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

"...You can say so."

head, admitting to every single thing that I was accusing

wariness even more as

why I chose to forfeit the tournament, and my questionable feelings for Amanda, were also things that he had implanted

did

back when you

other Ren

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

body froze upon hearing his

fact that he could affect my mind whenever I

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

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

It was frustrating.

had

clenched my

at least

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 current rank could

he spoke, the

every one of my actions carefully puppeteered to the will of someone else caused me this

back, his words

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

needed to make some preparations that

back then

heart started

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

reason why I planted them inside of your mind was so that I could create a perfect excuse for you to

of not hurting Amanda. But taking a look

feelings inside of my

his mouth, the other

you like her or not, it's

Ren's

"Frustrating isn't it?"

"..."

back into his eyes, I chose to remain silent. Tilting

someone control the flow of your

"Hm?"

his words, my brows

faint, very faint, but I could feel a mix of sadness

slightly when

my mouth

me this?

he could influence my thoughts whenever

such things, yet, here he was, telling me everything that he

or did he have something else in mind? Especially

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

'Unless...'

head snapped upwards

influence my decision-making by

sort of setup, it felt

incident replayed back into my mind, or more specifically, the time when I was manipulating the commander into acting the way that I wanted him

was exactly what

all of this was so that I would

this,