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

Jezebeth pointed at them.

care about himself or those around him. He's been going on a rampage ever since, and even now, as broken as

had to pause mid-sentence and tear his

particularly feel happy, realizing that only two of his seven patriarchs were alive. In fact, the realization hit him more than he had anticipated as his

"Haa..."

to rid himself of any

very air around him started to change to a

comrades dying, he was quick

of it

happened

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

moment that the fight between the two of

he had gotten an idea before, but the more he watched, the more confused

what was he planning?

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

projections for the two of them to see, Ren never

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

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

at that moment, and Ren's

Jezebeth continued.

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

It had to be.

did in order to make his goal clearer and rid of all the

the

the other version

was someone who

with 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 of the world within the

indeed good, but it consumed a lot of time, which they didn't

Jezebeth the most, however, was the fact that Ren

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

to kill all of the Seven Patriarchs unless he was this way… Your

"That's enough."

Jezebeth off in the middle

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

are you nodding for? Are my words

"Partially."

Ren didn't deny it.

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

point in correcting

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.

a lot in the past. Funny thing is… it still

"That's a pity."

"Mhm. Indeed…"

pointed at Ren. After that, the water snake that had been winding itself around his body suddenly twisted and launched itself in Ren's