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.

would continue indefinitely, with

It was their fate.

here, you bastards! Come

forget about me!

Kevin watched his parents yell and scream at the top of their lungs, doing their best to divert the attention of

'Why? ...Why?'

mind, his

puts the needs of someone else before their own. Putting your needs above mine is how I show you that I love you. Isn't that what every mother

told him during his fourth regression rang in Kevin's

the side of his cheek before softly landing

finally better understood the

his hand forward toward where his parents were, Kevin

"Don't go..."

Don't leave me.

*

Many years later.

Ashton City, Lock Library

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

who are lonely often crave human contact, but their state of mind makes it

area around him, and he traced his finger across the definition that was in front

that the words strangely resonated with

the passing of his parents, he had the impression that the world, which seemed already to be devoid of meaning to him, had taken on an even

goal had always been to better understand

600 years old if one counted all of

of emptiness that was eating away at his body gradually became worse, to the

why he was now

so that he could better understand what he was feeling and find an answer

over and looked

Johnson's guide

records to have birthed me as a

thought, staring at the book in front of him and gently placing

moment was his identity. The identity of a human. A social being that thrived on what was known as

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

that he experienced in the immediate aftermath

he understood that he could not run

death of his parents

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

to better understand this so called thing

Clank―!

and grabbed the book that was on the table

"Hm?"

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

someone else

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

considering that exam season has already

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

to a large book, and beside him was a stack

[Demon anatomy]

watch out

curses and what is known

books that were

that the young man was showing signs of anxiety, given the rapidity with which he was turning the pages of the books and the

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

the cure to the mind breaker

asked, stopping in front of the young man and startling him out of

"Eh, ah!"

Clank―!

the floor, resulting in a deafening crash.

young man's expression changed dramatically the moment his eyes landed on Kevin,

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