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.

ever since, and even now, as broken as his body is,

had to pause mid-sentence and tear his

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

"Haa..."

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

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

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

was sure of it

had happened was

are the type of person who would stoop to anything to achieve his goal. I'm sure what's happening to him is all part of your

that the fight between the two of them started, Jezebeth had this

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

planning? What was he

willing to drive your other self to this point in order to achieve

to see, Ren never showed any

and saw the current state of Ren's other self, he couldn't help

Jezebeth corrected himself, "You are driving

two met at that moment, and Ren's expression

Jezebeth continued.

aware from 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

It had to be.

clearer and rid of all the unecessary thoughts that were clouding his

he thought about it, the more Jezebeth felt that

the other version of

who

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

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

was the fact that Ren could absorb the laws that

to the Protectors, and it was at that moment that everything clicked

this way… Your goal is to absorb everything that he managed to collect? You drove

"That's enough."

off in the middle of

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

are you nodding for? Are my

"Partially."

Ren didn't deny it.

That being

was no point in correcting

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.

to piss me off a

"That's a pity."

"Mhm. Indeed…"

been winding itself around his body suddenly twisted and launched itself in Ren's