Scumbag Fate System-Chapter 56: We Are Happy You’re Here

Reinhard turned around and looked at Yor, who remained frozen in her kneeling position. She was staring at him in a daze as if she couldn’t process what had just happened. He crouched down in front of her while bringing himself to her eye level, and without warning.

He reached out to pinch her cheek.

"Ow!" Yor cried out.

"Don’t tell me you actually believed all that crap the Void was spouting?" Reinhard asked softly.

Yor trembled before her gaze dropped to the ground, and her shoulders curled inward like she was trying to make herself smaller. Reinhard’s hands shifted to cup her face, and he gently moved her head up until she had no choice but to meet his eyes.

He smiled at her while blood still smeared across his face. "If you think everything would have been better if you didn’t exist. Then it seems we did a terrible job of letting you see just how happy we are that you’re here."

A roar echoed through the basement, filled with rage and frustration. "Stop being such a nuisance!"

The Void rushed toward them while its sword was raised, and black-purple energy crackled along the blade. Its wings spread wide to add momentum to its charge. But before it could reach them, a spear wreathed in swirling flames crashed into the Void’s sword while the impact created a massive explosion that forced the entity backward several steps.

The spear spun through the air while flames trailed behind it in spirals, and Louis appeared beside Yor. He caught the weapon smoothly and grinned down at her with his hazel eyes bright with determination.

"I wouldn’t have gotten better at modifying weapons if it wasn’t for your help, Yor." Louis said while rotating his spear so the fire crystals dimmed and earth crystals activated. "And I definitely wouldn’t have been picked to represent the second years for the Engineering competition. It’s only because you constantly break your sword that allowed me to grow."

The Void snarled while trying to advance, but arrows streaked through the air, forcing it to deflect with its wings. Rika rushed over to join them while her purple aura flared bright despite the exhaustion pulling at her limbs.

"Before I met you, all I did was stay in the library and visit the History Department. But I know it was you who asked Sirin to invite me... Without you, I would still be alone." Rika said while nocking another arrow.

Alice’s laugh rang out while she retrieved her hammer and walked forward to stand in front of the group like a wall. "A world without you would suck a lot, Yor. Like seriously, the time we all spent together has been a blast. Only because everyone was there, well, except Louis~"

"Damn it, can you not remind me how I missed all of the fun!" Louis grumbled before chuckling.

All three of them rushed forward despite the area trying to sap their strength. Louis’s spear struck from the left while switching between fire for aggression and earth for defense. Rika’s arrows came from multiple angles while her precognition helped her place shots to cut off escape routes. Alice’s hammer swung with devastating force, but the Void easily blocked and parried.

Its movements grew more erratic and less controlled. "Why do you pests keep interrupting! You’re just helping her reject her true feelings—"

"Shut up!" Alice shouted while her hammer came down with crushing force. "You have absolutely no right to belittle our friend’s experiences and her existence! You don’t get to decide what her life means!"

Reinhard kept his hands on Yor’s face while making sure she watched the battle. "See? All of them are angry at the Void for belittling your experiences with us. Even after hearing everything that happened, none of them believes the world would be better if you were gone."

Yor trembled as tears blurred her vision.

Behind Reinhard, Alice’s hammer slammed into the Void.

She bit her lips and said. "But because of me, so many things went wrong. So many people got hurt."

Reinhard smiled while his thumbs brushed away the tears that started falling. "And because of you, so many things became better."

Yor’s eyes widened with a gasp.

"It’s because of you that I decided to join the Resonance Club in the first place." Reinhard continued with a faint smile. "I was curious about you. About this person who seemed so distant but had such sadness in her eyes. That decision to join led me to become friends with Rika, Sirin, Alice, and Louis."

His smile grew wider while warmth filled his expression.

"It’s because of you that I was able to have fun at the academy when most people here hated me for being the student with no Sigil. When everyone else looked at me like I was worthless, your club welcomed me."

The Void screamed before its wing slammed Louis across the chest.

Reinhard didn’t even look away from Yor.

"Your parents would never regret having you," Reinhard said firmly. "I heard those whispers. I heard them say they’d accept your hatred if it meant keeping you alive. That’s not the words of people who regret having their child, but one who loves them over everything else."

Yor’s hands came up to grip his wrists while her fingers were shaking.

"Your grandparents did everything they did because they believed you were worth it." Reinhard continued with a faint smile. "To them, you were worth every risk and sacrifice."

Rika called out a warning while Alice and Louis adjusted their positions to intercept.

"Those third-year students weren’t your fault." Reinhard said while his eyes never left Yor’s. "They chose to touch you without asking."

The Void’s frustrated roar echoed.

"And you don’t need to take everything on alone anymore." He gently caressed her cheek. "You have friends now, people who are willing to stand with you and listen. For example, you have me, someone who can touch you without your powers working. So how can you be alone?"

He pulled one hand back while keeping the other cupped against her cheek.

"Above all else, Yor, I need to ask you something important," Reinhard said while his expression became serious. "Did you ever regret meeting us? Any of us?"

Yor’s lips trembled.

For a moment she couldn’t breathe.

Then she shouted. "Never! Not even once! Meeting all of you has been the best thing that has ever happened to me... Especially you, Reinhard... You help me experience so many new things that I never thought I could."

Reinhard’s expression shifted into a smile. "Then that’s all that matters. That’s the only important truth."

He stood while pulling Yor up with him, and she rose shakily but gradually regained her calm. The invisible weight that had pressed her down seemed lighter.

"The Void can say whatever it wants about the past." Reinhard said while releasing her face and stepping back to give her space. "It can list every tragedy and every mistake and every moment of pain. But none of that changes what you mean to the people who are here right now fighting for you."

Yor wiped her eyes, and something shifted in her expression.

"Without you... none of us would be here." Reinhard continued while gesturing at the ongoing battle. "Your existence is why we are here fighting because it matters. It brought us together."

"... So it’s fine?"

"Of course."

Yor smiled and took a deep breath. "Thank you, Reinhard... For everything."

Her hands clenched into fists while her gaze shifted towards the battle down from them.

"Can you help me?" Yor asked while her voice was stronger now and clearer. "I want to close this Chapter of my life. I want to move forward instead of being trapped in the past." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Reinhard chuckled while reaching for his sword that lay nearby. "Of course I’ll help. That’s what friends do."

He handed her the black sword that had fallen from her grip. She grabbed the sword with a smile, and then her expression became serious.

The black blade hummed with power.

Her eyes locked onto the Void. "Let’s finish this."