancements permeated my muscles like a warm liquid.

Kenjiro’s brow furrowed, not in anger, but in sheer bewilderment, as if I had performed an action that defied his calculations.

"Your ribs should be fractured," he commented, his tone almost casual.

"They are remarkably stubborn ribs."

He attacked once more, this time unleashing a barrage of swift strikes that would have pulverized the internal organs of an ordinary person. Palm thrusts. Elbow jabs. A knee aimed at my liver. Each blow imbued with compressed air, hitting with the force of a speeding truck.

I evaded three. I blocked two. One struck my shoulder directly.

An additional fifteen points were assimilated into my temporary stats.

"Interesting," Kenjiro murmured, retreating slightly. His gaze grew sharper, his eyes calculating. "You’re converting kinetic energy. This detail is not present in your dossier."

"My dossier is outdated."