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?"

his hand, hundreds of projections appeared

Jezebeth pointed at them.

died, he no longer seemed 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

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

alive. In fact, the realization hit him more than he had

"Haa..."

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

his head, his face turned expressionless, and the very air around

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

of

that had happened was within Ren's

his goal. I'm sure what's happening to him is all part

that the fight between the two of them

but the more he watched, the more confused he

what was he planning?

drive your other self to this point in order to achieve your goals… but looking at you, I can see that you don't particularly care

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

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

if you're driving him to his death, no…" Jezebeth corrected himself, "You are driving him to his death,

the two met at that moment, and Ren's expression

Jezebeth continued.

and in order to perfect it, you chose to sacrifice one of the people he was close with. I don't know how, but I have a feeling that his

It had to be.

to make his goal clearer and rid of

it, the

other version of

was someone who tended to overcomplicate

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

but it consumed a lot of

most, however, was the fact that Ren could absorb

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

all of the Seven Patriarchs unless he was this way… Your goal is to absorb everything that

"That's enough."

off in the middle of

stared at him for a good couple of seconds

nodding for? Are

"Partially."

Ren didn't deny it.

of the things that Jezebeth had pointed out were indeed true. That being said, not all of them were true, and he didn't

was no point in correcting

you'd come to this conclusion after a while. I'm a bit disappointed that you figured it out a bit later than I thought you would, but you didn't let me down in the

"Haha."

Jezebeth laughed lightly.

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

"That's a pity."

"Mhm. Indeed…"

that had been winding itself around his body suddenly twisted and