The Author's POV

"Yes, I won't let you die even if you wanted to die. I've already made the proper calculations."

"This..."

Hearing his words, I unconsciously took a step back as my eyes opened wide.

'It can't be...'

He had made the proper calculations? ...Didn't that mean that he already knew that I was going to act the way I was going to act?

How was that even possible?!

Furthermore, from what his words suggested, my life had never been in any danger. The only reason why I had passed out was probably him trying to drag me here.

Confirming my doubts was the other Ren's voice as he coldly said.

"Don't think too much. It's exactly what you think."

"...How!?"

I softly muttered, trying to suppress the shock within my body.

The shock didn't last for long. Clenching my teeth, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Then, lifting my head and meeting the other Ren's gaze, I opened my mouth.

"So it really was you who planned this whole thing..."

I already had a hunch before this when I linked up the scenario with Angelica and Amanda's mother.

The clues were there, from how Everblood had tried to manipulate her to come to me, to how she was able to have pictures of her mother back at the Lock.

Everything was a full circle, and it all led to the man in front of me. Of course, everything was just speculation on my part, but the more I looked at the other Ren, the more I was convinced about my conjecture.

As my thoughts paused there, my brows furrowed.

'If this is indeed planned by him, what would his real motive be?'

Could he be trying to separate me from the others? ...That was a plausible scenario, but I don't think it was the right answer.

From what I knew, his goal was to create a 'perfect' version of Kevin. An unfeeling Kevin that had no burdens and only aimed to kill the demon king.

That was the only goal I knew he had. Without a doubt, there were other goals he had, but I had no idea about what they were.

'...Wait.'

It was then that a thought suddenly struck me.

'Wasn't the reason why I was able to see him in the real world because of the damage that my soul took due to the contract breach? ...What if the real purpose in him trying to set this whole scenario up was to damage my soul...'

A cold chill ran down my spine as my thoughts paused there. Lifting my head, my eyes met with the other Ren's.

"Looks like you've figured things out."

The other Ren said as he calmly stood in the void with the chains rotating around his body, binding him down even more tightly.

With both of his hands locked down, he continued.

"My goal was indeed to damage your soul."

Upon hearing his confirmation, I became even warier of him. Taking a step forward, I coldly asked.

the reason I made the decision that I did because of

"...You can say so."

admitting to every single

more as

the other Ren said was true, then didn't that mean that he had manipulated my emotions as well? The reason why I chose to forfeit the tournament, and my questionable feelings for Amanda,

did

back when you activated

Ren answered the question that was inside of my

when I implanted the ideologies inside of your

body froze upon hearing

the fact that he could affect my mind whenever I use

I met him a while back, but who would've thought that during that time I activated

Ren, the more apprehensive I became. Whenever I thought I was one step ahead of him, I

It was frustrating.

how much had he planned

my fists at the

least pretending to not know, the other

the tournament was for the purpose of not allowing you to grow stronger when undertaking the contract breach. Had you been stronger, the damage that your soul would've taken wouldn't have been enough for me. Only at your current rank could I guarantee

he spoke, the number my mind

my actions carefully puppeteered to the will of someone else caused me this sense of loathing

words made perfect

I waited until after the tournament ended, although it would've taken me nearly four months

easily said that I needed to make some preparations that required me to reach

back then didn't make

heart

Ren didn't seem to care about what I was thinking, as he

of your mind was so that I

of not hurting Amanda. But taking a look

to before, the feelings inside of my

mouth, the other

it's for you to figure out. I don't

the other Ren's eyes

"Frustrating isn't it?"

"..."

chose to remain silent. Tilting his head, the other Ren looked towards

someone control the flow of your life,

"Hm?"

his words, my brows

faint, very faint, but I could feel a mix of sadness and hate hidden

face changed slightly when I

mouth I

you telling me

had been manipulating me to how he revealed that he could influence my thoughts whenever I activated

with a hidden agenda would never reveal such things, yet,

he just stupid, or did he have something else in mind? Especially with

through it, why would he

'Unless...'

my head snapped upwards

once again trying to influence my decision-making by telling me all

setup, it felt

replayed back into my mind, or more specifically, the time when I was manipulating the commander into acting the way that I

was exactly what

so that I would be forced to act in a way

this, my