How to Take Revenge as an Academy Scoundrel

Chapter 66. Variables

“W-what the hell is that guy…!”

Had the bodyguard not been present, he might have been dead before he even returned to this body.

Karasuma Ryota felt a moment of vertigo and asked, “Who are you? Was it you who orchestrated the sniper attack and lured me using Misaki Ai?”

In response, Kim Dojin pulled the sword embedded in the bodyguard’s shoulder and spoke.

“Does a man about to die need to know that?”

In truth, Karasuma Ryota had information he wished to uncover, but there was no time for idle conversation.

For now, Astrid Lindell was holding her ground alone, but if reinforcements arrived, that would soon become impossible.

– Thud!

Kim Do-jin kicked off the ground once more, launching himself at Karasuma Ryota.

“What the—!”

Just moments ago, a bodyguard had stepped in to take the hit, but that was no longer the case.

“Ugh!”

Karasuma Ryota hastily unfurled a mana barrier, attempting to defend himself.

– Boom!

Even a top-tier bodyguard of A-rank was left dazed by the sheer force of the blow.

“Cough!”

Karasuma Ryota was sent flying, crashing into the wall, while Kim Do-jin soared through the air, plunging his sword into him.

“Stop!”

In a panic, Karasuma Ryota summoned all his strength to evade, but against Kim Do-jin, who was wielding the power of ‘Time Transcendence,’ it was futile.

– Whoosh!

In the blink of an eye, Kim Do-jin’s sword pierced Karasuma Ryota’s heart.

– Shlick!

Withdrawing his blade, Kim Do-jin confirmed the death of Karasuma Ryota.

“……”

For over four years, he had suppressed his desires, striving to possess Misaki Ai, yet the culmination of his efforts felt utterly hollow.

Of all the fates, it was Kim Do-jin who had caught him.

– Wooo……!

In any case, Karasuma Ryota was dead, and Kim Do-jin absorbed the handful of mysterious mana that lingered within his body.

The ‘Mind Control’ ability that had nearly possessed Karasuma Seishiro’s body.

He was eager to see how he could wield this power, but now was not the time for such thoughts.

– Thud!

Kim Do-jin kicked off the ground again, propelling himself forward.

And soon after.

– Thwack!

Astrid Lindell stood alone, facing dozens of awakened ones, when a voice rang out behind her.

“Let’s go!”

At Kim Do-jin’s shout, Astrid Lindell unleashed a powerful strike into the air.

– Swoosh!

In an instant, the blue-hued mana that had coalesced around her sword erupted sharply, forcing all enemies to stagger back.

Indeed, it was a blade of formidable power, a testament to her status beyond S-rank.

With the sword’s energy creating distance from her foes, Astrid Lindell dashed behind a nearby building, concealing herself.

And it was then.

– Pop!

Kim Do-jin, who had been preparing, activated his ‘Illusion’ ability, conjuring a replica that mirrored Astrid Lindell perfectly.

“After her!”

What the awakened ones of the Karasuma clan saw as they pursued was nothing but that illusion.

“There she is! Capture her!”

Of course, they could not seize the illusion created by Kim Do-jin.

The reason he crafted an illusion devoid of any combat power was simple: to confuse the enemies, preventing them from discerning Astrid Lindell’s true identity.

“Ah!”

The illusion, which Kim Do-jin controlled, pretended to drop its mask while fleeing, revealing a face entirely different from Astrid Lindell’s.

“Wh-who is that!?”

The awakened ones, who had suspected the figure to be Astrid Lindell, flinched in surprise, their bodies tensing.

‘It worked.’

Fortunately, this ruse seemed to have taken hold.

Kim Do-jin let out a satisfied chuckle as he deftly swapped the illusion with the real Astrid Lindell.

“Tch!”

As the illusion picked up the mask again with a frustrated sound and ducked behind the building, it vanished with a pop, and there stood Astrid Lindell once more.

“There she is! Surround her!”

Thus, the chase resumed, but neither Kim Do-jin nor Astrid Lindell was caught.

“Let’s go!”

Finally arriving at the hidden spot where the hoverboard lay, Kim Do-jin prepared to lift Astrid Lindell into the air.

But just then.

– Kwoong!

Suddenly, from the heavens, a colossal being imbued with immense power descended, and the color drained from Kim Do-jin’s face upon seeing him.

“What the hell…”

Even Kim Do-jin, who rarely lost his composure, couldn’t help but curse at the sight of such a terrifying figure.

It was none other than Karasuma Tenshin, the head of the Karasuma clan, one of the most formidable awakeners in the world.

* * *

‘Why is Tenshin here!?’

Cold sweat began to trickle down Kim Do-jin’s back.

He had confirmed that Karasuma Tenshin was far away before proceeding with his plan, so why had he suddenly appeared here?

‘Could it be that some coincidence caused his schedule to be abruptly canceled? Damn it…! How can my luck be this bad…’

How he had come to this place was not the pressing issue at hand.

Karasuma Tenshin was the second formidable opponent he faced after possessing the body of this madman.

There had been a significant skill gap compared to the previous SS-class awakener, Kai Renert, but at least that encounter had aimed for capture.

However, the Karasuma Tenshin before him had no intention of capturing.

To conceal a truth unfavorable to him, he could kill anyone, even Kim Mu-ho’s child, without a moment’s hesitation.

Kim Do-jin remembered Karasuma Tenshin as a man who would do just that.

‘This is bad, damn it…’

In his original body, it would have been the opponent who should be afraid, but such hypotheticals held no meaning now.

Perhaps he was in an extreme crisis where he could die in vain at any moment.

Kim Do-jin swallowed hard, contemplating how to survive, while Karasuma Tenshin twitched his eyebrows and surveyed the surroundings.

“What is going on here?”

He had flown in with all his might upon hearing the emergency alarm.

He had roughly grasped that the two individuals before him were intruders, but the most crucial matter was the safety of his son, Karasuma Ryota.

He intended to ask his subordinates managing this place, but for some reason, they were nowhere to be seen.

The lower-ranked awakened subordinates were all unaware of Karasuma Ryota’s existence due to security issues, so Karasuma Tenshin had no choice but to interrogate the two intruders before him.

“What are you two?”

This mansion was Karasuma Ryota’s sanctuary, but it also served as a communal residence for the awakened belonging to the Karasuma clan.

Did they come here knowing it was Karasuma Ryota’s hideout, or were they oblivious to it?

‘If they knew, then why on earth…?’

Karasuma Tenshin was unaware that his eldest son, Karasuma Ryota, was embroiled in a nefarious plot.

—

Thus, the motives of these intruders were not easily discerned.

Who, after all, would seek out and kill Karasuma Ryota, known to be already dead, living as quietly as a mouse?

“…….”

Regardless of the circumstances, Karasuma Tenshin was not one to simply stand by while his domain was invaded.

Soon, a terrifying aura, imbued with murderous intent, began to rise from Karasuma Tenshin’s entire being, and Kim Dojin, moistening his lips, attempted to speak.

But it was then that—

“Ma, Master!”

A gaunt man came rushing from behind Karasuma Tenshin, shouting in a panic.

“……?”

Turning back, Karasuma Tenshin furrowed his brow, a sense of foreboding washing over him.

“What is it?!”

The gaunt man, his face pale as death, replied breathlessly.

“Th-the Young Master… has been murdered.”

In that instant, Karasuma Tenshin’s face flushed red with shock and fury.

“W-what did you say!?”

Fearful that the wrath might turn upon him, the gaunt man hastily pointed a trembling finger.

“Over there! They—they killed the Young Master!”

Karasuma Tenshin’s head slowly turned to follow the direction of that finger.

Reflected in the blazing fury of Karasuma Tenshin’s eyes were none other than the masked figures of Kim Dojin and Astrid Lindel.

“How dare you…”

Karasuma Tenshin’s entire body began to tremble with rage.

To dare take the life of his own son…

Whatever the reason, they could not be allowed to live.

Of course, he would not simply strike them down in an instant.

He needed to interrogate them—why they had killed his son, whether there were others behind this act—and he intended to make their demise as painful as possible.

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“Is it truly you wretches who have harmed my son?”

At the sight of Karasuma Tenshin, on the verge of exploding, even Kim Dojin flinched before speaking.

“That is…”

Kim Dojin thought.

If Karasuma Tenshin was still the man he believed him to be, lying here would only worsen the situation.

—

“That is the truth.”

So, I admitted to the fact that I had killed Karasuma Ryota, but that did not mean the situation was improving.

– KWAHAHaaa!

In an instant, a terrifying storm began to swirl around Karasuma Tenshin, and seeing this, Kim Dojin hurriedly raised his hands and shouted.

“Wait! Let’s pause and settle this with words!”

To this, Karasuma Tenshin replied with a face twisted in fury.

“Words? Shut your mouth! You can chatter all you want after your limbs are torn asunder!”

Karasuma Tenshin’s rage was greater and more intense than Kim Dojin had anticipated.

– CHWAAHAK!

Karasuma Tenshin soon extended his hand, unleashing a blade of wind imbued with dreadful magical power, and Kim Dojin bit down hard, attempting to defend himself.

‘Damn it!’

Fortunately, it wasn’t charged with full power, but it was still an attack from an SSS-class Awakened.

‘This is dangerous!’

Feeling the overwhelming magical energy, Kim Dojin knew he would not escape unscathed, and the same was true for Astrid Lindell, who stood beside him.

Thus.

– TAT!

Astrid Lindell swiftly threw herself forward, taking the blow in place of Kim Dojin.

– CHWAK!

The blade of wind, filled with terrifying magical energy, cleanly severed one of Astrid Lindell’s arms.

“Khuk!”

Astrid Lindell groaned in excruciating pain.

It was a wound that had cost her an entire arm, and it was no exaggeration to say she had lost more than half her strength.

However, for Astrid Lindell, that was but a fleeting moment.

– FWAHAK!

The world’s greatest ‘Super Regenerator,’ Astrid Lindell, astonishingly restored her severed arm in the blink of an eye.

“……!?”

Meanwhile, Karasuma Tenshin, witnessing this, could not help but widen his eyes in astonishment, even amidst his fury.

For there was only one person he knew who possessed such extraordinary ‘Super Regeneration.’

“Astrid Lindell?”

She was not famous for her moniker of ‘Undead’ for no reason.

Astrid Lindell was a monstrous ‘Regenerator’ with a history of surviving even after having her head severed.

“…….”

The fury that had once consumed Karasuma Tenshin was now beginning to cool, if only slightly.