The Author's POV

"Why are you still struggling?"

A soft voice echoed, and a fist appeared before Ren. Cocking his head, he just barely dodged the fist and pressed his finger against Jezebeth's abdomen.

It only touched him, but the moment it did so, it sent Jezebeth hurling back and plummeting against the sea beneath.

Splash—!

Calmness returned to the world, and Ren looked around him. He was in the middle of the ocean, and the sun hung in the cloudless blue sky.

He could feel the sunlight gently envelope his body and bathe it in a warm light. He could smell a rather stale, sulfurous smell coming from the sea.

Such vivid sensation made him wonder if he was back on earth or if this was a separate space.

The answer was very hard to find. He couldn't quite tell anymore.

Everything just seemed so realistic, and if not for the fact that he couldn't see any pillars near him, he'd be inclined to believe that he was back on Earth.

"Have you seen enough?"

A soft voice whispered behind him, and Ren turned his head.

There he saw Jezebeth standing not far from him, his gaze focused on a small projection that appeared before him.

His expression was anything but good at the moment.

"You really…"

As a matter of fact, it was getting worse with each second that he spent staring at the projection, and tearing his gaze away from it, he looked at Ren while sweeping his hand through the air.

His gaze was a mix of complicated emotions.

"…didn't hold back, huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't pretend like you don't understand."

Frowning, Jezebeth clenched his fist. The water beneath him broke apart, and a significant wave rose high into the air.

"I bet… Everything that has happened to him is not a coincidence. The death of his-no, your dad, was on purpose… it was, wasn't it?"

The water that was surrounding Jezebeth began to wriggle and move around his body as if it were a serpent with its own independent will. A strange power fluctuated inside of the water, and Ren couldn't help but look at it.

At the same time, his mouth parted open, and he spoke.

"What makes you think that I would purposely kill my own father? What reason would I have for doing that?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

of projections appeared in

Jezebeth pointed at them.

to care about himself or those around him. He's been going on a rampage ever since, and even now, as broken as his body is, he's still trying to kill the last two… It's

to pause mid-sentence and tear his gaze away from the

realizing that only two of his seven patriarchs were alive. In fact, the realization hit him more than

"Haa..."

him to rid himself of any of

the very air around him started to change to a more tranquil

dying, he was

sure of it

that had happened was within Ren's

who would stoop to anything to achieve his goal. I'm sure what's happening to him is all part of your

that the fight between the two of them started, Jezebeth had

gotten an idea before, but the more he watched, the more

what was he planning? What

fact that you're willing to drive your other self to this point in order to achieve your goals… but looking at

never showed any care or concern

watched again and saw the current state

death, no…" Jezebeth corrected himself,

of the two met at that

Jezebeth continued.

to perfect it, you chose to sacrifice one of

It had to be.

make his goal clearer and rid of

about it, the more Jezebeth felt

the other version

who tended to overcomplicate

happened, it's likely that he would have started fighting against one of the Patriarchs after getting a better idea of their power and attempting to stabilize the situation over the entirety of the world

consumed a lot

fact that Ren could absorb the laws that he had given

to the Protectors, and it was at that moment that

was this way… Your goal is to absorb everything that he managed

"That's enough."

spoke, cutting Jezebeth off in the middle of

fixed on him, Ren quietly stared at him for a good couple of seconds

for? Are my words

"Partially."

Ren didn't deny it.

true. That being said, not all of them were

was no point in

you'd come to this conclusion after a while. I'm a bit disappointed that you figured it out a bit later than

"Haha."

Jezebeth laughed lightly.

to piss me off a lot in the

"That's a pity."

"Mhm. Indeed…"

pointed at Ren. After that, the water snake that had been winding itself around his body