Scumbag Fate System-Chapter 88: Alice Suspicions (1)

Reinhard walked toward the arena the next morning when he mentally summoned the system.

The familiar blue screen appeared in his vision.

"It has been a couple of days... Why hasn’t the new mission been given or the list been updated?"

[Host! I didn’t know you would be so proactive! I’m amazed!]

Reinhard’s expression stayed flat. "You would have pushed me to do it eventually anyway."

[I would! But I’m surprised I didn’t need to. I expected it would take capturing several Main Fates before you became this proactive on your own.]

The praise felt oddly real, but he chose to ignore it. "Who’s the next target?"

Silence.

The blue screen remained blank for three full seconds.

Reinhard stopped walking entirely and stared at the floating text with narrowed eyes.

"Why the pause?" His voice dropped lower. "Usually, that means something annoying or difficult is involved. So what is it?"

[Well, Host, the thing is... the next target isn’t the current mission priority.]

Reinhard’s brows furrowed. "Then what is? You already told me I completed it, and I saw the completion marker below the description."

[You did complete... But that was only half of it. The other half will be updated when Yor returns. She’s required for the second part.]

Only half? Does this mean the Main Fate missions aren’t just for the girls?

Reinhard held his chin while his mind worked through implications. "Do I need Yor to do something specific for the mission to be fully complete?"

He didn’t bother asking why the system hadn’t mentioned this before. That was useless information that would just drag out the conversation. The system operated on its own logic, and complaining accomplished nothing.

[Yes! With Yor’s help, you can fully eliminate Void Distortions from affecting this region entirely.]

Reinhard’s eyes widened. "That’s some big news... I can really eliminate them completely?"

[I will explain the full details when Yor returns to the academy. But I strongly suggest continuing to grow stronger, Host! You will need the power for what comes next!]

The blue screen vanished before Reinhard could ask follow-up questions. He sighed but continued toward the arena. Whatever the system was planning could wait until Yor’s return in two days.

But this does make him wonder, what does this mean for Sirin’s sister? Would getting rid of the distorting mean Sylvia would be lost forever?

Reinhard barely reached the arena entrance when Alice appeared from behind and grabbed his arm.

"There you are!" She dragged him away from the main entrance toward a side corridor. "Come on, private room. Today, we shall test out Louis’s modified weapons!"

"Modified weapons?" Reinhard asked while being pulled along.

"He made special gauntlets for you with fire crystals embedded. Wanted us to test them before he finishes the final version." Alice’s grin was bright with excitement. "And I want to see how you fight with different equipment."

They entered a smaller private training room, this one with more protective enchantments on the walls based on the glowing runes visible along the edges. Alice released Reinhard’s arm and then pulled two sets of metal gauntlets from a storage chest.

"These are the prototypes." She explained while handing them to Reinhard. "Louis said the fire crystals should activate with your magic. Try channeling energy into them."

Reinhard slipped the gauntlets on.

They fit surprisingly well, and then he focused magic into the metal and felt the crystals respond. Heat bloomed across his knuckles as red-orange light shone from the crystals.

"Nice," Alice said with approval. "Now let’s see how you use them. Attack me."

"With fire gauntlets?"

"Am I being underestimated? Don’t worry, I can take it." Alice grinned while settling into a combat stance. "Come on, show me what you’ve got."

Reinhard rushed towards Alice, and they quickly began clashing with each other. Back and forth they went, each outmaneuvering and trying to strike the other. But during this spar, he noted how Alice seemed to be scrutinizing his movement and actions.

Like she was waiting for something from him.

"Switch back to your sword," Alice ordered after ten minutes.

Reinhard removed the gauntlets and drew his practice blade. Alice immediately attacked, forcing him into defensive patterns. Her hammer strikes came faster than yesterday, more varied in their combinations.

Now he was sure of it; she really was testing for something. The way she moved and acted was like she was trying to bait him to do something.

"You fight differently than anyone else," Alice said between exchanges. "Your movements don’t match any single Sigil type I know."

Reinhard deflected her hammer strike without responding. But internally, he was more sure of it now. Alice had noticed something during their previous sparring, and she was confirming her suspicions now... Or maybe it was during the fight with the Void? He did use Spatial Lord at the end.

"Let’s try the gauntlets again," Alice suggested with a smile. "But this time, channel more power into them."

Reinhard slipped them back on and then focused greater magic into the crystals. The heat intensified, and the red-orange glow brightened to near-white.

He struck a training dummy.

The impact created a small explosion of flame.

"Not bad, now let’s try a clash," Alice encouraged. "No holding back!"

Reinhard poured more magic into the left gauntlet, and the crystal’s glow became painful to look at directly.

Then Alice’s hammer came down on the gauntlet in a crushing blow, leading him to quickly blast out with a fist.

Her Crush ability activated on contact.

The incompatible energies collided in catastrophic rejection.

But to Reinhard’s shock, the crystal shattered.

Magical backlash erupted outward as stored fire energy released all at once. Flames exploded from Reinhard’s hand in an uncontrolled wave that spread across the training room floor. He saw the flames rushing to Alice and her green eyes widening in shock.

He reacted on pure instinct. His hand shot out and grasped the fabric of space itself, like pulling a curtain.

The space bent under his grip.

He yanked hard, twisting reality like wringing water from cloth. The spreading flames followed the spatial distortion, redirected away from Alice, and followed his movement. Then, with a final pulling motion, Reinhard hurled the entire mass of fire toward the reinforced wall, where it splashed harmlessly against protective enchantments.

The flames dissipated, leaving only smoke and shattered crystal on the floor. Silence filled the training room.

"Are you okay?" Alice rushed over immediately, grabbing Reinhard’s shoulders and searching for injuries.

"I should be asking you that." Reinhard said as he removed the damaged gauntlet carefully. "The flames didn’t touch you, right?"

"No, I—" Alice stopped mid-sentence. Her hands remained on his shoulders, but her expression had shifted from concern to stunned realization. "Reinhard. What was that?"

"What was what?"

"Don’t play dumb." Alice’s grip tightened. "What you just did... You grab space and move it, you never did that before."

Reinhard’s mind raced through possible explanations. But when he saw Alice’s eye, he realized she had already connected the dots. Wait... Could it be that she already knew but needed confirmation?

"You grabbed space," Alice said slowly, working through her observations aloud. "Literally grabbed it like pulling a sheet and used it to throw flames away."

She released his shoulders, then stepped back with her expression cycling through several emotions. "And yesterday during sparring, you predicted my combinations like Rika does with her precognition. I thought maybe you two had similar Sigils at first."

Reinhard’s expression was still normal, but he was sighing inwardly as it seemed he was right.

Alice’s eyes widened as understanding crystallized. "But you can’t have Sigils similar to Rika and have space manipulation powers. Those are completely different Sigils."

She pointed at him accusingly. "Reinhard, do you have multiple Sigils?"

Reinhard chuckled and said. "Is that why you kept scrutinizing me during our spar? Because you already suspected it."

Alice blinks before nervously chuckling. "Well..."

"Of course... Well, yes, I have multiple Sigils." Reinhard admitted carefully. "And before you ask, I’m not sure how I can hold so many."

Alice’s mouth opened and closed without sound.

"Watch," Reinhard said. He activated his precognition, viewing five seconds into the future. "You’re about to step forward with your left foot, then ask how many Sigils I have."

Alice stepped forward with her left foot before freezing mid-motion. "How did you—"

"I saw the future," Reinhard explained. "That’s why I dodged your combinations yesterday, I knew what was coming before you finished the setup."

He reached out and grasped the air again.

Space rippled visibly under his touch like water disturbed by a stone. "And this is Spatial Lord. I can manipulate space directly for short periods."

Alice stared at the rippling air where Reinhard held space in his grip. Her face had gone pale with shock before she finally spoke, for the first time, her voice was barely over a whisper. "Multiple Sigils... I thought about that, but I thought it was silly."

She stepped closer, her hands reaching up to grab his shoulders again. This time, not checking for injuries, but as if anchoring herself to something solid in a suddenly unstable world. Her voice dropped to something between awe and fear. "What are you, Reinhard?