The Author's POV

"Are my words bringing back memories to you?"

It was Jezebeth's words that coaxed Kevin out of his thoughts and back into the present. When he raised his head, he looked directly into Jezebeth's eyes.

"How much do you know?"

Kevin asked, his eyes losing focus every so slightly.

"Not much."

Jezebeth replied, walking around the patch of grass he was on.

"My recollections are rather disorganized. Only fragments of the past remain in my memory. Many times, I recall beating you. I recall the various methods I used to defeat you...but I do not recall the exact events that transpired."

Jezebeth's feet came to a sudden pause, and his head turned.

"...Of course, this is due to the fact that I have not yet amassed every fragment. Once I've collected each and every one of them, I'll naturally remember everything."

"I see..."

Kevin blankly stared at Jezebeth and slowly closed his eyes. No one knew what was on his mind at the moment.

Slowly, he opened his eyes and stared directly at Jezebeth.

"...So the reason why you called for me is just for this?"

"No, no, no."

Jezebeth waved his hands in the air.

Even though his actions were a little over the top, Kevin felt uneasy around him.

Jezebeth exuded an air of calm and self-assurance, which gave the impression that he had everything under control at all times...and Kevin's countless regressions had proven that this was the case the majority of the time.

Of course, things were different this time.

Jezebeth continued.

"Not really the reason I called you here. I've just been wondering. If the records are your enemy, why don't you just work with me? ... Why don't you just allow me to consume the earth and access the records? I can put an end to them for you. If that is your objective."

Kevin merely smiled at Jezebeth before lowering his head and murmuring.

"...You wouldn't understand."

"What wouldn't I understand?"

Jezebeth asked, the smile on his face fading.

me precisely what I would not comprehend. From what I can tell, your objective is the records. The same applies to me. If we work together, we will easily be able to get to the records. Once we reach them, I will assist

"Heh..."

let out a soft chuckle, and Jezebeth's face

think I'm capable of beating the records? Me?

shook his head and waved his hand in the air as

clear blue sky, the mountains...it seemed as though everything was beginning to shatter like glass,

you know that it's not possible for me to fight the records. You should know full well that I was born to obey the records, and

was common knowledge that a puppet couldn't fight its own

hated the records or wanted to fight them, it was impossible for him to do

betrayal would only lead to the destruction

defeat what controls me, and I know that you know

his hand briefly before turning around and raising it once more. A dazzling

all that I needed to know to prove my

he was about to completely shatter the illusion he was in, he heard a couple of

just as he was about to open his mouth to respond, his

"Wha―"

at Kevin as he extended his hand in front

even more shocked than you, but that doesn't matter. Our time together is over, and I

Crash―!

could even finish his sentence, the world

care of your body. It'd be a pity if you died before I even

hear those words for a moment before he was whisked away and found himself

"Cough...Cough...Cough..."

he once more began violently coughing, and blood once more began to spill all over the floor, splattering all over the gray carpet beneath

chest continued to intensify, he had no choice but to get down on one knee and support himself by placing his arm over the wooden desk that was

'Shit...'

from the consequences of his decision to use the Akashic laws, despite the state that his

of Kevin's organs had failed, and if it weren't for the thin layer of mana that was still circulating through his

"Blergh."

and the floor was soon splattered with even more blood. The world began to spin,

keep his balance before collapsing to the ground with

Kevin's vision spun, and his eyes drifted toward

have much

***

place between Suriol and Ren was not a pretty sight. The sky was pitch black, and the surface lands were demolished;

ground, where they had been left, even though it had been weeks since the

in the air, permeating a significant portion of Immorra's landscape, which was

living creature was

C..crack―!

shattered in one of the secluded parts of Immorra by a disruption in the sky, which was followed by the sudden appearance of a gate in the middle of the

this gate

the region that encircled them―created a further imbalance in the world as the demonic energy in the air suddenly

demons surveyed the surface of the world, a voice that was both raspy and ominous

"...What happened over here?"