"It looks like there's a limit to how much I can influence him with my sealed powers. At the rate that he's progressing, he will die early. Maybe if I find a way to weaken his soul temporarily, I will be able to have a greater influence on him..."

Upon muttering those words, Kevin watched as the black threads danced around the white orb and started to attack it.

After striking the orb, the threads bounced back, leaving it completely undamaged. The sight caused Kevin's brows to furrow.

"I don't seem to have enough power to damage his soul, so I'll have to find another way."

Feeling his hand pull away from the orb, Kevin felt his body take a step back. After that, he continued to stare at the orb for two more loops. He seemed to be paying particular attention to each and every one of the details in each loop.

"I see."

Right before the second loop started, Kevin once again felt his hand pull toward the orb.

"...I think I've found a way."

With the fade of his words, the loop repeated, and Kevin watched the same events unfold once more.

It was only after Ren woke up from the come after having fought with Everblood that Ren finally took action as Kevin felt his body move.

Taking a step forward and placing his hand on the orb, Kevin softly mumbled.

"Let's see if it works."

Black threads sprang from the ground, covering the entire orb. After that, just as he wished, while selecting the skills from the long list of skills in the black market, Ren eventually chose a particular skill. Picking it up from one of the bookshelves, he slowly began to turn the book around.

"A skill that enables users to erase all emotions, and act as a supreme monarch that only calculates the best option regardless of circumstance."

Mumbling those words, Kevin felt the chains that were binding his body rattle wildly. Clearly, Ren was trying to pull something.

Clank. Clank.

But Ren didn't care as he eventually closed his eyes, stopping Kevin from seeing anything.

Amidst the darkness, he was only able to hear two words.

They rang clearly inside his head.

"Monarch Indifference."

***

'I don't get it.'

'What's going on?'

'What am I seeing?'

'...Is what I'm seeing real?'

Amanda's mind was in a state of disarray as she watched the memories play out in front of her. It was difficult for her to comprehend what was happening.

At one moment she saw Ren standing in front of a funeral, mourning the death of his parents, while the next moment, she saw the weather change alongside the time and seasons.

Recalling the hand that reached out to grab Ren's head, Amanda knew that he was looking at his memories.

There was only one problem.

Ren's parents never died. She was especially sure of this. After all, she had been with them not too long ago, and she had gotten quite close to them.

Their death would've surely been known to her.

'...Ren must've somehow found a way to fake his memories.'

That was the only conclusion that Amanda could come up with upon further thinking. How else would it explain what she was seeing?

Other than this, she really couldn't think of anything else.

...Or so she thought.

'Because I killed them.'

'Conclusion of trial 209, upon killing everyone that Kevin held dear, he fell into a state of emotional turmoil. Assessing the situation, I decided to terminate the loop. Based on my calculations, the possibility of him defeating the Demon King was beneath 1%. It wasn't worth continuing.'

'Trial 210, goal, kill anyone that Kevin was close to in the previous loop before he comes in contact with them in this loop. Same goes for my family. It's better if they die early.'

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Scenes began to replay in front of her, and the confidence she had in her previous theory started to dwindle.

'What's going on?'

Even more, questions began to emerge inside of her head. What she was seeing...was simply too much for her to understand.

The scene switched, and she was now in what seemed to be a world filled with devastation and ruin.

"I...is this the outcome that you wanted?"

"What are you talking about?"

"For the sake of killing him! You decided to sacrifice the whole of humanity! What's the point of killing him when there's no one left? What's the fucking point!?"

"...Because I don't care."

Amanda didn't understand a single thing about what was going on.

'Why is Kevin here? ...and what are they talking about?'

The way they talked...it just didn't make sense to Amanda.

Clank. Clank. Clank.

It was then that chains began to spring out of the ground, before binding the body she was in. What followed after was darkness.

A darkness that lasted long enough to make her mind go numb.

'What's that?'

While her mind slowly grew numb, a white orb appeared. Displayed on it was... Ren?

'No, that's not him.'

It didn't take more than a couple of seconds for Amanda to realize that whoever was in the white orb wasn't Ren. The Ren she knew, behaved and carried himself differently.

Nevertheless, trapped inside of the body, Amanda watched 'Ren's' life slowly unfold before her eyes.

The more she watched, the less the thoughts in her head were.

It didn't take long for her mind to grow completely numb, and she stopped processing what was happening before her altogether. She didn't understand anything, nor did she want to.

What she was seeing...was simply too much.

...That was all until one specific scene started to replay in front of her.

'This place.'

Closing her eyes once, she found herself in front of a large hall. Looking around the place, she spotted herself standing in the distance.

Opposite her was Elijah.

Slap. Slap. Slap.

Deep slaps resounded across the hall. Amanda couldn't feel the pain that came from the slap, but she didn't need to.

She could still vividly remember this scene. How could she not? This was the scene in which she first met Ren, and it was here that he left a deep impression on her.

Click

"Checkmate."

Everything unfolded exactly as she remembered. Pretending to faint from the slaps, Ren woke up and killed Elijah while he was injured from an all out attack from her.

Finally killing Elijah, he walked up next to her and he knocked her out.

Feeling her eyes close once more, she found herself in front of the same demon from one of the visions.

His name was something along the lines of Everblood.

Meeting his eyesight, he slowly bent down on one knee.

"Is there anything you would like for me to do?"

"Yes."

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Amanda felt her head nod, as Ren's voice echoed.

"...Your task is simple. Find the Matriarch of the charm tribe, Angelica Von Droix, and give her a hint that I'm the one who killed her contracted, Elijah."

"Angelica?"

"That's correct."

Before the demon could ask any more questions, Amanda suddenly found herself standing in front of the white orb.

Her mind was currently in a weird state. Recalling the scenes from before, she couldn't exactly make out what was going on.

'What exactly is he trying to do?'

Everything didn't make sense to her. What she was seeing, and what was happening.

It didn't make sense!

No, rather, she understood. She just didn't want to come to terms with what she was seeing.

She just couldn't.

In order for her to accept what she was seeing, she would also have to accept that her meeting with Ren was premeditated...and she...

'No, it's not.'

A strange feeling engulfed her heart.

The feeling didn't last for long as her attention was soon caught by what was displayed on the white orb.

"Kukuku, it seems like nothing escapes your perception, Madam Matriarch, or would you prefer it if I called you Angelica Von Droix?"

Everblood spoke while staring at a figure that Amanda was able to instantly recognize.

'It's her...'

While her complexion was pale and her hair seemed to be a mess, Amanda could never forget the demoness in front of her. She was the one who cursed her mother after all.

"It seems like you have a death wish, Everblood..."

Standing over the opposite building, Amanda silently watched her interaction with Everblood.

In her heart, she understood just how important this scene was.

"Who? You better not be playing tricks on me..."

"Kukuku, no need to be so aggressive...Here."

Everblood threw her a black orb like object. It appeared to be a devil's fruit.

...But that didn't seem to be all.

"Listen here Matriarch...I may have a clue with regards to who is responsible for your little puppy's death."

Smiling widely, Everbood shook his head. Taking out a picture from out of thin air, Everblood lightly threw it in Angelica's direction.

Catching the picture with her hands, Angelica glanced at it. On it, a picture of a youth with jet-black hair and deep blue eyes appeared. In the picture, he was seen wearing a casual set of clothes, walking in a busy shopping district.

Glancing at Everblood, Angelica questioningly asked.

"Who is this?"

Smiling, Everblood didn't respond.

Feeling her eyes close once more, she found herself back in the dark space.

Scenes began to change, and before she knew it, feeling her eyes close one more time,

Opening her eyes, Amanda found herself calmly staring at several demons coming at her from all directions.

Moving his neck sideways, the hand of a demon brushed past his cheek.

Shua!

Feeling her body twist and catching a glimpse of the demon's solar plexus, Amanda felt Ren's body turn at a 45-degree angle as her elbow made contact with the demon.

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Bam.

Connecting with the demon, a shockwave swept the surroundings. The demons that were heading her way, came to a sudden stop.

"Khaaah!"

Falling to the ground, the demon spit out blood on the ground while he held onto his chest area. His face was filled with agony.

Click.

Following a clicking sound, the demon died and Amanda watched as Ren fought against the other demons.

He was ruthless.

His every action seemed flawless. Fighting against the demons, Amanda could only stare in a trace as he got rid of them with ease. Every single one of his actions seemed to be calculated and precise. No demon escaped his sights.

Not long after, Amanda caught sight of Angelica in the distance. She seemed to be fighting against Kevin.

Taking out the red book, Amanda felt her body move somewhere, and it was then that she placed a gargoyle statue facing a certain direction.

What happened next was not within her realm of comprehension.

Watching Angelica dash toward her with a bloodthirsty expression, Amanda realized that her body remained on the same spot throughout the entire time. It was only when Angelica's body was a couple of meters away from her that she felt her hand raise and her fingers snapped.

Snap.

For a split second, Angelica's body stopped moving.

What happened next, Amanda couldn't understand. All she knew was that she heard a clicking sound, and bright white light permeated the surroundings.

By the time the light died down, Angelica was on the ground staring at her with stupefied eyes.

"Y-ou, how?"

Uncaring, Amanda felt her body stab right through Angelica's stomach area, extracting what seemed to be her core. After that, raising her hand, she swallowed the core, sending Angelica into a state of deep desperation.

"Be my piece..."

Those were the last words that Amanda heard before she found herself back in the dark world.

With her hand extended over the orb and staring at Angelica who was reflected in it, Amanda felt her mouth open.

"...Done."

Feeling a slight tug on her lips, Amanda felt her eyes deeply stare at the orb before her.

"With you, I have finally found a way to damage his soul. All that remains is to wait and see the fruits of my labor slowly ripen."

'Ah.'

At that moment, the truth that she so wanted to deny finally struck her.

Although Amanda desperately wanted to deny the truth, a piercing pain filled her heart at that moment.

'Is this why you were always so hesitant?'

The pain was so strong that everything that came after that vision felt like a blur to her. Each passing second that passed from that very moment felt like agony to her.

'I-t can't be right? T..ell me it's a lie...'

***

A figure stood in the middle of an empty void.

He was currently unmoving, and his head was lowered. An orb with black threads circling it appeared before him.

Like snakes, the black threads encircled the orb which was filled with cracks.

Behind him was another figure.

He looked exactly the same as him. The only difference was that hanging on his arms and legs were thick black chains.

Clank. Clank.

Moving closer to the figure, he broke the silence by speaking.

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"So? ...What do you think?"

***

A/N : There will most likely be another chapter later.