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?"

hand, hundreds of projections appeared in

Jezebeth pointed at them.

your father 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 still trying to kill the last two… It's as if in his mind, the only thing

and tear his gaze away from the

were alive. In fact,

"Haa..."

necessary for him to rid himself of any of the

air

dying, he was quick to cut such emotions off and regain control of his

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

had gotten an idea before, but the more he

what was he planning? What was he waiting

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

see, Ren never showed any care or concern for what was happening in the

and when Jezebeth watched again and saw the current state of Ren's other self, he

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

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

Jezebeth continued.

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

It had to be.

and rid of all the unecessary thoughts that were clouding

more he thought about it, the more Jezebeth felt

other

was someone who

have started fighting against one of the Patriarchs after getting a better idea of their power and attempting to stabilize

consumed a lot of time, which

however, was the fact that Ren could

one that belonged to the Protectors, and it was at

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

"That's enough."

Jezebeth off in the middle

gaze fixed on him, Ren quietly stared at him for a

nodding for? Are my words

"Partially."

Ren didn't deny it.

things that Jezebeth had pointed out were indeed true. That being said, not all of them were

no point in correcting

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

"Haha."

Jezebeth laughed lightly.

It used to piss me off a lot in the past. Funny thing

"That's a pity."

"Mhm. Indeed…"

that had been winding itself around