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

Jezebeth pointed at them.

since, and even now, as broken as his body is, he's still trying to kill the last two… It's as if in his mind, the only thing that

had to pause mid-sentence and tear

seven patriarchs were alive. In fact, the realization hit him more than he

"Haa..."

necessary for him to rid himself of any of

very air around him started to change

at the thought of his comrades dying, he was quick to cut such emotions off

of

had happened

anything to achieve his goal. I'm sure what's happening to him

that the fight between the two of them started, Jezebeth had this unsettling feeling

but the more he watched, the

was he planning? What was

other self to this point in order to achieve your goals… but looking at you,

of them to see, Ren never showed any care or concern for

when Jezebeth watched again and

driving him to his death, no…" Jezebeth corrected himself, "You are driving him to

eyes of the two met at that

Jezebeth continued.

it, you chose to sacrifice one of the people he was close with. I don't know how, but I

It had to be.

his goal clearer and rid

more he thought about it, the more Jezebeth felt that

other version

was someone who tended to

of the Patriarchs after getting a better idea of their power and attempting to stabilize the situation over

method was indeed good, but it consumed a lot of time,

the fact that Ren could absorb

belonged to the Protectors, and it was at that moment that everything clicked

clear that you knew that it was impossible for him to kill all of the Seven Patriarchs unless he was this way… Your goal is to absorb everything that he managed to collect? You

"That's enough."

off in the middle of his

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

for? Are my words

"Partially."

Ren didn't deny it.

indeed true. That being said, not all of them were true, and he didn't bother

was no point in correcting

bit disappointed that you figured it out a bit later than

"Haha."

Jezebeth laughed lightly.

attitude of yours… It used to piss me off a lot in the past. Funny thing is… it still

"That's a pity."

"Mhm. Indeed…"

smile, Jezebeth raised his hand and pointed at Ren. After that, the water snake that had been winding itself around his body suddenly twisted and launched itself in