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

"...You can say so."

to

more as my brows tightened even

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

and when did he

back when you activated

thoughts, the other Ren

indifference, that was when I implanted

body froze upon hearing

fact that he could

who would've thought that during that time I activated it

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

It was frustrating.

how much had

clenched my

what I was thinking, or at least pretending to not know, the other

grow stronger when undertaking the contract breach. Had you been stronger, the damage that your soul

more he spoke, the

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

his words

it would've taken me nearly four months to reach rank, it would've definitely have increased my chances of

I could've easily said that I needed

choice from back

heart started

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

was so that I could create a perfect

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

the feelings inside of my heart weren't

his mouth, the other Ren

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

his head, the other Ren's eyes once

"Frustrating isn't it?"

"..."

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

of your life, it's frustrating isn't

"Hm?"

words, my brows jumped

time in a while, I heard emotions 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 voice as he gazed

changed slightly when I

mouth I

are you telling me this? What's

he could influence my thoughts whenever I activated Monarch's indifference, what was

such things, yet, here he was, telling

he just stupid, or did he have something else

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

'Unless...'

struck me as my head snapped upwards and I

again trying to influence my decision-making

sort of setup, it

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

was exactly

that I would be forced to act in a way that he

this, my glare