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?"

hundreds of

Jezebeth pointed at them.

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,

to pause mid-sentence and tear his

two of his seven patriarchs were alive. In fact, the realization hit him more

"Haa..."

that was necessary for him to rid himself of any

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

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

of it this

that had happened was within

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

very moment that the fight between the two of them

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

what was he planning? What was

that you're willing to drive your other self to this point in order to achieve your goals… but

displayed the projections for the two of them to see, Ren never

and

to his death, no…" Jezebeth corrected himself,

met at

Jezebeth continued.

mindset was still not quite there yet… and in order to perfect it, you chose to sacrifice one of the people he was

It had to be.

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

he thought about it, the more Jezebeth felt that

the other version of

was someone who

hadn't happened, it's likely that he would have started fighting against one of the Patriarchs after getting a better

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

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

to the Protectors, and it was at

unless he was this way… Your goal is to absorb everything that he managed to collect? You drove him into a corner so that he'd

"That's enough."

in the middle of his

quietly stared at him

are you nodding for? Are my

"Partially."

Ren didn't deny it.

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

point in correcting

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

"Haha."

Jezebeth laughed lightly.

to piss me off a lot in the

"That's a pity."

"Mhm. Indeed…"

a light smile, Jezebeth raised his hand and pointed at Ren. After that, the water snake that had been winding itself around his body suddenly twisted and launched itself in Ren's direction at an incredible