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 in

Jezebeth pointed at them.

going on a rampage ever since, and even now, as broken as his

pause mid-sentence and tear his

were alive. In fact, the realization hit

"Haa..."

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

turned expressionless, and the very air around him started

thought of his comrades dying, he was

sure of it this

happened was within Ren's

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

fight between the two of them started, Jezebeth

before, but the more he

he planning? What

to achieve your goals… but looking at you,

never showed

as if he was waiting for something… and when Jezebeth watched again and saw the current

his death, no…" Jezebeth corrected himself, "You are

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

Jezebeth continued.

the very beginning that his mindset was still not quite there yet… 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

It had to be.

goal clearer and rid of all the unecessary thoughts that

the more Jezebeth felt

other version

someone who tended to overcomplicate

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

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

however, was the fact that Ren could absorb the laws that he had given to his

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

Your goal is to absorb everything that he managed to collect? You drove him into a corner so that he'd reach this point,

"That's enough."

in the middle of

quietly stared at him for

for? Are

"Partially."

Ren didn't deny it.

true. That being

was no point in correcting

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

"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