The Author's POV

Bang—!

A figure crashed against a series of buildings, sending them crumbling to the ground.

With another muffled blast, the figure crashed against the ground, and a crater formed around the area around him.

Following the dispersal of the debris and subsequent clearing of the area, Kevin's haggard figure appeared to be seen standing in the midst of the debris.

His clothing was ripped, and he appeared to have a gaping wound in his chest.

His red eyes gleamed under the red, apocalyptic sun that hung in the sky, matching its intensity.

"How pitifully weak..."

A figure with white hair descended from the sky above him in a slow and collected manner. His presence loomed over the world, and his towering figure oppressed anything within its sights.

He looked no different than a god that had descended upon the mortal world, as his every movement caused the world to shake.

"I'm rather disappointed."

Jezebeth spoke while maintaining eye contact with Kevin, who was standing below him.

His icy stare was filled with what could only be described as disappointment, and he raised his hand.

Palm facing Kevin, he mumbled.

"…If you're really all the records have planned in order to stop me, then I really am disappointed."

Booom—!

The world tore apart, and Kevin's vision grew black.

***

"Come, eat your soup, Kevin."

Kevin's ears rang with the sound of a familiar voice as he looked down and took a quick glance at the meal that was in front of him.

It was a straightforward yellow clear soup mixed with a few different vegetables ranging from carrots, broccoli, and the like.

'It's bland, and the nutritional value is low…'

Kevin thought as he brought the soup to his mouth.

The taste of the soup was extremely bland, and it never seemed to fill him, even though he was once again five years old.

The only reason he never grumbled was because he understood that this was the best his caretakers had to offer.

A simple vegetable soup.

Kevin, in all candor, did not comprehend why the records would assign him to such inept caretakers; however, he was not programmed to question the system's decision-making.

The only thing he needed to do was follow orders.

But…

"Why do you take care of me?"

There was still a lingering sense of curiosity in his heart, and he just couldn't help but bring himself to ask his caretaker the one question that had been in his mind ever since his first life.

Why would such a creature risk so much in taking care of him when they couldn't even take care of themselves?

Wouldn't it be more appropriate for them if they just abandoned him and lived for themselves?

case, then they wouldn't be experiencing

their quality of life

but a burden, and Kevin wouldn't really think anything of it if they got rid of him. He knew that he was nothing but a

was the most

do I take care

fleeting glimpse of his mother looking at him with a friendly grin on her face as she turned her head and lightly

she kneeled down slightly and caressed his

mother; why wouldn't I

I not a

his

mother's expression changed to one of surprise as she listened to his words,

burden. My life has never been more fulfilled now that you're with

embrace of his mother, Kevin

more confused

what broke him out of his reverie as she suddenly squeezed him more

a rare occasion that I didn't even

excitement

a reaction for such

Humans…

far more

***

Ding—!

System configured

100%

and the same scenes from the first life repeated themselves.

crouched down and stared at the lifeless body of

"Why?"

place in the subsequent minutes and seconds, he became even more

"Kevin, move!"

his mother pushing him to the side in an effort to protect him from a demon, but she ended up being the one

by his father

take care of me. Why did you do

at the dead carcass

away from where he

at his mother and father for an undetermined amount of time while they

heart felt emptier

but for some strange reason, he

'Why is that?'

he was whisked away from the area and placed in an orphanage before he even had a chance to

returned to how it had been before, and Kevin's progress in strength

*

Twenty five years later.

Kevin found himself standing in front

as it had been in

his previous life, Kevin was much more

wasn't just by a little bit; it was by quite a large

become even more powerful than he had been in his previous life by combining the knowledge he gained from his previous life with the system given to him by

skilled instructors, which contributed

in just a couple of moves.

eerily familiar,

world, his eyes glossing over his body.

"…You couldn't possibl—"

a white hue began to emerge from it. It covered the entire

long after that, and

"Akashic laws…"

face didn't last for very long. Instead, he appeared to have realized something, as evidenced by the

missing piece that I need