The Author's POV

'What did I just see?'

Kevin felt his heart grow cold.

'T...that can't be real, right? Re..n would never do that...'

He was in a state of complete denial. But, it was at this moment that he suddenly recalled his past flashbacks of what Ren had done with Emma, and it was from there that he was able to calm himself down.

'That's not the Ren I know. It's a different Ren.'

He repeatedly told himself. Recalling the conversation he had with Ren in the past and connecting everything with his visions, things were slowly starting to make sense.

'Why is it dark?'

Following his death, the scene once again shifted. This time, the world was dark. However, upon paying close attention, he could hear the sound of birds chirping in the distance.

Chirp. Chirp. Chirp.

'Birds? What's going on?'

Kevin could faintly feel the warm, gentle sunshine enveloping his whole body.

It was then that Ren opened his eyes and Kevin found himself inside a one-bedroom apartment.

Rubbing his eyes, he blinked a couple of times and once more looked at my strange surroundings.

'This place...'

It looked familiar. Kevin couldn't just quite remember where he had seen this room before.

The room was furnished with the basic necessities that comprised a clean white bed, an old wooden spacious desk, a tall wardrobe, and a small bathroom. It was neither too big nor too small, but it seemed to have all the necessary facilities one might need when living.

'...Just why is this so familiar to me?'

Kevin thought to himself as he continued to stare at the room. It was strange, but Kevin knew for sure that he had seen this room before.

...But no matter how much he tried to think about it, he couldn't exactly remember where he had seen it.

'How odd.'

Shifting his body, Kevin's head turned to face the nearby window.

Reflected on it was a familiar face.

Jet black hair

Pale white skin

Blue ocean-like eyes

It was Ren's face...but younger. A lot younger.

'What memory is this?'

Kevin wondered as Ren's body shifted and he pressed his foot on the ground to help his body up.

"...Another failure."

Ren muttered while he stood up, and headed for the nearby desk where he sat down.

Opening the drawer beside the desk, he took out a small notebook alongside a small pen.

Grasping the pen beside him, Ren's body froze for a small second. With his eyes locked onto the pen, he slowly brought it next to his neck.

Click—!

Pressing onto the top end of the pen, the sharp tip came out.

Ren gently pressed it against his neck. Slowly, he began to put more pressure.

'What is he doing?'

Kevin wondered as he felt the sharp tip of the pen press against Ren's neck. His actions didn't make sense to Kevin at all.

'Don't tell me that he's...'

"Haaa..."

Before Kevin could come up with an assumption, Ren let out a long sigh and lowered the hand that held onto the pen. The pressure on his neck disappeared.

Casually tossing the pen on the desk, Ren reclined on the chair and emptily stared at the white ceiling of the room.

Grasping his chest with his hand, he mumbled.

"...What's the point? It's not like anything will change."

Though his words were casual, they were enough to alarm Kevin who was watching everything.

At this point, no matter how much he tried to feel the emotions Ren was experiencing, he couldn't feel anything. He basically felt like an empty shell whose sole reason for living was something that Kevin was still unsure of...but from his earlier actions, Kevin had an inkling that perhaps, just maybe, Ren didn't really want to be alive.

It was as if something was stopping him from dying. Or maybe he was just overthinking.

...but as he thought back at the moment he pressed the pen against his neck, Kevin was left uncertain about his theory.

Leaning his body forward, Ren grasped the pen he had thrown on the table and opened the book.

He then began to write something.

into a state of emotional turmoil. Assessing the situation, I decided to terminate the loop. Based on my calculations, the possibility of him defeating the Demon King was beneath

felt his blood freeze. Chills ran through his body as he had a hard time processing what Ren

'I..it can't be, right?'

a state of denial, but...he knew that everything he

out after connecting the dots from his vision...yet, a small part

knew that it was only wishful thinking on

knew, but he was still

'...Why? Just why?'

[Trial 210]

pen, Ren

before he comes in contact with them in this loop. Same

into the paper, the world started to shift,

appeared everywhere as corpses and limbs

silence enshrouded

"Haa...haa..."

building, as the sound of his rough breathing broke the silence that was

'Where am I?'

then that he noticed

scene. It

Kevin suddenly

eyes laid on a figure who had white

seeping down from his mouth, and his body laying down on a broken building, the figure

no use, you won't be able to

throughout the world as he proceeded to

moment he raised his hand, the world seemed to have come to a standstill as demonic energy gathered towards the palm

"Stay put."

fully form, Kevin felt his hand rise before he motioned downward with

Crack. Crack.

red-eyed figure, cracks formed as the ground crushed

impact was, the red-eyed

figure's smile only deepened as their gazes met.

useless

"Shut up."

the area around him pulverized into bits. The gravity around him

Rumble. Rumble.

His power was overwhelming.

again shocked to see a figure resembling himself standing in the distance, and it was right there that

'This scene...'

"Your turn."

the other figure

it was painfully obvious to Kevin that his power wasn't enough to contain the other figure for long as he felt his

are you waiting for? End

other self who was

him, the other Kevin's lips trembled after glancing at the red-eyed figure and then looking at the world around

the outcome that you

are you talking

replied back. His brows furrowed tightly, and his voice became even

his teeth, the other Kevin pointed towards the

destroyed! Almost all of humanity has been destroyed because of your actions, and yet,

other Kevin's fists clenched tightly, his voice rang throughout

decided to sacrifice the whole of humanity! What's the point of killing him when there's no

slowly opened his mouth to say something. Matching his mouth, Kevin

'Because I don't care.'

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

Kevin finally understood why felt a sense of

in his vision.

"You don't care?"

that sprang out of his body was very faint and almost invisible, the pressure it released

about the fact that because of your actions humanity is on the verge of

"What are you doing?"

voice

palm to the space next to

done the moment

Clank. Clank. Clank.

suddenly sprung up from the ground and Kevin felt them clasp

Kevin felt Ren's face crack when he looked at the other Kevin who was looking

do you think

no matter how much force he applied, he

how much of a

did you do

to look at the other 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 face as he looked at Kevin

it's going

Kevin proceeded to ignore

"khh..."

forward, the hue around the other Kevin's body slowly

time in a while, Kevin suddenly started to feel emotions spring out

this now! End it!!!! You know full well that you're the only one that can stop him! What are you

'Desperation.'

Kevin felt as he felt his mouth open

the

a pause a couple of meters

Clank. Clank. Clank.

chains wrapping around his body

had stopped shouting and the previous emotions that were erupting from within him

head and glaring in the other Kevin's direction, Kevin felt his

will be

"I don't know."

Kevin shook

will find out soon. At least for now, you won't be able to do