My Borderline Supervillain-Slash-Hero System-Chapter 168 Sevara Dreadthorn

After finally filling his stomach, Zane stepped out of the mess hall and ran straight into Shelby.

"Yo," Shelby greeted him. "I heard everything that happened in the bamboo grove—from your wife. Get ready. Your name's already up on the fighting board."

"I'm ready. Let's go—" Zane paused when he noticed Erlin walking out behind him.

"Wait a minute."

He turned back into the hall and returned a few minutes later.

The moment he stepped out, he was met with Erlin's sharp glare.

"What?" Zane asked innocently.

"Nothing," Erlin replied flatly. "I already paid for the dishes. You didn't need to tip them again."

Zane waved it off. "Relax. I was just selling my bounties to them. Nothing more, nothing less. I don't squander my hard-earned wealth."

"Hard-earned?" Shelby sneered. "Last I checked, most of that was your wife's dowry."

Zane's mouth twitched, but he didn't argue.

Because… it was technically true.

Shelby continued briskly, "Anyway, we don't have time to loiter around. Keep moving or you'll get disqualified. Tell me—what happened on the way?"

Zane sighed. "I literally ate through the hotel's entire meat reserve. So I did them a favor by selling part of my stored beast carcasses. Fair trade, right?"

Shelby shook his head, half-amused, half-exasperated.

"You're unbelievable."

The three of them headed toward the arena, the noise of the tournament already growing louder—

and Zane's return was about to stir far more attention than he realized.

After reaching the stadium, Erlin and Shelby split off from Zane with parting words.

"Break a leg!" Shelby said with a grin.

"I'll be cheering for you," Erlin added.

Zane smiled, waved them off, and entered the arena, rejoining his group.

Above the stadium, virtual screens flickered as notifications streamed past. A quick glance told him everything he needed to know.

Today, everyone remaining in the Top Twenty would fight multiple rounds until only the Top Ten were left.

Soon, his name appeared.

Stage Five

Zane (Rank 15) vs. Sevara Dreadthorn

Other names flashed across the remaining stages, and referees began calling contestants forward.

Zane headed toward Stage Five.

At the same time, a woman with fair skin and sharp features stepped onto the stage from the opposite side. Her presence drew immediate attention.

She was Sevara of the Dreadthorn family.

The crowd stirred, recognizing familiar faces—fighters who had already made a name for themselves in earlier rounds.

Sevara narrowed her eyes.

"So you're Zane," she said coldly. "The one who forced half the contestants into taking massive loans."

Zane shrugged. "Oh? You know my name already? Guess I got famous after meeting Asphalt."

"Hah—scumbag!" Sevara snapped. "I've been waiting for this. Today, I'll teach you a lesson about extorting others."

Zane only smiled.

Compared to the insults he'd grown up with, her words were practically gentle.

That smug reaction instantly got under her skin. She clenched her fists, barely holding herself back as she waited for the referee.

Her silence said enough.

The teacher assigned to Stage Five raised his hand.

"Contestants, face each other and bow."

Zane bowed lightly.

Sevara did not.

The teacher paused, then continued.

"Since both sides are ready—begin!"

He stepped back, and a translucent magical dome descended, sealing the stage. Similar barriers formed over the other four stages.

Zane stood still, hands relaxed at his sides.

Sevara did not hesitate.

The instant the match began, she lunged forward and threw a punch—raw, unrefined, driven entirely by emotion.

To the audience, she was fast.

To Zane—

Her fist passed straight through him.

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

Sevara froze mid-step. She could sense Zane's presence clearly, yet her punch had met nothing but air.

Zane hadn't moved far. He was still there.

It was a movement technique he had refined in Solaris City.

She attacked again—punches, then a side kick—each strike missing by a hair.

This time, Zane caught her leg effortlessly.

"Is that all you've got, Princess of the Dreadthorn family?" he asked calmly.

Sevara struggled, but his grip didn't budge.

"…Let go!" she snapped.

"You want me to?" Zane said. "Fine."

He released her.

Sevara immediately jumped back, eyes sharp and alert now. The anger hadn't vanished—but it was tempered by caution.

I rushed in… no strategy, no mana, she realized grimly.

And worse—

He's not just a scumbag. He's a strong one.

"I need to be careful," she muttered.

She placed her palm on the ground, mana surging as she chanted.

"Earth Spike!"

The stage trembled violently. Jagged earthen spikes erupted from the floor, chasing Zane as he moved.

"Good skill," Zane commented casually while dodging. "But your casting time is long, and it's easy to evade. Is that really all?"

The battlefield should've been ruined—but glowing sigils beneath the stage activated, restoring the terrain after three seconds. The spikes crumbled away as if they'd never existed.

Sevara snorted and raised her hand.

"Then how about this—Earth Spike: Electric!"

New spikes burst forth, their tips suddenly linked by crackling white lightning.

The electric current surged—and struck Zane directly.

Cheers erupted from the crowd.

She smirked. "Well? How does my skill taste?"

The lightning faded.

Zane walked forward calmly.

No burns.

No damage.

Not even a tear in his clothes.

The cheering died instantly.

Zane stopped a few steps away from her.

"Alright," he said mildly. "Since you felt cheated in the first phase of the tournament, I'll give you another chance." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

He gestured casually with one hand.

"Go on. Use your best shot."

Sevara took three steps back, her gaze locked onto Zane. By now, she understood clearly—

he was far beyond her league.

Her jaw tightened.

She clenched her palm and began weaving hand seals, muttering a mantra under her breath. The entire casting took less than a heartbeat.

That alone revealed her talent.

Mana surged violently above the stage.

The air twisted.

Heat rose.

Lightning crackled.

At the top of the arena, ten massive shapes condensed out of thin air—

huge boulders, each wrapped in roaring flames and crawling arcs of white lightning.

The stadium fell into stunned silence.

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

Some of the more knowledgeable spectators widened their eyes in disbelief.

They recognized it instantly.

A core spell of the Dreadthorn family.

One of their strongest.

Sevara raised her hand, her voice steady but filled with resolve.

"This is my strongest technique," she declared.

"Heavenly Curse: Meteor Strikes."

Her eyes burned with determination.

"If you survive this—then this match is mine to lose."

She brought her hand down.

The sky above the stage shattered.

The meteors descended.

One after another, blazing infernos of stone, fire, and lightning crashed down toward Zane's position, tearing through the air with deafening roars.

BOOM!

BOOOOM!

KRRRAAASH!

The stage vanished beneath explosions.

Flames surged upward.

Lightning ripped across the dome.

Shockwaves hammered against the barrier, rattling the entire arena.

And yet—

Amid the falling meteors…

amid the chaos and destruction…

Zane stood perfectly still.