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Side Story: The End of Revenge 2
Ah, yes, it was you.
All the puzzle pieces fit together instantly. Why hadn’t he thought it was Matthias? He couldn’t dare imagine it. Matthias was Michael’s childhood friend and also the benefactor who returned his son. He held an absolute position in Michael’s heart. Michael would have given his life if Matthias had asked for it.
It was you…
Christmas carols are playing somewhere. This carol has never left Michael’s mind. Like a music box eternally turning, it continues to play.
Hark how the bells
Sweet silver bells
All seem to say
Throw cares away
Christmas is here
Somewhere in Michael’s heart was forever broken with this carol. A broken music box was buzzing in his head, but now it seemed he could end it all. Both the music box and his hatred.
“Rie—”
Just as he was about to say “Mr. Riegel,” Michael shot the gun with an expressionless face.
BANG—
The gun missed despite the close range. It was Michael’s first time shooting, so he couldn’t aim well. As Yudorov hurriedly raised his head, Michael was smiling. It was a smile gleaming with madness.
“Matthias. How many bullets do you think I have?”
When Michael demanded it, no one here could refuse to give him a gun. And Michael Riegel was a man who could buy hundreds of thousands of guns with just his personal wealth.
Michael was genuinely delighted. As soon as Yudorov realized that the joy came from “missing the first shot,” he shook his body frantically. He shook his body left and right as if he had something to say, and the chair rattled. Finally, as the chair lost balance and fell sideways with a thud, someone rushed into the room.
“Sebastian!”
Kouri turned his head with a face that said, “Not Sebastian?” There stood Armin Schnieke with a grimy face.
What are you doing here?
Kouri and Armin thought simultaneously as they saw each other. At that moment, there was another BANG—sound, and everyone froze with a start. Only then did Armin rush toward the back of the person who had fired the gun. He knew at a glance that it wasn’t Sebastian, but that didn’t change anything. He had to stop him.
“Put this down.”
Michael spoke calmly from Armin’s arms. As Armin subdued him, Michael’s bodyguards simultaneously aimed their guns at Armin. Left with no choice, Kouri’s team all pointed their guns at Michael’s bodyguards.
In an instant, it became a standoff.
Kouri inwardly clicked his tongue. A glimmer of hope appeared on the face of Yudorov, who had fallen to the floor with his chair. Seeing how he quickly managed his expression when their eyes met, he truly was the villain of the century.
“I said put it down, Mr. Schnieke. This has nothing to do with you.”
“Why not? I’m a government agent, and I came here to arrest Matthias Yudorov!”
A government agent?
Michael burst into dry laughter. It was absurd. He was a childhood friend whom he thought was his benefactor. He had risked his and his family’s lives to save him and his family. But it turned out he was the mastermind who ruined his family. Not only that, he was the bastard who ordered the kidnapping and torture of his son.
And now some government agent is claiming to be involved?
“Listen… My life was ruined because of that bastard I thought was a friend. But let’s say my life—that’s because I couldn’t judge people correctly. But what about my son? What about my wife? My other son? My only daughter? We all lived in fear of even our shadows. We couldn’t bear the fear when facing even an ominous wind. Let’s say I don’t have much time left to live. What about my children? Huh? But what?”
Michael’s face moved like that of an evil spirit as he looked at Armin.
“You’re involved? Involved? You dare discuss involvement in front of me?”
At that moment, Michael pushed Armin away with miraculous strength. It was the most powerful force in his life. But since Armin was not someone who would be pushed away by Michael’s miracle, Michael ended up just breathing heavily in Armin’s arms.
Feeling Michael’s body slowly sinking, Armin sat down on the floor with him. After landing the helicopter, in that brief time, he had beaten August Kuno and secured testimony that he had recently turned against Sebastian. On August Kuno’s phone, there was an unknown number with “777” on it. Since it was clearly a code, Armin contacted the Security Bureau to track the GPS of the phone that received this code and rushed over. He believed Sebastian would be there.
But it was bewildering that Sebastian wasn’t there, only his father. Anyway, Armin couldn’t just stand by and watch his father commit murder, so he was now restraining Michael without letting go.
“Ah, I’m not a victim. So you say I’m not involved! What about the other victims?!”
As Michael began to struggle, Armin again tightened his grip. It wasn’t easy to subdue someone holding a pistol. Moreover, if Armin subdued Michael incorrectly, his bodyguards would likely shoot immediately. Although Kouri was currently on Armin’s side, it was uncertain when he might change his mind. After all, Kouri was employed by “Riegel.”
So Armin carefully subdued Michael, trying not to provoke both his bodyguards and Kouri’s team, and continued speaking.
“Mr. Riegel, let’s say you have the money to kill Yudorov now. What about the other victims? Without Yudorov’s testimony, they might not properly receive recognition for their suffering. It’s already bitter enough that their families died or they became disabled, but if they can’t receive any compensation and have to become truly uninvolved people because of a wealthy person’s private revenge, who should they hold responsible?”
Would it be satisfying if a wealthy person took revenge on their behalf?
Armin thought not. And he believed it shouldn’t be. If the only means to resolve my revenge is through the private vengeance of someone powerful, then that society is flawed. For people to live stably within a national social system, there must be trust that those who harm the system will certainly be punished, and even if one suffers because of such people, the system will at least provide protection. The Rotman government had failed to achieve this. That’s why numerous civil servants, including Armin, risked their lives trying to catch Canaris. Because that is the responsibility of civil servants who maintain society.
“I am indeed involved. I am a civil servant belonging to an institution operated by the taxes of numerous bereaved families, and I dare not allow punishment according to a single person’s will because that bastard is such a piece of shit that I cannot turn a blind eye—”
BANG—
A gunshot rang out.
Who fired?
Armin turned around. Not just him, but everyone, even Michael, was turning around. There stood Sebastian with his bodyguards.
The man of dazzling beauty greeted everyone with, “I’m a bit late.” As if saying, long time no see.
And then he fired again.
BANG—
A suppressed scream of “Aargh” was heard. The scream from a gagged mouth sounded quite horrific. Armin, still entangled with Michael like an octopus, looked up at Sebastian. Though his fiancé was smiling as usual, somehow he felt like a stranger.
Sebastian’s gaze touched Armin. He smiled slightly. With a smile that seemed to say “well done,” Armin wanted to ask “what?” but soon realized who he was holding.
“Father.”
Michael looked up at Sebastian with a blank face. He realized all this was Sebastian’s arrangement. Sebastian clearly knew his father would follow and deliberately involved his fiancé.
“Killing that bastard won’t compensate for anything.”
Sebastian’s eyes were already directed toward Yudorov. Michael unknowingly moved toward Sebastian. Had he exerted more than miraculous strength, or had Armin Schnieke released him? He was able to shake off the young man who had been restraining him and run to his son.
Michael held Sebastian just as Armin had held him.
“Don’t.”
“…”
“Dad… Dad will stop now too. …Sebi.”
Sebastian knew that Michael had been searching for his kidnapper all along, that he had vowed hundreds, thousands of times to kill him if found.
When living at the family home, just by seeing his father’s face in the dining room on a bright morning, he could tell that his father had been rolling in hell all night. Because Sebastian too had come from the same hell.
So he actually knows. That only by backing down here is there a chance to escape that hell. Even though they did nothing wrong, even though they were only victims, if they kill Yudorov now, they will never be able to escape that hell. They will be trapped in a yoke.
No matter how they kill him, their hearts won’t be relieved, and the pain of becoming murderers will last a lifetime.
Nevertheless, he doesn’t know how to back down. It was impossible to just retreat in front of the devil who created this pain. What on earth should he do? Sebastian thought while being embraced by his father. Would he be able to back down if he shot Yudorov’s legs or arms a few more times?
It was when he shifted his gaze to the dim light seeping in through the window.
CRACK—
An enormous impact sound was heard. And blood formed on the suppressed scream. When he turned his head, Armin was stomping on Yudorov’s bleeding leg. As if feeling the gaze, Armin, who had been looking down at Yudorov, turned his head toward Sebastian.
“Don’t worry, Sebi.”
Armin smiled. Just then, sunlight was streaming in on him. It was the first time Armin had called him “Sebi.” Sebastian narrowed his eyes at the brightness.
“I’m a professional.”
Armin, who had said it was okay because he would never kill him, began beating Yudorov. Yudorov’s arms and legs were gradually bending in directions they shouldn’t. Watching this, Sebastian burst into laughter.
The end of a life-staking revenge was underwhelming. But not bad. Thinking that this might be the best option, Sebastian left his father and walked steadily to stand next to Armin. And just like Armin, he kicked Yudorov. He felt something in his face break.
Behind him, he heard his father singing. It was a gloomy carol. It was the first time he had heard his father sing a carol, and it was even funnier that the season was spring. Everything was just hilarious.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
