My Scumbag System Chapter 480: My Fight, My Stray Dog

Reyna’s phone vibrated once more. Veronica’s name flashed on the screen, a stark warning.

She answered with a growl. "I swear, Vero, if you're calling to rub it in—"

"¿Qué onda, hermanita? Did you actually break a sweat against that stray dog today?" Her sister’s laughter echoed through the phone, melodious and irritating. "'Cause I watched the whole thing. You looked like you were fighting for your life instead of putting on a show."

Reyna’s fingers tightened around the device. "He was the Number One prospect at the entrance exams. Remember that little detail? Maybe you were too busy signing endorsement deals to notice."

"But you’re La Sirena. The Crimson Comet. You don’t draw with C-Rank nobodies."

"He wasn’t—" Reyna halted herself. Her jaw clenched. "Vero. You didn’t witness what I did. That bastard swallowed my lightning. It was like he had some kind of electromagnetic black hole embedded in his chest."

A pause. Then Veronica hummed, a thoughtful sound. "Interesting."

"Don't start."

"What? I'm just saying, a C-Rank with that kind of counter-ability? That's either the luckiest manifested power in history, or there's something way more interesting going on with your Stray Dog."

"He’s not mine."

"Sure, sure. That’s why you’re calling at midnight to bitch about him instead of sleeping off the damage."

Reyna glanced down at her bandaged ribs. Emi’s healing had mended the worst of it, but a dull ache pulsed through her torso with every awkward movement.

"I wasn’t bitching. I was stating facts."

"Right. Facts. Like how he moved faster than your combat recorders could track? Or how he tanked a direct lightning strike without even flinching?" Veronica’s tone shifted, dropping the teasing lilt. "Rey. Be real with me. Is this guy dangerous?"

"To who?"

"To you, idiota."

Reyna turned from the window, her gaze sweeping over the Crucible Arena below, where maintenance crews were still working to repair the damage.

"I can handle him."

"That’s not what I asked."

"Then what are you asking?"

"I’m asking if you need backup. If this kid is more than you bargained for."

A fierce, possessive sensation stirred within Reyna. The thought of requesting reinforcements because she couldn't handle one arrogant brat with a baseball bat made her want to lash out.

"I don’t need backup."

"Uh-huh." Veronica’s smile was practically palpable through the phone. "So you won’t mind if I swing by the Academy next week? Maybe introduce myself to this Satori Nakano kid? Give him some private lessons on advanced combat techniques. You know, as a gesture of goodwill between guilds."

"No."

"No?"

"Vero. I swear on every saint in heaven, if you come within ten miles of this island—"

"Ooh. Interesting. Very interesting."

"I will personally throw you into the ocean. I will freeze your endorsement contracts. I will tell Mamá about that time in Acapulco with the—"

"Okay, okay! Jesus. You’re so tense." Veronica chuckled again, clearly amused. "But seriously, hermana, if this boy can make you lose your composure like this? Maybe I should meet him. Just to see what all the fuss is about. Maybe get his number, hmm? Give him some... individualized instruction?"

Reyna felt her blood pressure surge. ""

"What was that? You’re breaking up. I think you said you love me and want me to have a wonderful night."

""

"Gotta go!"

The call ended abruptly.

Reyna stared at the darkened screen, her breathing heavy. Her hands trembled slightly, unsure if it was from exhaustion or pure, unadulterated fury.

Her sister had no right to mock her like that. No right to imply—

The door to her private quarters slammed open. Takamura stood framed in the doorway, his scarred face alight with a grin. "Get your ass downstairs, Reyna. Team wants to see you."

"I’m fine here."

"Wasn’t a request."

She followed him down the winding staircase to the Scarlet Phantoms’ common room. The area resembled a gym that had collided violently with a sports bar. Workout equipment occupied one half, while a colossal screen dominated the other, currently displaying a frozen image from the Crucible.

Her teammates had already gathered.

"La Sirena!" Diego Ramos leaped from the couch, his ash-blond hair gleaming under the overhead lights. His earth manipulation Aspect made him an immovable force, and he approached her with the unstoppable momentum of a natural disaster.

"You were incredible out there!"

"I drew."

"You made that bastard pay for it." Kira Tanaka appeared from the kitchen’s shadows, her shadow-walking Aspect allowing her to materialize seemingly from nowhere. She held two beers and extended one to Reyna.

"Seriously. I’ve never seen anyone push you that hard."

Reyna accepted the beer but did not immediately drink. "He shouldn't have been able to push me back at all," she stated.

"But he did," Leo Vargas replied, leaning against the wall with his hands tucked into his pockets. Possessing gravity manipulation, he was one of the most formidable students on campus, yet he spoke with the easy confidence of someone who rarely felt the need to prove himself. "That makes him either incredibly lucky or genuinely interesting."

"Both," Takamura rumbled from his seat near the window. "The kid has something special. I could sense it even from the observation deck."

"What do you mean by that?" Reyna finally took a long drink of the beer, the smooth liquid helping to ease the knot of tension in her chest.

"I mean he didn't fight like a C-Rank. Honestly, he barely fought like an A-Rank," Takamura’s eyes gleamed with interest. "He fought like someone who has experienced death before and still remembers it."

A heavy silence fell over the room.

Kira broke the quiet. "That's quite poetic, Professor, but what exactly does it mean?"

"It means Nakano has endured hardships that none of us can even imagine. It means the stats on his registration are likely fabricated. And it means—" Takamura directed his gaze straight at Reyna. "—you just faced an opponent who was playing with cheat codes enabled."

Reyna's mind immediately revisited the arena. She recalled the way Satori moved after absorbing her powerful strikes. She remembered how he seemed to grow stronger with each hit she landed. She thought about how his Lightning Rod ability had transformed her most potent strength into his own advantage.

"He possessed some kind of kinetic absorption trait," she admitted, her voice tinged with reluctance. "Every blow I landed seemed to empower him further."

Diego let out a low whistle. "That's incredibly overpowered."

"And the lightning absorption?"

"It was part of his Aspect. Or—" She paused, hesitating. "—or something else entirely."

"Illegal augmentation?" Leo pushed himself off the wall, his expression sharpening. "I wouldn't put it past the Hounds. They're desperate enough to try something like that."

"No." The word escaped Reyna's lips with more force than she had intended. "He's not the type of person to do that."

"You can't possibly know that for sure."

"I do know."

A meaningful exchange of glances passed between the team members. Diego's grin widened perceptibly. "Oh crap. You actually like him, don't you?"

"I don't 'like' anyone," Reyna retorted sharply.

"But you just defended him," Kira pointed out calmly.

"I simply stated a factual observation," she corrected, though her tone was strained.

"Sure you did," Kira said, settling onto the armrest of the couch. "La Sirena, the undefeated champion, is now defending the very person who managed to make her bleed on international television."

Reyna's jaw tightened involuntarily. "I'm going to bed now."

"Wait, wait!" Diego stepped in front of her, blocking her path. "You can't leave yet. We still need to discuss our tournament strategy."

"Strategy for what?"

"For the tournament, obviously. Nakano and his ragtag group of misfits are currently in first place. This means every other guild will be intensely focused on targeting them," Diego explained, his expression turning grave. "Which also implies they'll be aiming to cut through us to seize that top spot."

Leo nodded in agreement. "Diego's right. The Hounds have survived a Black Gate encounter and engaged two A-Rank opponents. They've got significant momentum. If we want our sponsors to truly take notice of us, we need to achieve better than a second-place finish."

"Then we simply have to train harder."

"We're already dedicating fifteen hours a day to training," Kira reminded her.

"Then we'll train for sixteen hours."

Takamura let out a deep, rumbling laugh. "That's the fighting spirit! Though perhaps we should prioritize not getting utterly thrashed by common thugs with baseball bats first, wouldn't you say?"

Reyna shot him a look that could curdle milk.

He raised his hands defensively. "Just a thought. If you can't even handle Nakano, how do you expect to stand against Petrova's perfectly trained soldiers?"

"The Sentinels are not that strong," Reyna countered dismissively.

"Individually, perhaps. But they operate with the precision of a well-oiled machine. And Julian has been seething over his public humiliation for weeks now," Takamura stated. He stood up, his imposing figure casting long shadows across the room. "This tournament is going to be a brutal bloodbath. With multiple guilds competing, various objectives, and a live broadcast – everyone will be fighting with desperation."

"Good."

"Good?"

Reyna's smile turned sharp and cold. "I perform at my best when my opponents are desperate. When they are fighting for survival rather than merely showing off," she declared. She met the eyes of each of her teammates in turn. "The Sentinels will crumble under extreme pressure. The Vipers will get lost in overthinking and second-guessing their moves. The Strikers will attempt to play it too safe."

"And the Hounds?"

Her smile widened, revealing a predatory edge. "They'll come at us as if we're the only thing standing between them and their freedom. Which means it's going to be incredibly fun."

Diego burst into laughter. "You're completely insane."

"I'm competitive."

"Same difference," he quipped.

Takamura clapped his hands together once, decisively. "Alright. That concludes our meeting. Get some rest. We begin specialized weapons training at precisely 0600 hours."

The team began to disperse. Kira melted back into the shadows. Leo ambled casually towards his room. Diego followed, his grin still firmly in place.

Reyna remained behind for a moment, her gaze fixed on the frozen image on the screen. Satori's face occupied half the display, captured in the split second before impact. A thin line of blood marked his jaw. His eyes blazed with an intensity that could have been rage, or perhaps sheer exhilaration, or maybe both.

"You're thinking about him, aren't you?"

She whirled around. Takamura had not departed. He remained by the doorway, observing her intently with those piercing eyes that penetrated deeper than they should have.

"I'm contemplating the upcoming tournament."

"A falsehood. You're pondering his refusal to yield despite your full assault. How he assimilated your power and pressed onward." Takamura's features grew inscrutable. "Exercise caution with Satori, Reyna. Individuals like him do not shatter. They incinerate."

"I am not intimidated by flames."

"I did not claim you were. I cautioned prudence. There exists a distinct demarcation." He opened the door, hesitating as he passed the threshold. "Seek rest. Tomorrow, we shall devise a strategy to conquer the insurmountable."

The door swung shut, emitting a gentle click.

Reyna found herself isolated in the quiet lounge, the untouched beer still cradled in her grasp. Her phone vibrated once more, likely Veronica, eager to deliver a final jest.

She deliberately overlooked the call.

Instead, she accessed the Crucible recordings on her personal device, replaying the combat from its inception. Observing Satori's movements. Witnessing his strategic adjustments. Seeing him Weaponize her own offensive capabilities against her, his maddening smirk unwavering throughout.