The Author's POV

Coming out from beneath, the black threads gently wrapped around the white orb.

Opening his eyes, Kevin felt his mouth open.

"How should I start?"

Ren's voice echoed throughout the dark void.

After looking at the orb and seeing the reflection, Kevin felt his brow furrow as Ren fell into contemplation. He seemed to be thinking about the current circumstances.

"...Let's see if it's possible for me to completely replace my memories with his."

After uttering those words, Kevin watched as the black threads flung around like wild snakes and attempted to wrap around the orb as quickly as possible.

"Khh..."

Kevin let out a short groan as his hand pulled away from the orb.

Tsss.

What followed after was a sizzling sound. Lowering his head, Kevin caught sight of Ren staring at his hand which had become transparent.

Taking a moment to raise his head again, he gazed at the orb's reflection.

"Looks like I can't do that. Whatever Kevin put on me sealed some of my powers..."

Silence ensued after he uttered those words. After which, Kevin watched as Ren kept his gaze on the orb, and the same scenario from before replayed.

Time seemed to have passed by in the blink of an eye as the memories shifted, and it was now the fourth time that Kevin was staring at the same image of Ren standing up from his bed, in what seemed to be the Lock's dormitory.

"Hm?"

This time, a change to the scenario happened.

Ding Dong.

The door suddenly rang.

'What? Why did the bell suddenly ring?'

Taking aback by the sudden events, Kevin was unsure of how to react. Having watched the scenario well over four times, he had never seen this happen in teh past.

Kevin's attention was soon taken away by a subtle pull of his lips.

Opening his mouth, Kevin spoke through Ren's mouth.

"...As expected, you can't let this happen, can you? Without me, all hopes of defeating the demon king are null."

What followed after his words was the sudden appearance of a man in a blue jacket. He was holding onto a small box which Ren took and brought with him inside of the room.

After which, he looked through the contents and eventually pulled out an unfamiliar red book.

'That...'

Kevin instantly recognized the book in Ren's hands.

How could he not? It was the same book he had used back when Ren was in danger in the past.

"Oh? What an interesting book."

Focusing his attention back on the reflection, Kevin was able to see what was written in the book. It was his life.

'As expected, it's the same.'

...and it was from there that Kevin was able to confirm his suspicions.

Time moved forward, and now, with the aid of the book, Ren no longer died during the Hollberg incident as he did in the past. He managed to survive.

Kevin felt interest arise from within his body.

"Can this be enough to stop the loop?"

Kevin mumbled out loud through Ren's body.

But...

"Doesn't look like it."

Time passed, and Ren once again died. This time, he died during the inter-academy tournament. He made it a bit further, but he still died.

"...This won't do."

The same scene repeated itself once again. This time, the red book appeared in each scene.

Clank. Clank.

Reaching out for the orb once more, Kevin felt his mouth open as he muttered.

"I think I've got an idea of what I should do..."

Black threads once again started to form around the white orb upon reaching out for it.

This time, they were a lot less than before. Nevertheless, they were still many.

"A red book, huh? Is this the only thing, or have you left more?"

Kevin mumbled through Ren's mouth.

Locking his eyes onto the red book, the black threads gently wrapped around the white orb.

"...This might work."

Thinking of something, Kevin felt Ren's brows relax. After that, he stared at the reflection on the orb.

"Since you've received a book that outlines exactly what Kevin is doing, it stands to reason that his altered memories have to do with a book. How about an author entering his own book? This would reduce the possibility of you discovering that your memories have been tampered with, and I won't have trouble giving him the power of foresight..."

Trying to wrap around the orb, more black threads emerged from beneath it with each passing second. Soon, a black cacoon formed in front of Kevin's vision.

"Since I have only a limited amount of power, I can't add too many details to his memory. Nevertheless, it shouldn't be a problem. Right now, my priority is making sure that he does what I want, and that is...have Kevin kill the Demon King."

Removing his hand from the orb, Kevin felt his body take several steps back.

Carefully observing the orb, Kevin once again felt his mouth open.

"Trial one. Begin."

Following his words, the black threads revolving around the orb started to scatter and Kevin was once again able to see what was reflected inside of the orb.

'It's different.'

was from this point that Kevin noticed that compared to the previous versions of the

from that of the Ren

'...What is he doing?'

items, and interfering with certain events in the past such as the Hollberg incident, the inter academy tournament...Kevin watched as Ren slowly started to get more and

became known by everyone in the world, and he was hailed as

and the loop to

'What happened?'

to himself as he continued to gaze at the

suddenly restart? Ren was definitely extremely

"Another failure."

thoughts, Kevin felt the top

opened his mouth, Ren's voice

and his meddling resulted in Kevin becoming weak and eventually dying. A short oversight

'What?'

hand on

in Kevin and the others becoming too weak and inevitably leading to his death and

threads once again rose from beneath the orb, wrapping

from the plotline I have set up for him

happy life and in order to do that, he must make sure that he thoroughly follows the plotline. Having him adopt

his mouth speak, the more the black threads

Clank. Clank.

sound coming from the chains became more intense as time

A pawn is necessary. One that would force him into the

Clank! Clank!

from the chains became more and more powerful with each passing second. It was clear to Kevin that Ren

a high chance of

CLANK! CLANK!

the chains that were rattling shook with a wild force and Kevin felt his body get flung

orb, the black threads that were wrapping around

scene began to replay on the white

'It's once again different.'

to see the scene change. However, if

closer to the

way he talked and

the Ren that he knew

After that, he came into contact with what seemed

Clank. Clank.

that Kevin felt his body

Clank. Clank.

by the rattling sound, Kevin felt his hand press against

"Red desolation."

was enough for

the ranked dungeons on

watched as Ren chose that

cracked. Marching through the dungeon, Kevin watched as Ren fought against monsters and trained himself. It was only after a

to be a

watched their bodies eventually start to convulse and they ended

'Mindbreaker curse.'

they died, and it was then that he came

it, a sandstorm engulfed him. The only thing Kevin saw

only after Ren entered the eye of the storm. A massive castle appeared in

'What is he doing?'

Kevin watched as Ren approached the castle

did he

"Good."

Kevin, he felt his mouth

'What good?'

caused Kevin to be even more

Staring at Ren with an amused look on his face, he began to toy with him. Ren did try to put on a struggle, but it only

'This...make it stop.'

to stand the scene, Kevin wanted to take his eyes away,

demon

and Kevin watched the same thing happen again. Training in the dungeon and dying

times. Fortunately for Kevin, as this was a memory,

aren't you

still couldn't stand seeing the same scene

'Do something!'

as Ren was once again about to die,

order for me to recuperate some of the energy

more black threads shot into the

saw something

key is to pretend you don't work anymore and

uttered those words, Kevin watched as the same scene unfolded. This time,

the torture, Ren pretended to no longer move, and exactly as the demon lost interest, he put up a last-ditch effort and cracked

exactly as he

Kevin's voice did not last for long as he once again

CLANK. CLANK. CLANK. CLANK.

the chains that were

was right there, more sprang from beneath the ground, and clung

body, Ren was

what was even more stunning to Kevin was the fact that he felt his lips curl

"I've succeeded."

close, darkness

"Aaahhhhhh!"

heard a bloodcurdling

'What's going on?'

again, Kevin found himself inside

is he doing

down on the ground before him was the

"Ahhhhh!"

the room as he desperately clung

"Quiet."

that his words rang out, the demon

Kevin felt his eyes meet with the

'This demon...he feels familiar.'

he looked somewhat familiar. He knew that he was the same demon from the orb, but the familiarity actually came

to dwell

"It's you!"

towards him with a bloodthirsty gaze. Sadly for the demon, his attack went right through Kevin and

The demon froze mid-air.

time to waste. I've already used most of the energy I had trying to get a small fraction of my soul to enter your

white glow suddenly enveloped the

lucky that I

"Ahhhhh!"

his words faded, the demon let out another scream and his

'What did he do?'

to himself as he watched the demon scream for the next

to react like this...Ren was definitely doing something to him. Unfortunately, the only thing Kevin could do was watch. The memories didn't allow him to understand what Ren was thinking or doing. He had