My Scumbag System Chapter 450: Parade of Strays

I drew in a deep breath and waved my hand across the table.

"The bulk of the team is off on the mainland at the moment. Supply run. Carmen led them out since I'm apparently barred from overseeing shopping excursions after that previous fiasco."

Luka bent closer. "What incident?"

"Raphael attempted to purchase a flamethrower from a street seller," Natalia stated bluntly. "Satori had to calm him down."

"It was tactical!" Raphael shouted from the couch.

I paid him no mind. "Anyway, Soomin's part of that bunch. She serves as our scout. Possesses a fox spirit Aspect that turns ferocious once activated, but as plain Soomin, she's gentle. Like a skittish rabbit."

Kimiko let out a soft noise. "Fox spirit?"

"Nine-tailed. S-Rank potential." I shrugged as if it were trivial. "She's still mastering its control. The Fox grows hostile when sensing danger."

"And you assist her with it?"

"Somebody must."

My mother's gaze warmed a touch.

Perfect. Play up the mentor role.

"Then there's Jacob. Lanky kid with specs, fueled by energy drinks and suspicion. He has Bullet Time. His mind handles data quicker than any human could." I hesitated. "He also believes the VHC conceals trans-dimensional beings, but we avoid that topic."

Luka flashed a grin. "Sounds like every Hunter I've teamed up with. Paranoia creeps in after sufficient Gate dives."

"Jacob's paranoia precedes the Gate runs," Skylar noted from her spot. "It's noteworthy."

"Next up, Marco and Malachi," I went on. "They come as a duo. Marco's the chatty type, Malachi hardly speaks. Yet in battle, they sync like mind readers."

"What Aspects do they have?" Kimiko inquired.

"Marco shoves objects with kinetic power. Malachi slips via shadows." I snatched a cookie off the plate. "We dub them the quiet pair, which is ironic since Marco never quiets down."

Emi let out a giggle.

I pointed at the twins down the table's end. "Akari and Hikari Miyamoto. They're—"

"Trouble," Natalia grumbled.

"—inventive," I concluded. "Akari controls chains. Can restrain nearly anything. Hikari smashes targets till they halt, each strike building more force than before."

Akari waved with pure innocence. "We're very helpful."

"They're chaos in flesh," Celeste declared neatly. "But productive chaos."

"The finest sort," Hikari chimed in with a smirk.

Kimiko eyed the twins like one weighing if they were charming or hazardous.

Likely both.

"Raphael you've encountered," I noted. "He's our mobile blast. Absorbs damage, builds energy, unleashes it at awkward times."

"I rescued your hide in the Necropolis," Raphael yelled.

"You dropped in three minutes," I shot back.

"Still counts."

I took another cookie. "Jaime's the brawny mage. Decent fellow. Always reciting his idol goddess. Will preach protein shakes at 3 AM."

"It's called passion!" Jaime posed from the next room.

"It's called draining," Juan's voice drifted from the couch, drowsy amid the racket.

"And that's Juan," I explained. "Strategic mastermind. His Aspect transforms objects into bombs. Favors total inaction unless compelled."

"Efficiency is a virtue," Juan muttered.

Kimiko chuckled. Genuinely chuckled.

That sound loosened a knot in my chest.

"They seem like quite the handful."

"That's putting it mildly," Natalia replied.

"What's the honest take?" Luka questioned.

"They're wild," Skylar stated. "Damaged. Lethal. Devoted beyond measure once won over."

"Reminds me of my former squad." Luka nodded with respect. "The top teams are those others discard. They battle fiercer. Value deeper."

I locked eyes with him over the table.

He offered a subtle nod.

I glanced aside before it turned odd.

"Isabelle's the missing one," I added. "She's below in the library. Wind control, S-Rank potential, practically noble from Nigeria."

"Why not here?" Kimiko wondered.

"Isabelle follows her own whims." I shrugged. "She'll appear on her schedule."

"Or when tactical input's needed," Celeste supplemented. "She's exceptional."

"She's frightening," Emi whispered.

"Both," Natalia and Skylar voiced together, exchanging startled glances.

Akari grinned like a predator scenting prey.

I steered away fast before that tension blew.

"And finally Noah. Celeste's guard." I turned to Celeste. "Is she nearby?"

"Perimeter check," Celeste remarked. "She treats security with utmost gravity."

"Too seriously," Akari grumbled softly.

Kimiko focused sharply. "Security? Why would Celeste require a bodyguard right at the academy?"

The room's chill deepened by nearly ten degrees.

With flawless grace, Celeste placed her teacup down.

"My sister demands it. I’m...apparently a person of interest."

"Because of your sister’s status," Kimiko murmured kindly. Not a question.

"Yes."

"That has to feel isolating."

For a fleeting instant, Celeste’s facade wavered.

"It is. Or it was. Before—" She cut herself short.

"Before?" My mother urged gently.

"Before she joined us," I stated. "Before she found people who truly cared about her for herself, not just because of her sister."

Celeste turned her gaze to me.

A complex warmth flowed between our eyes.

Under the table, Natalia’s leg pushed more firmly against mine.

Kimiko caught it.

Naturally, she did.

My mother observed it all.

"It seems you’ve forged something remarkable here," she noted after a pause. "A true team."

"We’re working on it."

"And these girls—" She waved toward the table. "They matter deeply to you."

Not a question.

A declaration.

A challenge.

I locked eyes with her.

"Yeah. They do."

"Every single one?"

The snare snapped shut.

Silence gripped every woman around the table.

They waited tensely.

"Yeah," I affirmed again. "All of them."

Kimiko’s face remained unchanged.

Slowly, she nodded and lifted her tea once more.

Oblivious to the undercurrents, Luka beamed.

"That’s my boy! Forging alliances, strengthening ties. That’s the essence of being a Hunter. Your team is your lifeline."

"Exactly," I replied, since siding with Luka beat navigating my mother’s hidden traps.

"Tell me about the tournament," Kimiko requested. "I’d like details on your preparations."

A wave of relief surged over me.

Neutral ground.

Secure footing.

"Five weeks away," I explained. "All guilds clash. Battle simulations, strategy trials, live streams. Victors earn ranking points and priority recruitment from pro guilds."

"The Sentinels dominated for seven straight years," Natalia chimed in. "But we’ll shatter that run."

"Bold confidence," Luka noted.

"We have every reason to be." Skylar spoke up from her spot. "We’re superior."

"Superior?" Kimiko arched a brow. "Or merely hungrier?"

Her words hit hard like a heavy stone.

"Both," I confessed. "The Sentinels battle to hold their spot. We fight with no status to defend. Nothing left to lose."

"Everything to demonstrate," Celeste whispered softly.

"That mix spells danger," Kimiko warned.

"Danger for them," Natalia shot back.

My mother eyed Natalia intently for a prolonged beat.

Then, a smile curved her lips.

"I believe you."