Genius Wizard who sees Rainbows- Chapter 24

 

#024. Hatred and Rage (1)

*Thwack──!*

Kedrick’s fist froze mid-air.

Right in front of Ray’s face.

Ray’s hand had shot up from below, grabbing Kedrick’s wrist.

“Damn it──! Let me go──!”

Kedrick’s bloodshot eyes flared with rage.

He gritted his teeth, straining to push his fist forward.

But despite his trembling body, he couldn’t break free from Ray’s grip.

“You bastard──! Damn it──! I’ll kill you──! I’ll kill you!”

At this moment, Kedrick didn’t care who his opponent was.

All that mattered was his single-minded determination to crush whoever blocked his way.

“Argh──!”

With a roar, something changed.

The flow of red mana surging from Kedrick’s ring to his heart accelerated, its intensity doubling in an instant.

*Throb.*

The surge of power traveled through Kedrick’s body and into his arm.

…This is dangerous.

Ray’s instincts sounded the alarm.

The moment he dodged to the side, he let go of Kedrick’s wrist.

*Whoosh───!*

The unleashed fist sliced through the air, slamming into the container wall.

*Boom──!*

The entire container shook violently.

The spot where the fist struck was crushed inward, leaving a deep dent.

If the blow had been any stronger, the wall might have been torn off entirely.

Kedrick withdrew his fist.

It was smeared with blood, but he didn’t seem to care.

“You dodged? You dodged, huh? What’s this? It’s you, Ray?”

A strange fervor flickered in his eyes.

He trembled like someone intoxicated by a stimulant.

“……”

Ray glanced at the ring.

Perhaps because Kedrick had vented some of his rage, the red mana’s intensity had slightly subsided.

Though it was still at a dangerous level compared to normal.

“What’s this? Why are you here? Aha! You came to fight me, didn’t you? That’s it, right?”

It was clear Kedrick wasn’t in his right mind.

**“Mana poisoning.”**

The ring’s mana had consumed him, filling his body and mind with rage.

The only mana safe to use was the refined mana stored in the “true rings.”

“You’re so impatient! The duel is the day after tomorrow! You couldn’t wait, could you? You want to fight now? Here?”

Ray didn’t let his guard down.

He couldn’t predict when Kedrick might act impulsively.

He shifted his gaze briefly.

Nearby, Philip lay collapsed, gasping for air, with blood splattered around him.

“Urgh… ngh…”

Philip had curled his body tightly, shielding vital areas like his head and organs. That was his only saving grace.

Even so, the pain he had endured was likely unimaginable.

A magically enhanced strength was far beyond what an ordinary person could withstand.

Ray turned his focus back to Kedrick’s ring.

*The size of the gem is the same as the ones I found in the basement,* Ray thought.

But the amount of mana it held was different.

For some reason, the mana was far more vibrant than before.

It felt as if the ring had grown stronger while it had been on Kedrick’s finger.

Ray organized his thoughts and spoke.

“I didn’t come to fight. I just heard the noise. Why did you do this to Philip?”

The mention of Philip’s name made Kedrick’s eyes widen.

“What? You know him? You know that bastard Philip? Aha! So that scumbag came to you too? With some shady business proposal, right? Am I wrong?”

Kedrick laughed hysterically.

It was then that the flow of red mana between his ring and heart expanded again.

“That scumbag can only cling to the strong! Damn bastard! He never changes, no matter how many years pass!”

Kedrick abruptly turned his body.

He prepared to kick the collapsed Philip.

*Whoosh──!*

At the same moment, Ray swung a punch at Kedrick’s face.

And in the next instant—

*Thud──!*

Ray’s fist was caught in Kedrick’s palm.

The locked fist and palm trembled violently.

“Damn it! If you didn’t come here to fight, then stay out of this! This isn’t your business!”

“Are you planning to kill Philip? At least tell me why you’re doing this.”

The two boys locked eyes, their grips tightening as they spoke.

“Why? Because that bastard trespassed into our territory! And that means he has to die!”

“That’s not the rule of Sector 49. You can beat someone and chase them out, but this is too much. Besides, Philip isn’t even the kind to fight.”

“A brat who wasn’t even born here!”

*Smack──!*

Kedric forcefully shoved Ray’s fist away, stepping back several paces.

“Hah… you arrogant bastard… hah… damn arrogant bastard…”

His breathing was ragged.

His bloodshot eyes reflected his heightened agitation.

“You have no right to push Philip to death. Not without a good reason.”

“Reason? Fine! If you’re so curious, I’ll tell you! I just—!”

*Rumble──!*

Thunder roared, shaking the container and swallowing part of Kedrick’s words.

“──hate it! I can’t stand the sight of weaklings! It makes me sick! I want to kill them on the spot!”

*Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!*

Heavy raindrops pelted the container from all sides.

Ray stepped forward, shielding Philip from view.

“So, you hate weak people?”

“That’s right. It’s so disgusting I can’t stand it. So move. Before I end up killing you too.”

Kedrick gnashed his teeth.

But Ray remained unfazed.

Judging from his words, Kedrick seemed genuinely intent on killing Philip.

*This is going to be troublesome.*

Ray didn’t feel particularly loyal to Philip as a business partner.

But Philip had already helped him by providing valuable information.

You repay what you receive. That was his rule.

Moreover, Philip could offer significant support while Ray operated in Sector 49.

‘I was planning to bring Philip into my plans anyway.’

Ray recalled the conversation he had with Kedrick.

“Do you guys make bets here too?”

“What kind of bets? Like betting on fights? Isn’t that obvious?”

Betting on someone’s fight was a fairly natural culture among the street kids.

Judging by Kedrick’s demeanor, it was clear that a significant number of kids would spectate the duel.

The stakes were likely to favor Kedrick far more than himself.

Unlike Kedrick, who was already well-known on the streets, Ray was merely an outsider from beyond the sector.

Thus, Ray was determined to bet his entire fortune on himself.

Winning the duel would mean sweeping up all the stakes.

It was the most efficient way to fund his journey moving forward.

With less concern for finances, he could focus more on his goals of the Rainbow and revenge.

The bigger the bet, the better.

Higher stakes meant higher returns.

This was why he intended to approach Philip with a proposal.

The money Philip had gathered so far—he would ask him to invest it all in Ray.

Therefore, Philip must not die or get injured here.

‘And Kedrick mustn’t get seriously hurt either.’

If the duel were canceled or the stakes on Kedrick decreased, it would be problematic.

This led to one conclusion:

Kedrick had to be driven out of the scene, but without being harmed.

However, his opponent was in a state of extreme excitement.

Moreover, Kedrick displayed faster movements and stronger power than before.

Subduing him without causing injuries seemed almost impossible.

**Clink.**

Something clashed within Ray’s coat.

The red gems he had taken from the basement.

Using these could potentially change the situation.

“……”

But Ray wanted to use the gems only after understanding their properties, ideally after hearing the old man’s explanation.

There might be unforeseen side effects.

“Move.”

Kedrick’s threatening words snapped Ray back to reality.

“Sure, it’s your freedom to feel disgusted when looking at the weak.”

“I said move. Before I turn you into a cripple too.”

“But that doesn’t justify hurting someone this badly.”

“I said move──!”

Once again, the red mana flared intensely.

Kedrick closed the distance between himself, Ray, and Philip with long strides.

“I need to kill anyone who dares to invade my territory─! As an example─! So that no one dares underestimate me again─!”

**An example.**

As Ray prepared to fight, a thought struck him.

“My mind’s not working well today. If you want an example, there’s a much better way.”

“What?”

Kedrick halted his steps.

“There’s a better way. If what you want is to set an example.”

Ray spoke, recalling their first encounter in the abandoned factory—the moment Kedrick intimidated his subordinates while boasting of his strength.

“You want to prove your strength, don’t you?”

“Don’t try to play me. This is your last warning. Move.”

Despite his threatening tone, Kedrick hesitated.

Ray had hit the mark.

Curiosity about the “better way” momentarily rose in Kedrick’s mind.

“If I’m reading this right, you’re planning to kill Philip. But in a place like this, out of everyone’s sight, what’s the point of that?”

“……”

Seeing Kedrick remain silent, Ray didn’t waste the opportunity and pressed on.

“If it were me, I’d do it in front of everyone. Whether you kill him or cripple him, it’ll only serve as an example if everyone sees it. Don’t you think that’s more effective?”

Gradually, Kedrick’s rage subsided.

Reason began to return.

“……”

Kedrick wasn’t afraid of what would happen after killing Philip.

Conflicts with other groups or rumors of him being a murderer didn’t matter.

He planned to subdue other groups one by one with force anyway.

Punishing anyone who crossed him wasn’t exactly uncommon.

Even if whispers spread behind his back, once he became the ruler of Sector 49, everyone would shut their mouths on their own.

But Ray’s words made sense.

‘If it’s about setting an example, doing it in front of everyone would certainly be more effective.’

Just imagine it: the fear on everyone’s faces as they witnessed his ruthlessness.

The thought sent a wave of dark delight through Kedrick, making him tremble slightly.

“…Not a bad idea.”

“Exactly. If you want to execute someone, the day of the duel would be perfect. That’s when all the strong ones from Sector 49 will gather.”

Defeating Ray and making him a subordinate, followed by Philip’s execution—it was an appealing plan.

It would engrain his authority and strength into everyone’s minds.

“That’s a good thought. But here’s the problem. What if I let this guy go, and he runs away, never to return?”

“That won’t happen. I’ll take responsibility for him.”

“You’ll take responsibility?”

“Yes. Of course, you’ll only be able to execute Philip after you officially defeat me.”

Ray gauged Kedrick’s resolve.

The red mana thread connected to the ring was steadily weakening.

Finally, Kedrick shrugged.

“Alright, fine. You don’t seem like the type to break your word.”

“You’ve made a wise decision.”

“But if you let him go or fail to keep him under watch and he escapes, you’ll die. Forget making you my subordinate in that case.”

Ray nodded.

Kedrick shot a sharp glare at Ray before heading toward the container door.

**Creak──**

As the door opened, the sounds of the outside world rushed in.

**Whoosh───**

Beyond the pouring rain, Kedrick and his subordinates disappeared into the scrapyard.

Ray quickly knelt to check on Philip’s condition.

“Are you alright? Can you speak?”

“Ugh…”

Philip couldn’t lift his body.

He trembled with pain, cold sweat streaming down his face.

Ray performed some basic first aid, such as helping him spit out the blood in his mouth, but the groaning and trembling didn’t subside.

‘He’s worse off than I thought.’

Ray’s mind raced.

He needed to take Philip somewhere.

Ray had no expertise in treating injuries, nor did he have any medicine on hand.

‘If only I could use white mana.’

He recalled Veronica healing his wounds with white mana.

Should he take Philip to the bookstore?

No, that wasn’t a good idea.

Veronica still lacked a ring.

It was best to avoid using ambient mana.

More importantly, the bookstore was quite far from here.

…The hotel was closer.

With the black rain falling, everyone would have returned to their shelter.

‘They said there are close to 200 people there.’

Surely, among them, at least one person would know how to care for the injured.

Ray made up his mind.

He removed his raincoat and draped it over Philip as much as possible, then hoisted him onto his back.

Philip’s raincoat was torn to shreds and completely unusable.

Exiting the container, Ray ran through the pouring rain.

**Whoosh──**

In the dim visibility ahead, the figures of the boys gradually faded into the distance.