Rio watched the boy rummaging through the debris of the fallen dorm of Rael Von Ashborn.

Rael moved like a madman, taking apart shattered beams and broken stone, searching for something or someone buried beneath the ruin.

What is he trying to find?

Rio got his answers soon as he saw Rael pulling out a crimson-furred bear out of the wreckage.

…Is he trying to save him?

The massive bear was completely unharmed except for a few scratches… and he still looked half-asleep.

Rio froze.

He hadn't even expected Rael to walk out of that collapse without a scratch, much less trying to rescue someone else.

The Rael he remembered from high school didn't care about anyone. He crushed people without hesitation.

Rio always kept his distance from him.

Even as a senior, he was just a baron's son, while Rael was the duke's heir. But the scene in front of him wasn't similar to what he remembered.

This Rael was burned and bruised but he was still trying to save someone else out of the rubble.

Rio wanted to turn back and just slip away. If he did, Rael would never even know he had been there.

But Varek's orders were absolute.

He had told Rio to stay put, even after everything collapsed… as if he already knew Rael would walk out unscathed.

And Rio understood better than anyone.

Varek didn't ask him to stay for the rescue.

He wanted to twist Rael's mind, to remind him who truly held the dominance here and that even his own kind could be used against him with a single command.

Rio was nothing but a pawn in that game, trapped with no say in any of it.

I hope you don't blame me, Rael…

Just then, Rael's gaze shifted… and landed squarely on Rio.

Rio flinched, snapping him out of his spiraling thoughts. He still had one task left so he stayed where he was.

He waited, watching Rael slowly make his way toward him.

Varek had ordered him to deliver a message… and there was no escaping it.

As Rael stopped in front of him, Rio took a deep breath and forced himself to speak.

"Varek said good morning, Rael."

He braced himself immediately, eyes closing on instinct. He was stronger than Rael, physically, at least but he wouldn't have minded a slap, a punch or even a string of curses… anything.

He deserved it and he knew he did.

But nothing came.

The silence stretched for a moment before Rael's voice broke it.

"Ohh, senior Rio, how are you doing?"

Rio opened his eyes cautiously.

Rael wasn't angry.

He wasn't even frowning.

Instead, a smile pulled across his face.

A smile far too wide for what had happened.

Huh?

—

[Rael's POV]

I looked straight at the pathetic piece of shit who thought it was funny to throw explosives at me.

For someone who literally died once because of a bombing once, this wasn't just an inconvenience, it was trauma making its way right back into my head.

But I held it in and just smiled.

"Ohh, senior Rio, how are you doing?"

Because of course I knew him.

He was a leftover stain from my past, the kind of walking trash bag who bullied others because he had a baron dad and half a personality.

Back in high school, he threw his weight around until I transferred in.

And the moment I stepped into that building, everyone knew I was at the top.

Especially Rio.

He had always acted submissive around me just like now except the explosives.

So him doing dirty work for someone else wasn't surprising.

"I… I am fine," he replied, his voice shaky and hesitant.

As he should be.

"Ahh, good to know," I said pleasantly, as if we were two old friends catching up over tea instead of standing in front of my exploded villa. "I mean, I haven't seen you around in a long time."

My smile stayed soft and friendly.

"How is your family? Hope they're doing well back in the human empire?" I asked, all polite and pleasant.

This time, though, his expression twisted.

Rio was a coward, sure… but he loved his family.

I learned that back in high school, when one of my lackeys picked the wrong target—Rio's little sister, who happened to be in my class.

And instead of cowering like usual, Rio snapped and punched my lackey right in front of me.

Normally, the old Rael would've beaten him bloody for that but instead… he just smiled and laughed it off as if the whole thing was nothing.

All because of one reason.

Rio was a childhood friend of Seles.

The girl the old Rael loved and the one who was his fiance before I took over.

Yeah, that bitch.

"Yes, they are all fine, young master," Rio answered, his jaw clenched so tight I could practically hear them grind.

"How would you feel if your entire barony was wiped off the map by one of the Ashborn estate's high-tech missiles? It would be a pretty beautiful sight, don't you think?" I tilted my head, my smile widening ever so slightly.

Rio's face twisted with pure anger as he lunged at me, his fist pulled back for a punch.

Tsk, so damn predictable.

But I was already ready.

A card was planted in the tree a few steps to the side, placed there while I had kept Rio distracted with my little conversation.

It was not for teleportation, though.

For a punch this slow… I didn't need something that fancy.

Rio was a second-year, but his talent was undeniably shit.

He was a low D-Rank trash.

Most people with that level wouldn't even survive the first year in this academy, but Rio made it thanks to his remarkable talent for groveling and bootlicking.

Or at least, that's the only explanation that made sense.

He swung at me with a desperate punch and I slipped past it without even trying.

Then I pushed him sideways, guiding him exactly where I wanted him:

Right toward the tree where my card was waiting.

The moment he stumbled into place, perfectly lined up like a good little target…

I triggered The Tower effect, making the card erupt in a violent burst of energy.

The tree behind him exploded into splinters, thousands of razor-sharp fragments blasting outward like shrapnel.

Rio was hurled back, stabbed with multiple wood shards, before slamming into another tree hard enough to make the whole tree shake.

He collapsed to the ground, bleeding as I hoped, he finally understood something very simple:

He had come to blow up the wrong guy.

I walked toward him slowly, watching his expression shift into fear and desperation.

And no, I didn't feel sorry.

I knew he was just a pawn.

A disposable errand boy sent by Varek—a name I was already planning to wipe off the face of existence soon.

But that didn't excuse him.

Orders or not, you don't throw explosives at me and you definitely don't try to kill me without at least offering something to make it worth my time.

I could've just knocked him out the normal way.

But no.

I chose this method for one very specific reason.

I wanted him to understand.

To feel the blast up close.

To feel the shock, the ringing ears, the tearing impact.

To feel what it's like when a thousand splinters stab into your skin.

That was the entire point.

I wanted him to taste exactly what I had felt… and then a little extra on top for the emotional damage he had dragged up without warning.

If he wanted to play with explosions, then fine.

He could learn firsthand what kind of fire he had been messing with.

I stopped right in front of him, looking down as he held his consciousness barely.

I kept the smile I had earlier yet the reaction it got this time was completely different.

Rio's whole body shook.

"It's a really great morning, isn't it?"

I greeted him casually… but I wasn't done just yet.

"I'll make this very simple, my friend." I said, crouching so my eyes were level with his. "You have two options."

He coughed violently as if he was trying not to choke on his own saliva.

"First option…" I lifted a finger, voice still gentle. "You will personally prove how sorry you are by doing something memorable and painful enough to show me that you understand exactly what you tried to do to me."

"Or second option…" I raised another finger, my smile never dropping, "I make sure your family receives the consequences instead."

His eyes widened in horror.

"I won't touch them directly." I added lightly. "But I will make sure that someone else does… Someone who won't half-ass it."

"And I'll make sure that you will witness everything from front seats."

His body stopped shaking completely for the first since I started talking as he looked at me.

"So choose wisely, Rio," I spoke softly. "Your pain… or your family's destruction."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.