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.

decision that I did

"...You can say so."

nodded his head, admitting to every single thing that I was

increased my wariness even more as my

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, were also things that

when did he

was back when

to read my thoughts, the other Ren answered the question

you used Monarch's indifference, that was when I implanted the ideologies inside of

upon hearing

admit to the fact that he could affect my mind whenever I use

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

I became. Whenever I thought I was one step ahead of him, I would later find out that he was ten steps

It was frustrating.

had he planned

clenched my

or at least pretending to not know, 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

he spoke, the number my

of having every one of my actions carefully puppeteered to the will of

back, his words made perfect

nearly four months to reach rank, it would've definitely have increased my

Amanda's mother's situation, I could've easily said that I needed to make some preparations that required me to reach

back then didn't

my heart started

didn't seem to care about what I

only reason why I planted them inside of your mind was so that I

for the sake of not hurting

the feelings inside of my heart weren't as dominant. If

his mouth, the

it's for you to figure out.

head, the other Ren's eyes once again

"Frustrating isn't it?"

"..."

remain silent. Tilting his

someone control the flow of your

"Hm?"

words, my

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

face changed slightly when

my mouth

are you telling me this? What's your

how he revealed that he could influence my thoughts whenever

never reveal such things, yet, here he was, telling me

just stupid, or did he have something else in

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

'Unless...'

suddenly struck me as my head snapped upwards

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

sort of setup,

or more specifically, the time when I 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

exactly what was

me all of this was so that I would be forced to act in a

realized this,