The Author's POV

'Why did it happen again?'

While sitting on the curb in front of the bus with a perplexed expression on his face, Kevin mused to himself about the situation.

Why did they die again?

He did everything that he was supposed to do.

He didn't go toward the inner city and lead his parents away from home, yet, they still died.

This time by a road accident.

The demons weren't even responsible for their deaths.

Kevin's gaze lifted toward the clouds in the sky. Staring at the clouds that were moving ever so slowly in the sky, he had a sudden thought.

'...I wanted to spend more time with them.'

***

Bang―!

"Watch out, Kevin!"

Once more, Kevin watched as his parents threw their bodies over to protect him. This time, their bodies were completely severed in half, and blood spilt all over Kevin.

The expressions of helplessness and anguish that they displayed just prior to passing away left an indelible mark on his mind as he could only watch them die in front of him.

Crash―!

"Get behind me, Kevin!"

Booom―!

"Ahhhh!"

Unbeknownst to him, the same events kept happening over and over again with each and every one of his regressions.

Before Kevin even realized it, he had reached his twentieth regression, and for the twentieth time, both of his parents had passed away right before his very eyes.

This time, it was due to an explosion that occurred outside of the city.

'...Why?'

Kevin never managed to muster the required strength to come to the aid of his mother and father, no matter how many times he tried. Each time, they would suffer a horrible death, and he would be left all by himself once more.

The heaviness in his heart, which had been barely noticeable at first, became increasingly obvious with each and every one of his regressions, and it intensified with the passing of his parents in all of the regressions.

Over the course of those twenty regressions, he would have an immeasurably better chance of defeating Jezebeth, but despite his best efforts, he continued to fall short in every single one of his endeavours.

Kevin understood that it was only a matter of time before he could beat Jezebeth.

Be it one hundred, one thousand, ten thousand, one hundred thousand, or a million regressions...

Kevin had all the time in the world to accumulate experience and become stronger.

Jezebeth was still ahead of him by quite a lot, but Kevin knew that his time would come very soon.

...In those times, with each regression, he would spend more and more time with his parents. By the time the twentieth regression happened, he had spent at least a century of his life with them.

He pretty much knew them like the back of his hand.

...and it was because of this that he found it more difficult to part ways with them every five years since his birth.

After each of their deaths, he would experience a sharp pain, and the colour that had been slowly developing in his vision would slowly fade away.

continue indefinitely, with no means

It was their fate.

over here, you bastards! Come and

about

doing their best to divert the attention of the demon away from him, Kevin's chest began to feel as if

'Why? ...Why?'

of his mind, his eyes drawn toward the scenes in the

above mine is how I show you that I love you. Isn't

told him during his fourth regression

his eyes, trickling down the side of

it was during this time that he finally better understood the meaning of his mother's

where his

"Don't go..."

Don't leave me.

*

Many years later.

Ashton City, Lock Library

near a particular word as he paged through a book about

it. Loneliness causes people to feel empty, alone, and unwanted. People who are lonely often crave human contact, but their state of mind makes it more difficult to

a dim light on the area around him, and he traced his finger across

felt that the words strangely resonated

that the world, which seemed already to be devoid

been to better understand the sensations he

now, he was about 600 years old if one counted all

was eating away at his body gradually became worse,

why he was

so that he could better understand what he was feeling and

and looked at the

Johnson's guide to

was a mistake for the records to have

of him and

moment was his identity. The identity of a human. A social being

would never be forced to deal with such pointless issues; however, as more time passed and regressions took place, Kevin

experienced in the immediate

he understood that he could

the death

this realization that made Kevin realize that he

had to better understand this

Clank―!

his chair and grabbed the book that was on the

"Hm?"

verge of turning around to return the book when he suddenly became aware of a faint light off in the

someone

three in the morning, and it was very strange to see someone still in

considering that exam season has

young, skinny man with jet-black

a large book, and beside him was a stack of

[Demon anatomy]

to watch out for

and what is known about

the books that were piled up in front

that his hair was covering his face, it was obvious that the young man was showing signs of anxiety, given the rapidity with which he was turning the pages of

is it? ...There must be a way ...There has to be a way...

for the cure to the mind

the young man and startling him out of his

"Eh, ah!"

Clank―!

resulting in a deafening crash.

changed dramatically the moment his eyes landed on Kevin, nearly unable to hide

"You...you're Kevin Voss."