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?

that were the case, then they wouldn't be experiencing nearly as much suffering as they were

the contrary, their quality of life for

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

was the most logical

do I take

his mother looking at him with a friendly grin on her face as she turned

toward where he was, she kneeled down slightly and caressed

mother; why wouldn't

I not

his face

she listened to his words, and then she smiled broadly and pulled

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

of his mother, Kevin didn't say

more confused than

sound of his mother's voice was what broke him out of his reverie as she suddenly squeezed him more tightly in

It's such a rare occasion that I

of excitement once

a

Humans…

creatures far more confusing

***

Ding—!

System configured

100%

scenes from the first life repeated themselves. The demons came, and his parents died

at the lifeless body of

"Why?"

mind replayed the events that had taken place in the subsequent minutes and seconds, he became even more

"Kevin, move!"

in an effort to protect him from a demon, but

his eyes, he witnessed the dismemberment of his mother, followed by his father dragging him away and hiding him in the same place as

didn't have to take care of me. Why did

asked, poking at the dead

from where he stood, was

and father for

heart felt emptier

but for some strange

'Why is that?'

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

point, life returned to how it had been before, and Kevin's progress in strength continued at a steady pace

*

Twenty five years later.

himself standing

same as it had been in

life, Kevin was much more powerful in this

bit; it was by quite a large

more powerful than he had been in his previous life by combining the knowledge he gained from his

received instruction from the most skilled

swat his former self in just a couple of moves.

eerily

world, his eyes glossing over his body. With a raised eyebrow,

"…You couldn't possibl—"

finish his sentence, Kevin's hand was already raised, and a white hue began to emerge from it. It covered

after that, and a powerful wave of energy headed in Jezebeth's

"Akashic laws…"

of shock on Jezebeth's face didn't last for very long. Instead, he appeared to have realized something, as evidenced

the missing piece that I need in order to get