Episode 37: Kidnapping (Graphic Violence Warning)

 

“……….Ugh… Where am I…?”

“Awake now?”

Kang A-yul’s eyes slowly opened as she slept comfortably using my lap as a pillow.

‘Ah, that was fun.’

Pinching the unconscious Kang A-yul’s cheeks had been a rare and precious experience. Absolutely precious.

Kang A-yul’s eyes slowly focused on me. From her perspective, my face and mana pouch would be clearly visible against the sky…and since she wasn’t lying on the ground, she’d realize within 2-3 seconds that she’d been given a lap pillow.

“…………….!!!!”

“Whoa.”

“My, I would’ve enjoyed it more if it were me.”

“W-w-what is this…!!”

“What do you mean? I couldn’t let the Student Council Vice President sleep on collapsing floor debris, so I specially lent you my lap pillow.”

As I patted my thigh, Kang A-yul’s face instantly turned as red as her hair.

-Tatadak!

“…Kuek!!”

“My, what a rare sight.”

-Click!

“I’ve already taken photos, so no need to worry, Seo-yun yang.”

“As expected of Se-ah yang.”

Lee Seo-yun and I giggled as we approached the fallen Kang A-yul.

After her comical fall, Kang A-yul seemed to regain her composure, glaring at me with her emerald green eyes. Her first words were…

“Rematch in the Student Council election. I’ll definitely win next time.”

Surprisingly, a declaration of rematch against me.

“I’ll look forward to it.”

“…It must’ve been an unreasonable request, what with Student Council duties and all… Thanks for accepting.”

There was even a hint of gratitude mixed in.

Probably because she’d seen my entire body trembling from strain.

“…We should prioritize restoring the arena first.”

“Right, if we all work together it’ll be quick…”

“Did you forget I’m a psychokinetic? Go ahead first. It’ll only take 10 seconds.”

The arena materials had special magic that automatically repaired them over time when destroyed. While we could just leave it…placing the debris back would exponentially speed up the restoration process.

“Right. Let’s go then, Lee Seo-yun, hurry up and follow.”

“Alright then, see you tomorrow, Se-ah yang.”

“Yes, both of you get home safely.”

I barely held on until the two closed the door behind them.

-Clank

The moment the door closed…

“Ugh…!”

I vomited dark red blood from my mouth.

‘…What? I didn’t even use Mephisto’s remnant.’

I definitely hadn’t done anything that should strain my body. With my output suppressed, the chance of me going berserk should’ve been near 0%…

-Thump!

“………Ugh?!”

As if someone had gripped my heart with their hand. Excruciating pain erupted from my chest.

-Thud!

“Grrr…!”

Though Yun Se-ah’s body had endured countless pains, it seemed her heart wasn’t accustomed to suffering.

In this sudden agony, I couldn’t even maintain my posture.

-Whoosh!

“………..!!”

Something flew from the spectator seats at incredible speed.

-Thunk!

“…!”

Fortunately, I psychokinetically moved my body to avoid the ominous object piercing me.

‘Damn, what’s happening suddenly.’

Destroying the earring might trigger unknown restrictions.

But in this situation, who cares about risks? Survive first, think later.

-Crack!

‘This is the academy… Eve should arrive in about a minute…!’

Just need to hold out that long…!

-Fwoosh!

“…!”

I couldn’t estimate the number of enemies. If it were a single attacker, I’d fly to the spectator seats immediately. But if there were two?

One distracts while the others strike from blind spots – game over. No returning home.

‘This symptom… feels familiar somehow…’

It closely resembled the curse used by a student targeting Ecclesia.

A disposable long-range curse tool that induces near-fatal agony. Perfect for finishing off weakened enemies.

‘But how?’

The curse doll that original Yun Se-ah personally created and gave to a jealous student targeting Ecclesia… shouldn’t be used on me.

Maybe the effect had worn off, or the environment no longer supported curses… The heart-crushing pain stopped, but continued attacks like this would leave me defenseless.

‘Damn, why won’t this earring come off…!’

-Thunk!

“…Aaaagh!!”

Something pierced my neck. As my vision darkened, I desperately struggled to rise.

But having barely dodged earlier attacks, I couldn’t avoid them now. Impossible to deploy Stellar Magic in this state.

-Thunk!

-Thunk!

My consciousness sank like a stone into deep water.

…

…

…

“……………”

-Slap!

“…!”

A stinging cheek sensation forced my eyes open.

‘Damn, mouth gagged… whole body restrained.’

How was this possible in the academy? Truly puzzling.

‘Enemies like this should only appear after rescuing Yun Se-ah, sent by Mephisto…’

“Stop thinking.”

-Crunch!

“Aghk?!”

-Crash!

A fist materialized from darkness, brutally striking my abdomen. As I fell chair and all, icy water drenched the back of my head – definitely not a normal place.

‘Damn, where is this? I don’t remember this location in the original…’

-Clink

“…………!!!”

‘These are…’

“Finally noticed your wrists, unni?”

From the pitch darkness, someone emerged.

————————————————————

(From Academy Swordmaster)

“⬛️⬛️Ah!”

“Leave this to me, ⬛️⬛️⬛️. Don’t you have someone to protect?”

“⬛️⬛️Ah, actually you…”

“Ugh, uwaaaaah!!”

“President… no, what kind of person was unni?”

————————————————————

A painfully familiar voice.

“I missed you so much. Enough to tear your limbs off.”

But the face emerging wasn’t that of the person I wanted to see…

“………Huh?!”

‘Yu… Eun-ha?!’

Eyes filled with nothing but hatred – the gaze of a vengeful spirit.

…

…

…

‘But I never even touched Yu Eun-ha…!’

In the original, Yu Eun-ha – targeted by Yun Se-ah out of jealousy for monopolizing Yun Seongho’s affection – gets saved by the protagonist, becomes a joker card who defeats Yun Se-ah…

‘Since when could she make such an expression?’

-Riiip…!

“Ugh…!”

The duct tape covering my mouth tore off. As I regained awareness through the pain, Yu Eun-ha’s fist was buried in my solar plexus.

-Crash bang!

“Urk…! Cough, cough!”

“Revenge for my first life – where you toyed with me before bursting my heart.”

“Gah…! Ugh… Aaagh!”

The second strike hit my leg. Whether cut by something sharp, excruciating pain erupted as I felt something draining away.

“Second revenge – for killing the man who was like a father to me.”

‘…Damn, losing this much blood…’

I should be numb to this level of pain. Why does it hurt so much?

“Ah, your powers won’t work. I bound you with Magic-Sealing Handcuffs.”

“…?!”

‘Magic-Sealing Handcuffs are hidden pieces made from materials found in gates just before Yun Se-ah’s battle…’

“Ah, you don’t need to know their origin, unni. You’ll die anyway… But if you insist, I utilized knowledge from before.”

This was harder to comprehend than the sudden kidnapping.

‘Impossible.’

How does Yu Eun-ha know about original hidden pieces?

“You might be seeing me for the first time, but I… died by your hand in the distant future.”

“What does that mean?”

“Literally. I’m a Regressor. Someone who returned to this point in time from far in the future.”

Yu Eun-ha began explaining her deeds like boasting achievements.

“First life. I was adopted as Yuseong Group’s daughter through… my foster father Yun Seongho-ssi’s recommendation.”

“…So?”

“I tried getting along with you and big unni… but big unni had already left home, and you tormented me relentlessly. Then at the academy, I met Jian and enjoyed school life… before dying. By your hand.”

“…………That’s…”

“Second life, you didn’t bully me at home. Because you killed father before I joined Yuseong Group. At the academy, I fought assassins you hired until my weapons ran out and died.”

“N-no. That bastard Yun Seongho was trying to use you…”

-Wham!

“Don’t insult my father!”

“…Cough.”

That attack nearly killed me.

‘A little more force… and my head would’ve separated from my body.’

Though dizzy, I could make out Yu Eun-ha’s words…

“And the third life… The unni who showed kindness to everyone, called the best Student Council President… accepted demonic power and… killed everyone at the academy, destroyed the world. Just like now, wearing that mask.”

‘…What?!’

Enough to thoroughly shake my consciousness.