How to Take Revenge as an Academy Scoundrel

Chapter 50. Death

“Huh?”

Kai Renert tilted his head in disbelief.

He had intended to let the bullet graze him, yet at that moment, an unexpected surge of mana exploded forth.

“What is this?”

The amount of mana condensed within the bullet was no trivial matter; the force of the explosion was anything but light.

However, it wasn’t enough to inflict any significant damage on the SS-class powerhouse, Kai Renert.

He merely staggered slightly from the shock and turned to look at Jin Seohyun.

“……”

When first checked, the aura of magic still did not emanate from Jin Seohyun’s entire being.

Perhaps it was that gun in her hand, or the bullets that were special.

“Looks like you’re holding something interesting.”

In any case, if the bullets were the problem, avoiding them was all that mattered now.

“But the fun ends here.”

Kai Renert shook off the torn sleeves from the explosion with a displeased expression and began to unleash his full power.

“Ugh!”

Kim Dojin, too, wielded his ‘time transcending’ ability, confronting with all his might, yet he could not overcome the overwhelming gap in magical power.

– Clang!

With a brutal force, Kai Renert knocked Kim Dojin’s sword aside and finally aimed his blade at Jin Seohyun’s neck.

“Stop!”

In that moment, a startled Kim Dojin raised both hands and shouted urgently.

“I won’t resist anymore, so just stop.”

Kai Renert responded with a sinister grin.

“Hm? Stop what?”

Kim Dojin, in a desperate attempt, threw his sword aside.

“You don’t need my secretary, right? I’ll go quietly, just let my secretary go.”

At this point, he thought it best to save at least Jin Seohyun.

However, Kai Renert laughed at Kim Dojin’s plea.

“Ah. True. This woman is of no use to us. But why does that mean I should let her go?”

“…What?”

A sense of foreboding washed over Kim Dojin as he swallowed hard, just after he asked back.

“If she’s unnecessary, isn’t it normal to just kill her?”

As he said this, Kai Renert swiftly severed Jin Seohyun’s neck.

* * *

Splat!

The spray of blood that erupted from Jin Seohyun’s neck splattered across Kim Dojin’s face.

“…….”

He stood there, dazed, watching as Jin Seohyun lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground, unable to utter a word for a while.

“Mi…….”

The blood trickling down Jin Seo-hyun’s right cheek spoke of a grim reality, yet somehow it felt unreal, as if the world had slipped into a dream.

He had died so absurdly, caught off guard by the unexpected.

“That crazy b*stard… what have you done…?”

Kim Do-jin bit down hard, his gaze fixed on the growing pool of blood and the still form of Jin Seo-hyun.

“Crazy b*stard? Seems like that’s you, doesn’t it? You look pretty worse for wear… are you alright?”

Kai Renert mocked, his head jutting forward as if to taunt.

Yet, there was a truth in his words.

“……”

In a moment, Kim Do-jin, consumed by rage, stared at Kai Renert with eyes devoid of focus, before suddenly lunging forward like a madman.

– Bang!

In a flash, Kim Do-jin swung his sword towards Kai Renert’s neck.

– Clang!

Kai Renert effortlessly deflected the swift strike, but the assault was far from over.

‘What the hell!’

The sword, having been deflected, twisted unrealistically in mid-air, hurtling back towards Kai Renert’s throat.

And at the same time, a dagger aimed for his belly followed suit.

– Clash!

Kai Renert was taken aback by Kim Do-jin’s unorthodox technique, yet he managed to block the attack, pondering.

‘This b*stard, was he holding back to protect his secretary just now?’

The bizarre onslaught from Kim Do-jin continued, and with each passing moment, Kai Renert’s wide eyes grew even larger.

‘So, they want me to kidnap some bloodied mess? I suppose it makes sense now.’

Kai Renert had no intention of exerting himself against a mere seventeen-year-old, driven by pride.

But that was no longer the case.

He could end up with a serious injury, one that might shatter his pride even further.

“This is it, you b*stard.”

Finally, Kai Renert unleashed the full extent of his vast SS-class mana.

* * *

“Ugh…”

Kim Do-jin awoke, a groan escaping him as he felt the searing pain of torn flesh.

‘Was it too much after all?’

A throbbing pain pulsed through my head, memories swirling like mist.

I could clearly recall the moment I charged at Kai Renert in a fit of rage, but what followed was a blur, lost in the shadows of my mind.

—Clank!

As I attempted to move my arms, heavy chains rattled, yanking me back into reality.

I found myself seated in some chair, hands bound behind me with magical restraining cuffs.

It seemed I had lost consciousness after being defeated by Kai Renert.

“Damn it…”

Kim Do-jin spat out a mouthful of blood-tinged saliva, tasting the iron on his tongue, and finally lifted his head.

“Awake, are we?”

At that moment, Kai Renert turned slightly, fixing his gaze upon me.

But—

“Huh?”

Kai Renert didn’t look so well himself.

He bore the marks of a struggle, one arm injured and hanging awkwardly.

‘b*stard…’

It was the only thing I could take solace in, yet it brought no laughter to my lips.

After all, I was the one who had been defeated and bound.

“Hah…”

Kai Renert let out a hollow chuckle, his eyes scanning my body from head to toe.

“You really are something else. With your powers and control… I wondered why you were sent to capture me.”

Muttering to himself, Kai Renert raised his wrist, beginning to manipulate his smartwatch.

He seemed to be checking on the status of his subordinates who had gone to set up the ‘teleport’ device.

“Ugh…”

Knowing I was about to be dragged somewhere, despair washed over me, and I turned my head, only to suddenly catch sight of Jin, my secretary’s lifeless body.

“…”

Guilt and sorrow gripped me as I beheld the cold, distant form of Jin.

‘This is all my fault. If I hadn’t meddled in the kidnapping of Director Kate, none of this would have happened… No, if I hadn’t, there would have been even more innocent victims around the world…’

As these thoughts tangled in my mind, a voice suddenly echoed within me.

‘Do not move, young master.’

Jin’s voice rang out in my head, and I couldn’t help but startle at the sound.

‘What is this!?’

Surely, Secretary Jin was dead over there, so how could that voice echo in his mind?

‘…Could it be?’

Kim Do-jin had a rough idea, but for now, he remained still, waiting as instructed.

Then, a moment later.

– Boom!

Suddenly, a bullet flew in from somewhere, striking Kai Renert’s head and unleashing a massive explosion.

Perhaps it was the size of the bullet, but the force of the blast was even stronger than before.

“……!”

In that instant, Kim Do-jin’s eyes widened in shock, but the surprises were far from over.

– Thwack!

Next, a bullet struck the core of the magical binding cuffs that held Kim Do-jin’s hands, shattering them instantly.

– Crack!

The magical cuffs splintered into pieces, and at last, Kim Do-jin could move freely.

‘Dodge to the right!’

With Secretary Jin’s voice ringing in his ears again, Kim Do-jin began to sprint with all his might.

– Whoosh!

Though his mana was running low, he pushed himself to run as fast as he could, even using his ‘Time Transcendence’ ability.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

As expected, Kai Renert was hot on his heels.

– Bang!

Another gunshot rang out, and a bullet whizzed by, but Kai Renert merely tilted his head, dodging it with ease.

‘What a monstrous guy!’

Now, sniping was no longer an option.

From a high vantage point in the distance, a figure wielding a sniper rifle finally leaped down to the first floor.

– Crash!

The identity of the figure that revealed itself before Kim Do-jin was, astonishingly, Secretary Jin.

“Secretary Jin?”

He had a hunch, but he couldn’t help but be taken aback.

As Kim Do-jin widened his eyes and asked, Secretary Jin spoke once more, echoing the same words as before.

“While I stall for time, you should make your escape, young master!”

Yet again, Kim Do-jin would not allow it.

“Enough! Cover me!”

Thus, the battle of two against one reignited.

– Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat!

Secretary Jin now wielded an assault rifle, launching an attack on Kai Renert, while Kim Do-jin used his ‘rock manipulation’ to hinder Kai Renert’s movements with his shadowy swordsmanship.

“What the hell!? Isn’t that the same woman from earlier?”

Kai Renert, recognizing Secretary Jin’s face, could hardly contain his surprise.

But that moment of shock was fleeting.

With his terrifying power, he began to push them back once more.

“Huh?”

Yet, this time, Secretary Jin was different.

No longer merely firing explosive magic bullets, she moved with an agility that surpassed Kim Do-jin, fueled by her A-class mana.

“Tch!”

Kai Renert, irritated by the unexpected resistance, felt his patience wearing thin, but he knew it was only a matter of time.

“This ends here.”

– Crash!

Finally, Kai Renert sent Secretary Jin’s pistol flying with a spear of water, a confident smile spreading across his face as he began to stride forward.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but it seems you’ve failed again. What will you do now?”

Kai Renert sneered, watching for Secretary Jin’s reaction.

However, her response was not what he anticipated.

“Failure? No, it’s a success. My role was not to rescue, but to buy time.”

As Secretary Jin spoke, a triumphant grin spread across her face.

– Boom!

Suddenly, one wall of the abandoned factory exploded, and from the debris, a man began to stagger in.

“What the—!”

Kai Renert’s face froze as he turned sharply at the unusual energy emanating from the newcomer.

“That man is….”

At last, cutting through the remnants of the explosion, the figure emerged.

It was none other than Kim Do-jin’s father, Kim Mu-ho.

* * *

“Damn it!”

The color drained from Kai Renert’s face.

“How the hell did that man get here…!”

Kim Mu-ho, the head of the Myungseong Group.

He was one of the greatest Awakened in South Korea, comparable to Director Kim Jin-myung, and was evaluated to possess an SSS-grade magical power stronger than his own.

If the difference between S-grade and SS-grade Awakened was significant, the gap between SS-grade and SSS-grade was even greater.

Yet here stood this SSS-grade Awakened, radiating a murderous intent directed at him, and no matter how much of a big shot Kai Renert was, he could not help but feel fear.

“I’m finished. Should I abandon the operation and flee!?”

Kai Renert hurriedly glanced around, contemplating escape.

But in that moment…

“Wait a minute…”

A thought suddenly crossed his mind: Was there really no other way?

It was undeniable that Kim Mu-ho was a powerhouse of SSS-grade, but his superpower, coincidentally, was “fire.”

And his own superpower could be considered its counter: “water.”

“……”

How crucial was the concept of elemental advantage in battles between Awakened?

“This…”

The foot that had unconsciously turned to flee began to slowly pivot back toward the direction of Kim Mu-ho.

“Maybe I can give it a shot?”

An unparalleled advantage in elemental affinity.

Moreover, on one side of this abandoned factory, there stood a series of water tanks, perfectly aligned.

It felt as if the heavens themselves were lending a hand.

“If I could capture Kim Mu-ho here, what greater achievement could there be?”

With newfound confidence, Kai Renert’s gaze sharpened as he addressed Kim Mu-ho.

“The world’s greatest fire-element Awakened, Kim Mu-ho. Shall we see just what you’re capable of?”

He didn’t even need to ask; Mu-ho was already inclined to show off.

With a swift motion, Kim Mu-ho raised one hand, ready to demonstrate.

The world’s greatest fire-element superpower.