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

Jezebeth pointed at them.

a rampage ever since, and even now, as broken as his body is, he's still trying to kill the last

pause mid-sentence and tear his gaze

only two of his seven patriarchs were alive. In fact,

"Haa..."

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

and the very air around

indeed felt sad at the thought of his comrades dying, he was quick to cut such emotions off and regain control of his

was sure of it

had happened was within

person who would stoop to anything to achieve his

the fight between the two of them started, Jezebeth had this unsettling feeling

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

was he planning? What was he waiting

surprised at the fact that you're willing to drive your other self to this point in order to achieve your goals… but looking at you, I can see that you

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

something… and when Jezebeth watched again and saw

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

eyes of the two met at that moment,

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 close with. I don't know how, but I have

It had to be.

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

he thought about it, the more Jezebeth felt

the other version

someone who tended to overcomplicate

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

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

Ren

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

Patriarchs unless he was this way… Your goal is to

"That's enough."

off in the

at him for a good couple of seconds

are you nodding for?

"Partially."

Ren didn't deny it.

out were indeed true. That being said, not all of them were true, and he

no point in

disappointed that you figured it out a bit later than I thought you would,

"Haha."

Jezebeth laughed lightly.

It used to piss me off a lot

"That's a pity."

"Mhm. Indeed…"

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