Cloud stared at the System's "completely serious" explanation, feeling his worldview suffering critical damage.
Is this tournament even legitimate?!
Rugal, you dark-browed bastard—who knew you were into THIS?!
However...
Cloud's gaze drifted back to the ring, an involuntary smirk creeping across his face.
Actually... this is kind of exciting, isn't it?
He was already looking forward to those scantily-clad female fighters getting defeated and then... ahem ahem...
But this wicked thought lasted less than three seconds.
Because he suddenly remembered an extremely serious problem—
This rule applied equally to ALL competitors!
Which meant...
Mai Shiranui...
Yuri Sakazaki...
Athena Asamiya...
If THEY lost...
"UNACCEPTABLE!"
Cloud instantly wiped that "ill-intentioned" smirk off his face, replacing it with the grave expression of a "wife-protecting maniac."
"My women cannot just be 'freeloaded' by random strangers! Especially 'clothing destruction' level 'fan service'—that's MY exclusive privilege!"
A wave of icy killing intent exploded from him!
Terry and Ryo nearby startled, staring at him in confusion.
"Cloud, what's wrong? Why so fired up?"
"The organizers! They've gone too far!" Cloud ground his teeth, his gaze murderous enough to devour that never-met Rugal alive.
"Creating such depraved rules! This is a perversion of humanity! A moral collapse! In the name of the moon—wait, no! In the name of JUSTICE, I strongly condemn this behavior!"
Terry and Ryo exchanged bewildered looks.
Weren't YOU the one laughing loudest at the clothing explosion just now?
How did you become the avatar of justice in the blink of an eye?
Of course, they would never understand the fury and despair a "harem protagonist" felt when his precious cabbages faced the risk of being rooted by pigs.
...
Fortunately, the next few matches eased Cloud's anxious heart somewhat.
[Women Fighters Team VS Spain Team]
Mai, Yuri, and King strode onto the ring, magnificent and heroic.
Their opponents were three Spanish fighters who looked gentlemanly but had decidedly lecherous gazes.
Before the match, those foreign creeps performed chest-salute bows toward Mai and company, their smiles dripping with "gentlemanly" sleaze.
Then the match began.
Three minutes later.
Three Spanish "gentlemen" lay neatly arranged on the ring, each wearing nothing but boxers printed with chrysanthemum patterns.
Mai hadn't even broken a sweat. She elegantly retracted her fan and threw Cloud a flirtatious wink, as if saying: See how awesome I am?
Yuri excitedly pumped her little fists, while King maintained her cool, handsome demeanor.
Cloud exhaled a long breath of relief.
Good. Good.
His harem's combat power was absolutely reliable.
Want to see them stripped? In your next life!
...
Next came the Psycho Soldiers Team match.
Their opponents were some Italian mafia squad.
"Athena, you go first. Consider it a warm-up," Chin Gentsai said, taking a swig from his gourd with a chuckle.
"Yes, Master!"
Athena nodded and lightly leaped onto the ring.
Her opponent was a brutish mafia enforcer.
The thug eyed Athena's delicate appearance and flashed a malicious grin.
He stopped grinning very quickly.
Athena traced a circle before her chest with both hands. A psychic sphere glowing pink instantly coalesced!
"Psycho Ball!"
The pink energy orb shot forward like a cannonball, slamming into the mafia thug!
He didn't even have time to scream before his eyes rolled back, his whole body convulsing as he collapsed.
And naturally... his clothes exploded too.
Instant KO!
Cloud nodded approvingly from below.
Athena's strength far exceeded his expectations.
After the match, Athena bounced over to Cloud like an excited puppy seeking praise: "Cloud! See? Wasn't I amazing?"
"Amazing, amazing." Cloud smiled and patted her head, then asked curiously, "But why didn't your master let you fight more? That match was obviously just to let you farm experience."
At this, Athena's expression turned troubled.
"Ugh, don't get me started." She sighed. "Actually... I was 'forced' to join KOF by my master."
"Forced?"
"Mm." Athena nodded, lowering her voice. "Master says my psychic powers are terrifying—potentially world-ending. And I can't fully control them myself."
"Sometimes, when my emotions spike, I unconsciously release massive psychic force and hurt people nearby."
She glanced at Sie Kensou, who was currently competing with Chang Koehan in an eating contest while demonstrating "sword-swallowing with hot dogs."
She continued helplessly: "Last time, Kensou accidentally broke my favorite cup, and I almost... blew the roof off his house."
Cloud: "..."
Holy crap, that destructive power rivals a demolition-happy husky!
"So!" Athena continued. "Master decided to bring me to KOF."
"He says only extreme combat against powerful opponents can teach me to precisely control and channel the power inside me. That's why I'm handling the weaker opponents first—to build combat experience."
Hearing this, Cloud finally understood.
So this psychic idol wasn't here to compete for the championship—she was here to "power-level."
Looking at this girl troubled by her inability to perfectly control her immense power, he felt a twinge of sympathy.
So this is the burden of a genius?
How very... humble-brag.