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.

indefinitely, with no means of

It was their fate.

here, you bastards! Come and get me

about me!

lungs, doing their best to divert the attention of the demon away from him, Kevin's chest

'Why? ...Why?'

inside of his mind, his eyes drawn

is when one puts the needs of someone else before their own. Putting your needs above mine is how

Kevin's mother had told him during his fourth regression rang in Kevin's

the side of his cheek before

was during this time that he finally better understood the meaning

where his parents were, Kevin

"Don't go..."

Don't leave me.

*

Many years later.

Ashton City, Lock Library

hand came to a stop near a particular word as he paged through a book about human

the state of being alone and feeling sad about it. Loneliness causes people to feel empty, alone, and unwanted. People who

cast a dim light on the area around him, and he traced his finger across the definition that was in front of him with a

that

parents, he had the impression that the world, which seemed

goal had always been to better understand the sensations

now, he was about 600 years old if

of all that time, the sensation of emptiness that was eating away at his body gradually

he was

could better understand what he was feeling and find an answer

the book over and looked at the cover

guide to human

mistake for the records to

book in front of him and gently placing his hand

all of his problems at the moment was his identity. The identity of a human. A social being that thrived

time passed and regressions took place, Kevin realized that he was not an exception to the natural biological system of the being known as

was aware that the fleeting sensations that he experienced in the immediate aftermath of the passing of his parents were classified

could not run

was happening around him, like the death of his parents or his own death, the biological system that he was born with was directly influencing his own thoughts

this realization that made Kevin realize that he could no longer ignore

had to better understand this so called thing

Clank―!

and grabbed the book that was on the table in front

"Hm?"

was on the verge of turning around to return the book when he suddenly became aware of a faint

was someone else

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

when considering that exam season has

saw a young, skinny man with jet-black hair covering the front of

book, and beside him

[Demon anatomy]

out

curses and what

the books that were piled up in front of the

young man was showing signs of anxiety, given the rapidity with which he

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

the cure to

front of the young man and startling him out of

"Eh, ah!"

Clank―!

the floor, resulting in a deafening crash. It was a

expression changed dramatically the moment his

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