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.

reason I made the decision that

"...You can say so."

indifferently nodded his head, admitting to every single

my wariness even more as my

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 he had

and when did

back when you activated Monarch's

thoughts, the other Ren answered the

Monarch's indifference, that was when I implanted the ideologies

body froze upon hearing his

fact that he could affect my mind whenever I use Monarch's

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

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

It was frustrating.

how much had

secretly clenched my fists

least pretending to not

of forfeiting 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

he spoke, the number

will of someone

back, his words

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

could've easily said that I needed to make

from back

heart started to

what I was thinking,

mind was so that I could create a perfect excuse for you to act the

doing what I did for the sake of not hurting Amanda.

feelings inside of my heart

the other Ren

your feelings for her. Whether you like her or not, it's for you to figure out. I

the other Ren's

"Frustrating isn't it?"

"..."

chose to remain silent. Tilting

control the flow of your life, it's frustrating

"Hm?"

my

other Ren's voice. It was faint, very faint, but I could feel

slightly when I

my mouth

me this? What's your

that he had been manipulating me to how he revealed that he could influence my thoughts whenever I activated Monarch's indifference, what was his goal

such things,

stupid, or did he have

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

'Unless...'

thought suddenly struck me as my head snapped upwards and

my decision-making by telling me all

sort of setup, it felt

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

was exactly what

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

this, my