The Author's POV

"It looks like there's a limit to how much I can influence him with my sealed powers. At the rate that he's progressing, he will die early. Maybe if I find a way to weaken his soul temporarily, I will be able to have a greater influence on him..."

Upon muttering those words, Kevin watched as the black threads danced around the white orb and started to attack it.

After striking the orb, the threads bounced back, leaving it completely undamaged. The sight caused Kevin's brows to furrow.

"I don't seem to have enough power to damage his soul, so I'll have to find another way."

Feeling his hand pull away from the orb, Kevin felt his body take a step back. After that, he continued to stare at the orb for two more loops. He seemed to be paying particular attention to each and every one of the details in each loop.

"I see."

Right before the second loop started, Kevin once again felt his hand pull toward the orb.

"...I think I've found a way."

With the fade of his words, the loop repeated, and Kevin watched the same events unfold once more.

It was only after Ren woke up from the come after having fought with Everblood that Ren finally took action as Kevin felt his body move.

Taking a step forward and placing his hand on the orb, Kevin softly mumbled.

"Let's see if it works."

Black threads sprang from the ground, covering the entire orb. After that, just as he wished, while selecting the skills from the long list of skills in the black market, Ren eventually chose a particular skill. Picking it up from one of the bookshelves, he slowly began to turn the book around.

"A skill that enables users to erase all emotions, and act as a supreme monarch that only calculates the best option regardless of circumstance."

Mumbling those words, Kevin felt the chains that were binding his body rattle wildly. Clearly, Ren was trying to pull something.

Clank. Clank.

But Ren didn't care as he eventually closed his eyes, stopping Kevin from seeing anything.

Amidst the darkness, he was only able to hear two words.

They rang clearly inside his head.

"Monarch Indifference."

***

'I don't get it.'

'What's going on?'

'What am I seeing?'

'...Is what I'm seeing real?'

Amanda's mind was in a state of disarray as she watched the memories play out in front of her. It was difficult for her to comprehend what was happening.

At one moment she saw Ren standing in front of a funeral, mourning the death of his parents, while the next moment, she saw the weather change alongside the time and seasons.

Recalling the hand that reached out to grab Ren's head, Amanda knew that he was looking at his memories.

There was only one problem.

Ren's parents never died. She was especially sure of this. After all, she had been with them not too long ago, and she had gotten quite close to them.

Their death would've surely been known to her.

'...Ren must've somehow found a way to fake his memories.'

That was the only conclusion that Amanda could come up with upon further thinking. How else would it explain what she was seeing?

Other than this, she really couldn't think of anything else.

...Or so she thought.

'Because I killed them.'

'Conclusion of trial 209, upon killing everyone that Kevin held dear, he fell 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 1%. It wasn't worth continuing.'

'Trial 210, goal, kill anyone that Kevin was close to in the previous loop before he comes in contact with them in this loop. Same goes for my family. It's better if they die early.'

Scenes began to replay in front of her, and the confidence she had in her previous theory started to dwindle.

'What's going on?'

head. What she was seeing...was simply too

she was now in what seemed to be

outcome that you

you talking

humanity! What's the point of killing him when there's

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

thing about what was going

Kevin here? ...and what are they

they talked...it just

Clank. Clank. Clank.

of the ground, before binding the body she

long enough to make

'What's that?'

her mind slowly grew numb, a white orb

'No, that's not him.'

a couple of seconds for Amanda to realize that whoever was in the white orb wasn't Ren. The Ren she knew, behaved

watched 'Ren's'

less the thoughts in

and she stopped processing what was happening before her altogether. She

was seeing...was

one specific scene

'This place.'

found herself in front of a large hall. Looking around the place, she spotted

Opposite her was Elijah.

Slap. Slap. Slap.

resounded across the hall. Amanda couldn't feel the pain that

This was the scene in which she first met Ren, and it was here that he

Click

"Checkmate."

remembered. Pretending to faint from the slaps, Ren woke up and killed Elijah while he

up next to her and he

in front of the same demon

something along the

eyesight, he slowly bent down

there anything you would

"Yes."

nod, as

Droix, and give her a hint that I'm the one

"Angelica?"

"That's correct."

more questions, Amanda suddenly

currently in a weird state. Recalling the scenes from before, she couldn't exactly make out what was

he trying to

What she was seeing,

It didn't make sense!

to come to terms with what she

She just couldn't.

she was seeing, she would also have

'No, it's not.'

strange feeling

attention was soon caught by what was displayed on the white

or

while staring at a figure that

'It's her...'

seemed to be a mess, Amanda could never forget the demoness in front of her. She was the one who cursed her mother

like you have a

over the opposite building, Amanda silently watched her interaction

she understood just how important this scene

be playing tricks

no need to be

like object. It appeared

that didn't seem

here Matriarch...I may have a clue with regards to

Everbood shook his head. Taking out a picture from out of thin air, Everblood lightly

and deep

at Everblood, Angelica questioningly

"Who is this?"

Smiling, Everblood didn't respond.

eyes close once more, she found herself back in the dark

knew