My Scumbag System Chapter 475: Showtime for the Stray Dog

Surprisingly, slumber did claim me. It was dreamless, heavy – the profound, unconscious rest that only total physical exhaustion can bring. When Natalia's touch on my shoulder roused me, it felt as though mere moments had passed.

"It's time."

I sat up, my body complaining with every movement, yet the agony had subsided to a dull ache. My muscles felt significantly better than they had in days, the severe impact from training reduced to a manageable soreness. Whatever Maki had done with her lightning had evidently been effective.

"What time is it?"

"Five. You have one hour to prepare." She presented clothes she had evidently retrieved from my dresser while I slept. "I brought your combat suit."

"How thoughtful of you."

"Hush now and get dressed."

I dressed under her gaze from the desk chair, her posture relaxed with crossed legs and an unreadable expression. The attire consisted of black tactical pants, reinforced with Kevlar at the knees, a gray compression shirt that clung like a second skin, and the suit's jacket—the same one worn during the Gate expedition, now cleaned and mended. My boots retained the scuff marks from where I'd kicked a Hydra's head.

Natalia observed this entire process, her eyes intensely following my actions.

"You look ready."

"I look like I'm marching to my death."

"Much the same." She rose and approached, breaching my personal space as she always did when she sought my undivided attention. "Listen closely. Reyna is swift, but you possess greater speed when you choose. She is trained, yet you have endured ordeals that should have been fatal. She has S-Rank potential, but you possess something she lacks."

"And what might that be?"

"Me." Her hand rested on my face, cradling my jaw with unexpected tenderness. "You have me. And Skylar. And Emi. And Cel. Even that chaotic demon Akari." The Cryo-Lich Ring on her finger emitted a cold, pulsing light. "You have our support. She has only herself."

"That is not insignificant."

"It is insufficient." She kissed me then. It was a soft, lingering kiss. As she drew back, her expression hardened, becoming more resolute. "Now, let's proceed. Your funeral arrangements await."

"You mean my triumph."

"Whatever notion brings you peace."

Together, we descended the stairs, the sound of our footsteps echoing in the stairwell. The entire household awaited in the common room—all seventeen members of the Onyx Hounds, along with Carmen, who leaned against the doorframe, a beer already in her hand despite the early hour.

Every gaze was fixed on me.

Emi darted forward, pressing a protein bar into my hand. "For sustenance!"

Skylar materialized beside me, emerging from the assembled group with her characteristic silent fluidity. "Do not perish."

"I shall endeavor not to."

"Try harder." She tapped my forehead, her crimson-painted nails leaving a faint sting.

Celeste joined us next, her inherent Winter Queen aura noticeably chilling the immediate vicinity. Noah remained close behind, his amber eyes watchful.

"For good fortune," Celeste murmured.

She bestowed a kiss upon my cheek.

It was a swift kiss.

A proper kiss.

Yet, her periwinkle eyes held mine a moment longer than strictly necessary, conveying a depth of emotion that her words did not.

Akari sauntered over next, her gait deliberately exaggerated. "Give her a real fight, Daddy."

Natalia’s eye twitched, the air around her growing colder, frost appearing on the nearest window pane.

Soomin bounced on the balls of her feet, her pink hair bobbing energetically. "The Vixen suggests you bite her if the opportunity arises!"

"Consider it noted."

Maki leaped onto my shoulder in her feline form, her dual tails coiling around my neck like a soft scarf. A resonant purr vibrated against my ear.

Braxton appeared, Carmen at his side, both appearing as though they had just woken. Likely they had. "Transport departs in five. Punctuality is advised."

The walk to the ferry felt unnervingly like a procession to the gallows.

The entire guild followed, an unbroken unit moving across the Academy grounds. The evening air was refreshingly cool against my skin, carrying the briny scent of the sea. They were there to support me, perhaps, or simply to witness my demise.

Likely a combination of both.

The Crucible Arena commanded the summit of the volcanic caldera that lent the island its name, a vast open-air amphitheater hewn directly from the ancient rock. Stone tiers rose steeply, weathered by time, capable of seating thousands. The stands were rapidly filling—students clad in their guild colors, instructors in formal attire, administrators from the VHC in their immaculate suits. Even some professional scouts were present, their high-end cameras already active and recording.

This was far beyond a mere duel.

It was a grand spectacle.

A public execution or a coronation, depending entirely on the outcome of the next hour.

And I was the central figure.

Nel's voice, transmitted mentally, carried an undeniable note of excitement.

"Indeed."

My boots crunched on the volcanic gravel as I made my way toward the arena floor. With every step, the roar of the crowd intensified, a cacophony of thousands of voices forming a wall of sound that strained my eardrums. I was on my own now. The rules explicitly stated no backup, no support, and no coaching from the sidelines.

Only two combatants.

One battlefield.

And an audience thirsty for violence.

Across the way stood Reyna, and even from this distance, I could feel the palpable confidence radiating from her. Her crimson hair seemed to capture the last rays of the setting sun, almost glowing against the deepening twilight sky. She wore a custom-fitted red and black combat suit, likely worth more than my entire wardrobe, with the Olympus Rising logo meticulously embroidered in golden thread across her chest.

A smile touched her lips as she noticed me.

It wasn't a friendly expression.

It was predatory.

The kind of smile a hunter gives when they've cornered their prey and are relishing the moments leading up to the final blow.

"You actually came."

"Wouldn't miss this for anything."

"Good," she replied, rolling her shoulders in a smooth, practiced motion. "I've been eagerly anticipating this."

"Me too."

A lie.

Pure, unadulterated terror gripped me.

Every fiber of my being screamed at me to flee, to escape this arena before an inevitable disaster befell me. Yet, I knew I'd rather face certain doom than admit such fear, especially to her.

The referee approached the center of the arena, her boots leaving faint impressions in the volcanic sand. She was an older woman, her face etched with scars, her steely gray eyes having clearly witnessed countless battles. "Standard duel rules apply. No lethal force. Aspect attacks targeting the head are prohibited. The fight concludes when either fighter yields or is rendered unconscious." She surveyed both of us, ensuring our understanding. "Understood?"

"Yes," Reyna confirmed, her voice carrying effortlessly across the arena.

"Crystal."

The referee retreated to the arena's edge, granting us space. "Fighters, prepare yourselves."

I rotated my neck, feeling the satisfying pop of vertebrae. I gripped my bat, its familiar weight a comfort in my hand. The metal felt warm from being held against my back during the walk. With a simple gesture, Reyna summoned her marionettes, and electricity began to crackle around her.

There were two of them.

Each stood eight feet tall.

Composed of pure, arcing electricity, their forms were vaguely humanoid but unmistakably unnatural in their proportions.

They positioned themselves on either side of her, like silent sentinels, moving with absolute synchronicity.

A hush fell over the crowd.

Silence.

Anticipation.

"Begin!"

Reyna initiated the attack.

Her marionettes surged towards me like projectiles, covering the distance between us in the blink of an eye. I activated Lightning Rod. An electromagnetic field erupted from my body, a sphere of unseen force that distorted the paths of all electrical currents within a two-hundred-meter radius.

Every crackle of lightning was drawn towards me.

Including her summoned constructs.

They lunged, their electrified fists aimed at my head and torso, but their attacks missed their mark. Instead, they were absorbed into my form, the lightning flowing into me as effortlessly as water down a drain. It carried a taste of copper, raw rage, and frustrated ambition as it dissipated into my mana pool.

Reyna’s emerald eyes widened in astonishment.

Utterly shocked.

Truly surprised.

"What the—"

A grin spread across my face as I felt the absorbed electrical energy surge through my system.

"My turn."