The Author's POV

A red sky enshrouded the world.

Rubble and debris appeared everywhere as corpses and limbs sprawled all over the ground.

Absolute silence enshrouded the world.

"Haa...haa..."

Breaking the silence was the sound of someone's rough breathing echoing throughout the space.

White hair, dull grey hair, and a presence that completely enshrouded the world. A man stood on top of a broken building.

With his right hand missing, and a long scar tracing down his well-built body, the man coldly looked towards the distance.

There laid a figure who had similarly colored white hair and red eyes.

With black blood seeping down from his mouth, and his body laying down on a broke building, the figure blankly stared toward the sky as a cruel smile sprung up on his face.

"...It's no use, you won't be able to kill me."

His playful words rang throughout the world as he proceeded to raise his hand.

The moment he raised his hand, the world seemed to have come to a standstill as demonic energy gathered towards the palm of his hand, forming a small ball the size of a basketball.

"Stay put."

But before the black orb could fully form, the white-haired figure with dull grey eyes, raised his hand and motioned it in a downward manner.

Crack. Crack.

As though gravity had been warped, cracks formed beneath the red-eyed figure as his body crushed against the ground hard as a crater formed beneath him.

Even though the force of the impact was huge, the red-eyed figure remained completely unfazed as he gazed in the direction of the grey-eyed man.

The smile on his face only deepened.

"...Stop with your useless struggle. I've already won."

"Shut up."

The grey-eyed figure replied as the area him pulverized into bits.

Whilst this was happening, standing not so far from the two figures was a male with jet-black hair and crimson red eyes. He was none other than Kevin.

Holding onto the left side of his arms, he dully looked at two figures before him. Then, turning his head he looked at the world around him.

Devastation.

Wherever his eyes looked, all he saw was pure devastation as the world he once knew had been turned into nothing but a desolate place. Recalling the memories of how the world was in the past, Kevin stumbled a couple of steps.

Having fought a terrifying battle for the past couple of days, he was on the verge of death, and right now the only reason he was even able to move was because of the effects of [Overdrive] which was slowly eating away at his life-span.

'H...how did things turn out like this.'

He thought as he slowly moved towards the two figures.

As he was walking forward, sensing his presence, the grey-eyed figure turned to look in his direction as he coldly muttered.

"Your turn."

With the palm of his hand motioned downwardly, he kept the other figure in check. However, it was painfully obvious to Kevin that his power wasn't enough to contain the other figure for long as his hand slowly started to shake more and more.

"What are you waiting for, end him."

The grey figure once again said. His voice sounded a little bit more rushed this time.

Turning his head to glance in the red-eyed figure's direction and then looking towards his surroundings, Kevin's lips trembled.

"I...is this the outcome that you wanted?"

"What are you talking about?"

furrowed tightly, and his

Kevin

has been destroyed because of your actions, and yet, you

rang throughout the world as

of killing him! You decided to sacrifice the whole of humanity! What's the point of

to Kevin's words, the grey-eyed figure

"...Because I don't care."

"You don't care?"

was very faint and almost invisible, but the pressure

that because of your actions

"What are you doing?"

words, the

hand, Kevin pressed onto the space

that I should've done the moment I

Clank. Clank.

as his words faded, much to the shock of the grey-eyed figure, black chains

first time in a while, the grey-eyed figure's face crumbled apart as he

you think you're

move his body, but regardless of how much force he applied, he couldn't move his body at all. The mana inside of his body had been

just how much of a predicament

you do to

white figure who was watching the scene with an amused look on his face. Although he was also on the verge of death, there was a triumphant look on his

like it's going to be

teeth, Kevin proceeded to

"khh..."

vitality slowly leaving his body. The hue around his body

now, end this now! End it!!!! You know full well that you're the

intensely in Kevin's direction. A look similar

always the same with

one more step forward, Kevin's feet came to a

Clank. Clank. Clank.

he walked, the chains wrapping around the grey-eyed figure became more numerous

Kevin, the grey-eyed figure stopped shouting. His

head and glaring in Kevin's direction, the grey-eyed figure

this will be

"I don't know."

Kevin shook his head.

out soon. At least for now, you won't be able

Spurt—!

through his own chest. Instantly,

Kevin, the grey-eyed

"How d—"

Kevin's life slipped away, the world turned

***

"Haa...haa...."

up from his bed, Kevin's breathing was ragged as

place, it was only after he realized that he was back in

"What just happened?"

out loud as he clenched

"Khhhh..."

groan, he hunched his body over

'W...what's going on?!'

as fast as it came, but the sensation was deeply etched inside of Kevin's brain as recollections of

memories, his mind became a

that this was part of the synchronization reward that he had gotten from the previous quest, but he couldn't quite understand what

only caused his head to throb even more as he held his head with his

of Kevin's face as a multitude of different scenarios presented inside his

his hands and clenching onto his bedsheets, he

"...What should I do?"

***

flew by

stands, wearing a mask to hide my

still hurts

that a few days had passed since the incident, the discomfort that came from the damage my soul took

would feel as though a large

as I was still on the fence on whether to heal my