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

"...You can say so."

indifferently nodded his head, admitting to

even more

well? The reason why I chose to forfeit the tournament, and my questionable

and when did he do

back when you activated

other Ren answered the question that was

when you used Monarch's indifference, that was when I implanted

upon

he could affect my mind

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

more I talked to this version of Ren, the more apprehensive I became. Whenever I thought I was one step ahead of him, I would

It was frustrating.

how much had

clenched my fists

thinking, or at least pretending to not know,

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 your survival as

spoke, the number my

of my actions carefully puppeteered to the will of someone else caused me this sense of loathing to rise from deep within my

his words made

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

I needed to make some

choice from back then didn't

my heart started

to care about what I was thinking,

I planted them inside of your mind was so

Indeed, back then, I remembered doing what I did for the sake of not

of my heart

his mouth, the

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

the other Ren's eyes once again

"Frustrating isn't it?"

"..."

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

the flow of

"Hm?"

his words, my brows

the first 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

changed slightly when

mouth I

you telling me

that he had been manipulating me to how he revealed that he

such things, yet, here

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

it, why would he ever think that I would ever use

'Unless...'

head snapped upwards and I

influence my decision-making

setup, it

into my mind, 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 could predict my

exactly what was

was so that

I realized this, my