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.

I made the decision that

"...You can say so."

his head, admitting to every

my wariness even more as my

manipulated my emotions as well? The reason why I chose to forfeit the tournament, and my questionable feelings

when did he

when you activated Monarch's

Ren answered the

was when I implanted

body froze upon hearing his

just admit to the fact that he could affect my

had my speculations in the past, and I was able to confirm this when I met him a while back, but who would've thought that during that time I activated it again he would take advantage of the situation to set up a few

was one step ahead of him, I would later

It was frustrating.

had

secretly clenched my

least pretending to not know, the

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

more he spoke, the

the will of someone else caused me this sense of loathing to rise

back, his words

after the tournament ended, although it would've taken me nearly four months to reach rank, it would've definitely have increased

easily said that I needed to make

from back then

my heart started

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

Amanda, the only reason why I planted them inside of your mind was so that I could create

back then, I remembered doing what I did for the sake of not hurting Amanda. But taking a look at it back now, I was still uncertain about how I felt

before, the feelings inside of my heart weren't as dominant. If that made

his mouth, the

like her or not, it's for you to figure out. I don't care if you like her

the other Ren's eyes

"Frustrating isn't it?"

"..."

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

someone control the flow of your life,

"Hm?"

his words, my brows jumped

coming from the other Ren's voice. It was faint, very faint, but I could feel a mix of sadness and hate hidden within

face changed slightly when

mouth I

you telling me

had been manipulating me to how he revealed that he could

a hidden agenda would never reveal such things, yet, here he was, telling me everything that he

or did he have

could manipulate me through it, why would he ever think that I would ever

'Unless...'

head snapped upwards and I glared

influence my decision-making by telling me all of

sort of setup, it

was manipulating the commander into acting the way that I wanted him to act by acting in a way that made it seem as though he could

exactly

telling me all of this was so that I would be

realized this,