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Chapter 73. The Unknown Contender

Madripoor

Kurumi's POV

The rancid stench of Madripoor’s alleyways clawed at my senses. It was a mix of sweat, decay, and desperation, the kind of smell that clung to your soul and refused to let go.

"This smell..." Satria muttered, narrowing my eyes. "It reminds me of a place my old man brought me to in my past life. It reeks of danger, of lives discarded like trash. How refreshing..."

I glanced at Satria as we walked through the alleys of this lawless city. Around us were the dregs of society: miscreants, drug dealers, addicts, slaves, prostitutes, murderers, and syndicates thriving in the shadows. Poverty bled into every corner, a stark reminder of human neglect and greed.

Satria seemed unbothered, even nostalgic. His past life must have been extraordinary, given how nonchalantly he navigated this hellhole. "Why would your father bring you to a place like this?What kind of parent would expose their child to this filth?"

“Don’t take it the wrong way, Kurumi,” Satria said, as though reading my thoughts. “My old man... He was a strange guy, sure, but he brought me to places like this to teach me life’s harsh truths. Ethics, morality, survival—he wanted me to understand the real world, not just the sheltered bubble I lived in. He believed that if I didn’t see the ugliness, I might stumble into it blindly one day.” He chuckled. “Of course, my mom would’ve killed him if she’d known about these little ‘field trips.’ hahahaha.”

I sighed, realizing how much Satria resembled his father. “Now I see where you get your reckless attitude from. Just promise me one thing—you won’t do this to our children when we have them, right?” I couldn’t bear the thought of my future children witnessing such horrors.

“Of course not!” Satria grinned. “If I have kids, I’ll be the best daddy ever. My little princesses will never see danger, let alone live it.”

His words were comforting, but I couldn’t shake my doubts. Satria always meant well, but his methods were... unconventional.

I tilted my head, still puzzled. “How does someone like you, of all people, die by a truck in the first place?”

Satria scratched his head sheepishly. “I still don’t know. I was saving a kid who almost got hit by Truck-kun, but then this weird force pinned me in place. Next thing I know... Boom. Dead. Sometimes I wonder if it was fate or some cosmic joke.”

“Typical,” I muttered, rolling my eyes. “You sound like a walking cliché from one of those reincarnation anime. But...” I softened, squeezing his hand gently. “I’m sorry you had to leave your family and friends behind. It must’ve been hard.”

Satria smiled wistfully. “Yeah. I have so many regrets. Unfinished dreams, unspoken words... I just hope there’s a way to see them again someday.”

“Until then, you have us.” I laced my fingers with his. “Whatever you need, I’ll be here to help you achieve your dreams.”

Satria blinked, then grinned. “You know, Kurumi, sometimes I wonder how I got so lucky to meet someone as amazing as you. Even if you and the other girls—”

He froze, realizing his mistake.

“Ara~? What was that about ‘me and other girls’?” I asked, smiling sweetly, though my tone carried a dangerous edge.

“Nothing! Absolutely nothing!” Satria waved his hands innocently, trying to change the subject. “Now, let’s hear what you’ve discovered about this place.”

I let it slide—for now. “Fine,” I said, flipping my hair dramatically. “I’ve been investigating Madripoor for the past week. I found evidence of human trafficking rings, a dangerous ninja syndicate called The Hand, illegal arms and drug trades, and—” I hesitated, my stomach twisting. “...experiments on humans and mutants. It’s sickening.”