🎉SCIAW: Chapter 152/155

Chapter 152: The Weak Attack the Weaker

Upright Devil, Upright Death, Ace of Swords.

All negative.

A vision unfolded in Ren's mind—a bride vomiting blood, collapsing into a pool of crimson, her face devoid of life.

"A bloody wedding."

The moment he saw the imagery, Ren had already foreseen the fate of this wedding.

The end result was tragedy.

And the culprit behind the bride's suffering was obvious.

The real question was—why?

Ren shuffled the tarot deck once more and drew three new cards.

Reversed Devil, Ace of Swords, Two of Swords.

In his mind's eye, a man with a vicious expression chased after a murderer. A car accident occurred. A woman and a child were caught in the wreckage, and because the woman didn't receive timely medical attention, she died.

"A past grudge carried into the next generation."

The facts were clear—this wedding was an act of vengeance.

At the same time, Ren's dormant memories resurfaced. The case played out exactly as the divination foretold—unchangeable, inevitable.

In reality, the revelation was even more brutal than he recalled.

After consuming the poisoned lemon juice, Matsumoto Sayuri wasn't saved. She was pronounced dead on the spot.

Well, it made sense—after all, the poison was caustic soda. Once ingested, it would burn through her internal organs. There was no surviving that.

Even if she were rushed to the nearest hospital, it would take time to get there. Stomach pumping wouldn't be enough to neutralize the strong alkali.

Simply put, once you ingest caustic soda, death is inevitable.

Nearby, Ran and Suzuki Sonoko stiffened in shock.

"A wedding… drenched in blood? That serious?"

"Ren, is there any way to stop this?"

Ren didn't really want to get involved.

Of course, it wasn't because he didn't want to help, it was because the victim had already accepted her fate.

"Even if I interfere, some things can't be changed."

"The issue isn't just about saving her, the problem is that she already knows about the poison and is choosing to drink it anyway."

"Even if we stop her now, this will happen again sooner or later."

"At best, we'd only be delaying the inevitable."

Ren's words left Ran and Sonoko speechless.

If someone had tricked Matsumoto Sayuri into drinking poison, they could intervene and stop it.

But if she knew and still willingly drank it… what could they do?

"Then why not just have the poisoner arrested?"

Kaguya offered a direct and effective solution.

If they couldn't change the teacher's decision, then why not deal with the source of the problem?

"Yeah! That would solve everything!"

Sonoko clapped her hands. It was the simplest way.

Ren, however, said nothing. He simply looked at Sonoko.

"Even if the poisoner is the groom?"

"Even if… the groom!?"

Sonoko froze. She hadn't expected the person trying to kill Matsumoto Sayuri to be her own fiancé.

She imagined the scene, Matsumoto Sayuri knowingly drinking the poisoned juice her soon-to-be husband handed her.

Sonoko shivered.

She knew he poisoned her. She knew she had to drink it. And she still chose to die that way.

"Ren, why?"

"A past generation's grudge."

Ren didn't hold back—he laid out the entire truth revealed by the tarot.

"Matsumoto Sayuri's father was a police officer."

"While pursuing a wanted criminal, he accidentally caused a car accident, hitting a woman who was out with her child."

"The woman was dragged into the chaos and ended up caught in the wreckage."

"The child begged Matsumoto's father to help save his mother, to send her to the hospital."

"But at that moment, all Matsumoto's father saw was the wanted criminal. He ignored the woman and kept chasing his target. And so… the tragedy happened."

"Matsumoto Sayuri only learned about this just before her wedding. On one side was the man she was going to marry. On the other, the father who raised her. Unable to make a choice, she decided to die in her father's place."

The motive for vengeance was crystal clear.

At that moment, the girls finally understood why the groom poisoned the bride.

He wanted her father to experience the same pain he had suffered years ago.

Sonoko clenched her fists in anger.

"That bastard… so he knew all along who Matsumoto's father was, and he still went after Matsumoto?"

Amamiya Ren nodded slightly.

"He used Matsumoto's love… just to take revenge on her father?"

"Then who will be responsible for Matsumoto's death?"

"Why didn't he just go after Matsumoto's father directly!?"

Sonoko gritted her teeth, furious.

She couldn't understand—why go after Matsumoto?

Why attack an innocent person?

"Actually, the reason is quite simple."

Chika spoke up with a disturbingly logical answer.

"If a public official like Matsumoto's father were targeted, it might drag in the Takasugi Zaibatsu, right?"

"So instead, the groom went after the bride."

"Even if he got caught, he could still claim it was just his personal vendetta, separate from the Zaibatsu."

Sonoko almost laughed at the absurdity of it all.

Ren didn't deny that possibility. But there was another, even simpler explanation.

"The weak attack the weaker."

"Because that man didn't know if he could take down Matsumoto Sayuri's father, so instead, he went after Matsumoto Sayuri, someone easier to kill."

This reasoning only fueled Sonoko's anger.

Not just Sonoko, even Ran looked ready to explode.

"Ren, is there any way to stop Matsumoto-sensei from making such a foolish choice?"

Ren thought for a moment.

"Then let's go talk to the bride."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 153: This Revenge Is Quite Abstract

In the bride's dressing room, Sayuri Matsumoto, the heroine of today's wedding, was receiving the final touches from the makeup artist.

Soon, she would simply have to wait for the ceremony to begin.

However, at that moment, unexpected visitors arrived at the dressing room.

Seeing them, Sayuri Matsumoto's face lit up with surprise and joy.

"Ran, Sonoko, you're here."

But the expressions on her former students' faces were far from pleasant. Their brows were furrowed, making her feel a little uneasy.

"Why do you both look so serious?"

"Makeup artists, please step out for a moment."

Before Ran and Sonoko could compose themselves, Hayasaka had already taken charge, clearing the room.

The makeup artists exchanged glances before bowing slightly.

"Then, Miss Matsumoto, we'll take a short break."

"Ah… alright."

Sayuri Matsumoto, though a bit flustered, nodded in agreement.

Once the room was emptied, she turned back to Ran and Sonoko, her face full of confusion.

"Ran, Sonoko, what's wrong?"

Ran bit her lip, momentarily unable to speak.

Looking at her teacher in a pristine white wedding dress, she found it difficult to imagine that by the end of the day, that dress would be drenched in blood.

Still, some things had to be said.

There was no point in sugarcoating it—she decided to be direct.

"Teacher Matsumoto… are you really going to marry that man?"

Sayuri Matsumoto froze for a moment. Seeing the anxiety on their faces, she quickly understood what they meant.

"So, you found out."

Just like her father.

Sayuri Matsumoto wasn't naive. She understood her father's work well.

Knowing him, he had likely conducted background checks on every man she had been involved with.

So, when she had visited him recently, he had said the same thing Ran and Sonoko were saying now.

"So, you've known all along, haven't you?"

Ran couldn't hold back any longer.

"If you knew… then why? Why would you still choose to marry him?"

"Wouldn't it be better to choose someone else?"

Sayuri Matsumoto simply smiled and shook her head.

"If I had never met him, maybe I could have fallen in love with someone else."

"But the moment I met him, it was as if the past had come rushing back. My heart told me—I still love him."

"Matsumoto-sensei!"

Sonoko was furious.

"He approached you on purpose! Don't you see that?"

A shadow of pain flickered across Sayuri Matsumoto's face.

Of course, she knew.

Kaguya sighed, glancing over at Ren.

No wonder he hadn't wanted to get involved.

Even the bride herself knew everything.

This wasn't a case of being deceived—she was fully aware and still made this choice.

There was only one word to describe Sayuri Matsumoto.

Foolish.

If you know you're the target of revenge, then the rational choice is to stay away.

Instead, she was willingly accepting it.

For the sake of love?

No—that was just self-indulgence.

And that kind of self-indulgence would only bring pain to more people.

Her father.
Her friends.
Everyone around her.

A sudden thought crossed Kaguya's mind. She leaned closer to Ren and whispered,

"Amamiya, was the woman killed by Matsumoto-sensei's father?"

Her voice was quiet, but the others still heard her.

"No."

"The one who hit the woman was the criminal he was chasing."

"That criminal had committed over a dozen murders, all targeting young women who had little ability to resist."

...Seriously?

Kaguya's face turned expressionless.

She stared at Sayuri Matsumoto, feeling even more baffled.

So the accident wasn't even directly caused by her father?

The real culprit was the criminal.

Then why was she acting like her father had personally run the woman over?

Even if her father had some indirect responsibility, it wasn't to the extent that a life must be paid for with another life.

Wasn't the one who deserved punishment the actual criminal?

"So, her father only caused the accident indirectly because he was in pursuit of a criminal and failed to notice the collateral damage?"

"That's right."

"And his negligence isn't enough to justify a 'life for a life,' is it?"

"No, it isn't."

"And if the woman's son had just gone to a nearby convenience store to call for help, she might have been saved."

"So the true cause of her death was excessive blood loss from the accident."

"Meanwhile, the criminal responsible for the crash is still alive—living peacefully in prison for the rest of his life."

Upon hearing this, Kaguya felt even more speechless.

The real murderer, the one who actually caused the car accident was still alive, living quietly in a prison cell.

And yet, the woman's son didn't target him.

Instead, he directed all his hatred at Sayuri Matsumoto—the innocent daughter of the policeman who was only indirectly responsible.

To say that his revenge was misplaced would be an understatement.

In fact, it was so irrational that it was abstract.

It was as if Matsumoto's father had been the one who personally killed the woman.

From an outsider's perspective, this whole situation made no sense.

"Amamiya-san, if she's only indirectly responsible for the accident, doesn't her willingness to die… seem a bit ridiculous?"

Ren remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"That's why I said—don't interfere with the fates that others have chosen for themselves."

"To us, it seems like we're helping."

"But to them, we might just be meddling."

And that was what Ren despised the most, interfering where it wasn't wanted.

Even if, sometimes, he couldn't help but do it anyway.

Kaguya sighed in agreement.

Now, she understood.

Ren wasn't being indifferent.

He simply believed in respecting people's choices, even if they were foolish.

(To be continued.)

Special thanks to BurglarOfTurds for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉🎉

Chapter 154: The Hidden Meaning of Revenge

With her improved physical abilities and heightened senses, Ran overheard the conversation between Ren and Kaguya behind her.

This caused the anger on her face to shift into something more complicated.

How should she put it?

Now that she understood the full picture, Ran couldn't help but feel like Matsumoto-sensei accepting this fate was almost insulting to herself.

Wait—did Matsumoto-sensei never investigate the full truth of the incident?

It wasn't her father who had directly caused the accident, so why was she taking responsibility for it?

Ran pondered this for a moment before pausing.

Right… It's because that person blamed her father for his mother's death.

And because of that, Matsumoto-sensei found herself unable to make a choice, leaving her with only one option: to end the cycle of hatred with her own life.

But… wouldn't it be better to just clarify the truth?

Ran didn't deny that Matsumoto Kiyonaga bore some indirect responsibility for the woman's death.

However, it was nowhere near enough to justify a "life for a life."

If revenge was necessary, then shouldn't it be directed at the actual criminal who was still in prison?

…Could it really be that, because they couldn't take revenge on someone behind bars, they simply redirected their hatred elsewhere?

Ran tried to calm herself, but no matter what, she couldn't suppress her anger, not at the groom, but at Matsumoto-sensei herself.

She reached out and held back Sonoko, who was about to speak.

Then, she took a step forward.

"Matsumoto-sensei, your father didn't directly cause the accident."

"Huh?"

Still trapped in her own pain, Sayuri Matsumoto froze.

She fell silent, her mind briefly shutting down before rebooting.

"My father… didn't directly cause it?"

"But I read in the investigation report that my father was chasing the criminal and caused the accident—"

"???"

This time, even Ran was thrown off.

Her prepared words got stuck in her throat.

She instinctively turned to look at Ren.

But then she remembered—the power Ren possessed.

There was no way his divination was wrong.

Which meant… Matsumoto-sensei's investigation itself had been flawed?

Oh. That's unexpected.

Even Ren was caught off guard.

He had divined both today's wedding and the past car accident.

But he hadn't specifically divined what Matsumoto Sayuri knew about it.

And now, it turned out that the information she received had been distorted.

Huh.

Had the details simply been lost over time, or had someone deliberately manipulated the truth?

Either way, this misinformation seemed to have targeted Matsumoto Kiyonaga, who was still a police officer at the time.

Or perhaps…

Someone had wanted to sabotage his career.

Ren took a maple leaf gold coin from his pocket, flicked it into the air, and caught it.

It landed flat.

Tsk—just as he thought.

It wasn't that the truth had been completely buried, but rather, certain key facts had been deliberately concealed.

If the Metropolitan Police Department hadn't valued Matsumoto Kiyonaga so highly, they wouldn't have bothered covering up the incident for him.

Whoever had orchestrated this behind the scenes… must have been deeply disappointed when their plan failed.

Ren flipped the coin again.

Flat.

Tsk—this is turning out to be even more complicated than expected.

So, the person responsible must have already been transferred out of the MPD, right?

Another flip.

Flat.

Ah… so they were forcibly transferred after their scheme got exposed?

Yeah. That tracked.

In a career like law enforcement, there were always people lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to stab you in the back.

Ren thought for a moment, then flicked the coin one last time.

Had Takasugi Toshihiko been manipulated by someone?

The moment the coin landed, the answer became clear.

Someone had planned this from the very beginning.

It wasn't just about personal revenge, this entire situation was engineered as part of a larger scheme against Matsumoto Kiyonaga.

Takasugi Toshihiko was merely a pawn.

And Sayuri Matsumoto?

She was a fool who had been used.

Not just her—even the person who originally investigated the case 20 years ago had been used.

Realizing this, Ren felt a chill run through him.

Twenty years.

Someone had held onto this grudge for twenty years.

All because they got transferred.

That level of resentment was insane.

But Ren set aside those thoughts for now.

The current situation still needed to be handled first.

"Ran, Sonoko, switch places with me."

Still reeling from everything they had just learned, Mouri Ran and Suzuki Sonoko stepped back without question.

Ren turned his attention to Sayuri Matsumoto.

"Matsumoto-sensei, shall we play a little game?"

"…Game?"

"Takasugi Toshihiko… That man is planning to avenge his mother by hurting you.

Do you still think he's someone worth marrying?"

"…"

If it had been before, Sayuri Matsumoto wouldn't have hesitated to say yes.

But now, after hearing the truth from Ran, she wasn't so sure anymore.

Ren gave a slight nod.

At the very least, she wasn't completely blinded by love.

"Seems like you've realized the problem."

"If this man was truly someone worth entrusting your future to… then as someone directly involved in that car accident, he should understand better than anyone that your father was only fulfilling his duty as a police officer."

"Yes, your father failed to notice the injured woman. That much is true. But that level of negligence doesn't justify taking his life in return.

And more importantly—

The real criminal is still alive, living comfortably in prison."

"Yet Takasugi Toshihiko placed all the blame solely on your father."

"He sees you and your father as his only outlets for revenge."

"If he truly sought justice, he should be going after the man who actually caused his mother's death, not you."

Ren's words were straightforward.

Yes, Matsumoto Kiyonaga bore some responsibility.

But the absolute truth had already been recorded, there was no room for argument.

And yet, instead of seeking actual justice, Takasugi Toshihiko deliberately got close to Sayuri Matsumoto just so he could manipulate her.

"Now tell me, even if you view him through the rose-tinted lens of childhood love.

Is this really a man worthy of entrusting your life to?"

"If he's willing to kill someone over an indirect connection to the accident, do you think he wouldn't use more insidious, drawn-out methods to get revenge in the future?"

"…"

Sayuri Matsumoto bit her lip.

For the first time, she hesitated.

Even before she had learned all this, when Takasugi Toshihiko broke up with Kazumi to pursue her, she had already felt guilty about it.

Now that she knew everything?

Now that the veil had been lifted?

She realized it was finally time to remove her childhood-colored glasses.

"…What kind of game are you talking about?"

(To be continued.)

Special thanks to BurglarOfTurds for sponsoring this extra chapter 🎉🎉🎉

Chapter 155: You Can Have Lemon Tea Now

"Let's run a little test."

"We'll use some tricks to make your groom reveal his true thoughts."

"I think that once you hear what he has to say, your doubts will be confirmed."

"And you'll be able to make a new decision."

Ren's words were clear, he was inviting her to stage a performance, one that would expose Takasugi Toshihiko's true nature.

"Alright."

The scales in her heart had tipped. She wanted to see Takasugi Toshihiko's reaction for herself.

"How should I cooperate?"

"Just go along with the wedding as planned. I'll handle the rest."

Ren didn't need her to do anything—just let things unfold according to his plan.

"Hayasaka-san, I'll leave that side of things to you."

"Understood."

Hayasaka gave a slight bow, having already grasped Ren's intent, then stepped back.

"I'll go make the necessary preparations."

"Oh, and before you go—send the makeup artist back in."

"Got it."

Hayasaka exited the lounge, and the waiting makeup artist returned to do the final touch-ups for the bride.

"Ran, Sonoko, compose yourselves."

Ren's voice carried a subtle weight, as if imbued with magic.

Immediately, the two girls, who had been caught in an emotional whirlwind found themselves regaining control.

Their complex feelings settled, their minds cleared.

Just as they steadied themselves, the door opened.

"Sayuri, I brought the lemon tea."

"It's warm, just the way you like it."

The woman who stepped inside had long hair, wore a dress with a blue coat draped over it, and carried herself with an effortless coolness.

Takenaka Kazumi didn't think twice about the students gathered in the room.

She already knew that Sayuri had invited some of her former students to the wedding—so naturally, these must be them.

"Thanks, Kazumi."

Sayuri Matsumoto was momentarily dazed, but the warm tea was a welcome way to steady herself.

"By the way, Kazumi, about that thing I asked you to look into…"

"Are you sure the information you got is accurate?"

Kazumi paused for a moment.

Seeing the serious, almost somber expression on Sayuri's face, she realized that something had changed.

Her own demeanor grew more serious as well.

"It's accurate."

"I investigated the area around the accident site and found several witnesses."

Sayuri took a deep breath.

"No, Kazumi, what I mean is…

Are you absolutely sure my father was the one who hit that woman?"

"I…"

Kazumi was momentarily stunned.

Then, as she recalled the details of her investigation, something clicked in her mind.

The witnesses had all said the same thing, Matsumoto Kiyonaga had been involved in an accident while chasing a criminal.

But not a single person had explicitly stated that he was the one who hit the woman.

Kazumi's expression shifted, a realization settling in.

She had misinterpreted the investigation results.

"No one actually said that outright."

"They all said your father was in pursuit of a criminal when the accident happened.

But none of them specifically claimed that he was the one who hit her."

Sayuri's mind went blank.

So this was all just a misunderstanding.

All this time, she had believed that her father was directly responsible for Toshihiko's mother's death.

She had never confronted him about it.

She had never tried to learn the truth from him.

And because of that…

She had blindly accepted that her father was the cause of all this tragedy.

Now, she finally understood.

She had been wrong.

She should have spoken to her father directly instead of relying on Kazumi's investigation.

Instead, she had been left with an incomplete truth.

"Sayuri, this… this is my fault."

Kazumi hadn't expected her mistake to have such severe consequences.

Sayuri shook her head.

"No, Kazumi, this isn't your fault."

"Your investigation wasn't wrong.

You just didn't get a definitive answer, because the witnesses never clarified it either."

She let out a slow breath.

She could feel her blood pressure rising.

This was all just a series of assumptions.

And the thing she regretted most…

Was that she had never sat down and talked to her father.

If she had just asked him what happened back then, all of this could have been avoided.

No matter how much she had once loved Toshihiko—she now understood one thing.

There was a world of difference between:

1. A father deliberately running over a woman.

2. A father chasing a criminal, who then caused an accident.

One was directly responsible.

The other was barely even secondary responsibility.

And yet…

Why did Toshihiko act as if her father was the only person to blame?

Was it really just because it was easier to target her and her father?

Sayuri clenched her fists.

If that was truly the reason…

Then what was the point of sacrificing herself to "end" this so-called "feud"?

Her anger surged.

For the first time in a long time, her emotions felt stable—but this time, it was because of resolve.

"Matsumoto-sensei, calm yourself."

A voice interrupted her thoughts.

As if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her, the fire inside her was immediately extinguished.

The anger disappeared in an instant.

Her nerves settled, her emotions were no longer out of control.

Sayuri slowly unclenched her fists.

Her expression returned to a composed, almost unnatural calmness.

"Matsumoto-sensei, have some lemon tea to cool down."

"Ah, and to avoid ruining your lipstick, use a straw."

Sayuri nodded slightly.

She absentmindedly opened the can, inserted the straw, and was about to take a sip when.

"Sonoko, have some lemon tea too."

Sayuri froze.

In that moment, her brain snapped fully awake.

Sonoko blinked in surprise, then quickly caught on.

With a bright smile, she walked over, took a can of lemon tea from the plastic bag, and held it up.

"Sensei, mind if I have one too?"

Sayuri Matsumoto looked at her, a mix of emotions flickering across her face.

She exhaled softly.

"I never expected my own students would go this far at my wedding."

(To be continued.)