The Author's POV

"hmmm…"

Jezebeth scowled as he fixed his gaze on Ren, who appeared to have lost his soul.

'…Is this really how he used to be?'

Overlapping his image with the image of the man he knew, Jezebeth only felt disgust.

"To think that the death of someone so insignificant was all it took to reduce you into this state…"

In reality, it most likely wasn't just that. He was currently in this mental condition as a result of discovering the genuine facts about his existence and the death of one his comrades.

The man he knew was someone that closely resembled him. Someone that would do anything to achieve his goals.

It was exactly because he was like this that Jezebeth liked him.

Unfortunately, this version of him that was before him was a far cry from the figure he remembered.

In any case, this didn't concern Jezebeth.

'Should I just kill him?'

In that split moment, he had the sudden urge to end him right here and there. In the first place, the only reason he was keeping him alive was to save himself some trouble as well as time, but it wasn't really necessary.

He had already won. All he needed to do was just wait six years and the Akashic records would be his.

...Just six years.

'No, now is not a good idea.'

It took quite a bit of willpower to stop himself from killing him.

Calming himself down, Jezebeth suddenly noticed that Ren was now glaring in his direction. A powerful and chilling pressure started to expand from out of his body. One that even made Jezebeth's spine tingle.

"Oh?"

His head tilted a little as the edges of his lips curled a little.

"Someone looks a little displeased."

A little would be an exaggeration. Currently, it looked as though wanted to eat him alive. That look…it was not bad.

'Too bad now is not the right time.'

Jezebeth thought while he shook his head.

Focusing his attention toward the portal in the distance, he motioned in the air with his fingers and Ren's figure slowly floated in the air. The previous pressure that was coming out from his body disappeared just like that.

The current Ren was nothing but a bug in his eyes.

"Regrettably, I don't have time to entertain your rage."

Motioning with his finger, Ren's body slowly headed in his direction. Coming to a stop in front of him, Jezebeth scratched his neck a little before his eyes squinted.

"Don't forget the advice I gave you earlier. Everything will vanish if you kill "him." You will have the option of either dying or living, depending on which of you chooses."

He spoke with a hushed voice and an icy tone. One that sounded like a thousands snakes were hissing at the same time in Ren's ears.

Extending his hand, he pressed it against Ren's forehead. A gentle glow enveloped the room.

Feeling Ren's soul, he mumbled.

"Four years."

Removing the palm of his hand away from Ren, Jezebeth took a step back.

Then, staring straight into Ren's eyes, he began to mutter.

take for your other self to completely fuse with your current self. If by that time the current you has still not killed the Akashic holder, the other part of you will take over and end both of your

over the vicinity as Jezebeth extended his hand

that, a black tattoo resembling a crown began to form on Ren's wrist. His face twisted in pain, but no sound escaped from

just in case, in four years, something does occur and 'he' refuses to take control of your body or you two come to an agreement. When

wasn't someone that believed all his plans

understood just how much of

work out, then he would always have a couple of

in his nature to be that

could stop him from

to part. Don't forget about what we've talked

slowly towards the direction of the portal in the distance. Throughout the entire time,

when he saw his

much time left. Whether you live or

body shot toward the portal

completely disappeared. The last thing that Jezebeth saw was his terrifying glare that

only after a couple of seconds passed that the silence was

have

again, Jezebeth started to have second

at the glare, Jezebeth

doubt himself a little. I mean, how could he not? He knew just how

level with him. There was no

suicide, the curse I cast upon him should finish the job for me. Additionally, as the akashic holder is the only person capable of killing me, there is no need to worry about him harming me in any way after he kills the Akashic holder. The truth is that I have won. Everything should be within my grasp, yet... why,

This feeling…

his

'I don't like this.'

his caliber to feel

something going unnoticed was unsettling, and right now even his

"I need something else.."

quietly murmured to

then that he realized that he needed something else to completely

truly be able to turn the tides of the events on the off-chance

"Hmm…"

in the middle of the room, while deeply contemplating the

before they paused in a certain direction. At that moment, a startling notion crossed his mind as his eyes

"What if…"

***

taking him so

vast room full of scars and broken equipment, an immature, borderline childish voice

room, Ryan looked at the portal with worry in

a while since he had left the planet and

and Ryan believed that the entire warehouse would have been lost in the annals of history if it weren't for

else was also back. Everyone apart

only that, Smallsnake, and Ren were also still

say that Smallsnake was waiting at the

was speaking, turned to face Amanda who nodded in response to her query. She seemed rather uncomfortable talking to

seeing Smallsnake. I told him to keep the portal open for when

"I see…"

Angelica nodded her head.

couple of seconds, she frowned

were with Ren. Why didn't you

her lips when she heard

her head a little,

I didn't want to hold

Amanda was able to help him get to the top level more quickly, but she soon realized that she would only be getting in the way

conversation she had with him, she couldn't

felt too suffocating to

"The portal is reacting!"

her thoughts by Ryan's yell as ripples started to develop on the portal

room instantly turned to focus their attention on

especially excited as

made it in