章 20: Dispute Challenge

Feng Ye arrives at the combat area. When he arrives he recalls his attribute panel in his mind.

Host Attributes

SP Remaining: 0 Utilize Skill Points(SP) to increase host attributes.

AP Remaining: 0 Utilize Ability Points(AP) to Strengthen abilities

STR 20

SPD 11

INT 20

VIT 10

Abilities

Hidden Wanderer (LVL 1)- The ability to disguise as another individual perfectly.

Limitations: Only applies to the everyday individuals with no peculiar abilities.

Upgrading this skill permits host to disguise as individuals who are stronger than the everyday individual. Next upgrade requires 4 AP.

Halo of Recovery (LVL 1)- The ability to slowly recover from physical and mental wounds. It also shortens the recovery time when host is under abnormal status conditions. (ie. dizziness, unconsciousness, poison). Upgrading this skill increases the rate of recovery. Next upgrade requires 10 AP

Spiritual Awareness (Esper): Increased mental fortitude. Allows exchange of consciousness and mental communication with others. Allows Shira Takeover condition in which the system controls the host's body. Under this condition, all attributes (+200%) and all abilities (+2 levels).

Unknown Ability (Esper): ???

Host Inventory

He doesn't have much experience in combat against espers.

Espers are tricky opponents. Each one has a different ability and each ability is quite unique. This makes coping with them difficult as the approach varies depending on the situation. Every match is different. The group members that Feng Ye will challenge one on one consists of a total of five different individuals. He has no information on them in regards to their abilities. He only knows that four of them are rank F espers while the last one is rank E.

From his attribute panel, Feng Ye notices that all his abilities are essentially passives. He will be relying solely on technique and core attributes. Since he had arrived in this world, Feng Ye had challenged a few representatives in combat-related clubs from the Kami Institute. During that month, he had been able to learn the basics and fundamentals of close combat. He had also been able to develop a few movement techniques which will aid his flexibility and responsiveness.

He walks to the registration area and checks in. A staff member leads him to a large open space which is the designated area to settle disputes. This space has multiple sectioned arenas that individuals can utilize.

He is led to an unused one and enters. Inside, he notices the group that issued the challenge to him already waiting. Alongside the group, there are five staff members waiting. These staff members are supervisors of the combat. They judge if the match concludes or not based on victory or defeat. If the participants do not sign an agreement which allows the battle to the death, then the match concludes when one side is no longer able to be in combat based on their condition.

This arena is essentially a very large room with no windows and a single entrance. It is monitored by an array of various surveillance cameras which feed all the data to the security team.

The uniformed staff member who led Feng Ye explains the rules to everyone present.

"In accordance to the agreement between the two parties, a dispute challenge will be completed in a one against one format in which the challenger of five individuals will be arranged against the single challenged party. Between each challenge, the challenged party may request up to ten minutes break while the challenger may not. During the match, only the participants will be allowed to be in the arena with no spectators permitted. Each participant will be separated in the waiting rooms in order to ensure fairness if they are not currently participating in the match. Once a participant completes their match, despite the result, they will wait in the waiting room until the entire dispute challenge is completed. After completion of the dispute challenge, the participants will gather and the defeated party will honor the agreement."

This rule is quite fair. In preventing the interactions between the group member's, Feng Ye's combat and technique wouldn't be exposed prematurely. It prevents the divulging of information during the dispute challenge.

The staff member continues explaining. "The match is limited to esper abilities and close combat. Use of external weapons is not permitted. Fighting with the intent to murder is also prohibited. The staff reserve the right to determine the final outcome of the match. The match begins when I indicate it through this starting sound." He presses a controller that he was carrying.

DIINNNGG! A short, loud ding sound resounds in the arena.

Feng Ye and the five group members indicate that they fully understand.

Seeing the six individual's acknowledgement, the uniformed staff member then indicates for two of the other five staff members to stay behind while the other three lead four of the group members into the waiting rooms.

Remaining in the arena is Feng Ye, a green haired member of the group, and three staff members. The staff member who had explained the rules indicate to both Feng Ye and the green haired member to stand in designated locations which is separated by 12 metres. One of the two other staff members stands behind Feng Ye and observes, while the other behind the green haired member.

The staff is ready. As Feng Ye stands in his designated area, he observes the green haired member. "Rank F esper, let's see what you can do." He mutters.

DIINNNGG!

As soon as the ding indicating the start sounds, both Feng Ye and the green haired member immediately rush towards each other.

As Feng Ye rushes toward the green haired member, he is constantly observing and ready to adapt to any sudden changes as soon as possible. Quickly, a change can be observed on the body of the green haired individual. On one of his fists, Feng Ye can observe a colour change in his skin in which his entire hand turns into a grey colour. It also is noticeably more sturdy and reinforced. At this time Feng Ye had approached his opponent, he immediately dodges the grey coloured fist that the opponent sends towards him.

After dodging, he immediately initiates a roundhouse kick aiming for his opponent's head. His opponent is not as quick to react, but manages to utilize a single forearm block with his extended arm that he threw the punch with. At this time, Feng Ye notices that the colour from his opponent's fist turned back to normal, but his opponent's forearm had a grey patch and seemed to be quite tough. The area which the grey patch covered wasn't very large. It was approximately around the size of the surface area of the individual's hand.

Feng Ye immediately jumps back after this exchange to create some distance between himself and the opponent.

From his observations, he suspects that his opponent's ability was to be able to strengthen any part of his body but only through a limited area. The limited area is suspected to be together and cannot be dispersed and can only reinforce one location. Essentially, it is like a moveable strengthening ability but very limited in regards to its applications.

His opponent lunges forward after Feng Ye creates some space between them. At this time, the grey colour cannot be observed as he seemed to not utilize it immediately. Another exchange occurs in which Feng Ye throws a punch towards his opponent's head but is greeted with his opponent's grey fist.

As soon as the two fists make contact, a large collision sound resounds through the arena.

As his opponent had lunged at him, Feng Ye had an advantage such that he had two legs firmly planted on the ground while his opponent was airborne. Taking advantage of his position, immediately after his fist comes in contact with his opponent's fist, Feng Ye completes a left knee strike which strikes his opponent in the stomach. Feng Ye notices that his suspicion was correct. His opponent did not have the ability to disperse the strengthening grey area to multiple areas, nor can he reinforce more than one specific location at a single time.

The impact from the punch had caused both Feng Ye and his opponent to separate a distance of one metre. Following the exchange, the green haired man staggers.

Feng Ye notices this opportunity. He immediately rushes towards the weakened opponent and completes another round house kick which is followed up by a jab in the opponent's stomach. His opponent who had staggered immediately was able to receive Feng Ye's roundhouse kick with his reinforced forearm, but was unable to block and reinforce his stomach. The jab was effective and the green haired man collapses onto the floor.

Shira's voice resounds in his mind. "You have gained 20 EP (Energy Points)."

The staff member immediately assesses the condition of the green haired individual and announces the result. "Victory to the Challenged Party." He signals a staff member nearby to direct the green haired individual to the waiting room and asks Feng Ye, "Will you be using a break?"

"No, I am good to continue." Feng Ye had just warmed up and is essentially in optimal condition. He decides to not apply his newly gained energy points in order to temper himself.

"Alright. Please be ready, your next opponent will arrive shortly." The staff member directs the green haired individual out of the arena and a few moments later, the same staff member guides the next member of the group. This member has short brown hair. He seems to be of European descent.

The European male sizes up Feng Ye. "It seems that you aren't all talk. Let's see what you can do." He walks to the designated location and awaits the start of the match.