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

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 matters is their

and tear his

two of his seven patriarchs were alive. In fact, the realization hit him more than he had anticipated as his fist slowly came

"Haa..."

all that was necessary for him to rid himself of any of the unfavorable emotions that he

his head, his face turned expressionless, and the very air around him started to

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

of

had happened

of person who would stoop to anything to achieve his goal. I'm sure what's happening

fight between the two of

idea before, but the more

what was he planning?

to achieve

to see, Ren never showed any care or concern for what was

something… and when Jezebeth watched again and saw the current state of Ren's other self, he couldn't help but think

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

two met at that moment,

Jezebeth continued.

his mindset was still not quite there yet… and in order to perfect it, you chose to sacrifice one

It had to be.

something you did in order to make his goal clearer and rid of all the unecessary thoughts that

he thought about it, the more Jezebeth felt

other version of

someone who

his father hadn't 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

consumed

the fact that Ren could absorb the laws that he had given

the Protectors, and it was at

for him to kill all of the Seven Patriarchs unless he was this way… Your goal is to

"That's enough."

in the middle

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

you nodding for?

"Partially."

Ren didn't deny it.

indeed true. That being said, not all of them were

was no point

it out a bit later than I thought you would, but you didn't let

"Haha."

Jezebeth laughed lightly.

It used to piss me off a lot

"That's a pity."

"Mhm. Indeed…"

had been winding itself around his body suddenly twisted and launched itself in