Gem stared at Kon's withered corpse, resembling a lifeless zombie, a mere husk of the man he once knew. But how could this be? This was not just a corpse, this was his friend,the whole thing felt so surreal.

Perhaps this was just another one of Kon's elaborate plans, some sort of illusion meant to deceive, Gem tried to rationalize. Surely, at any moment, Kon would spring back to life, execute a sneak attack on the woman in the dark dress, and triumph in the battle. That's how Kon had always been, clever and strong.

Life had a way of being ridiculously strange. Gem often found himself at the forefront of such peculiarity. Take, for instance, Bets, who was undeniably smarter, and Kon, who possessed far greater strength than Gem ever did.

'Bets was smarter than me, and Kon was stronger than me. By all logical standards, I should have been the first to die,' Gem thought, berating himself. 'I'm reckless, weak, brash, and foolish. Yet, here I am, untouched, while my friends are dead.'

Despite the circumstances, he couldn't shake off the disgusting feeling of his own weakness. While the others seemed to grow stronger in the face of Kon's death, Gem remained stagnant.

True, his Ord had surged with heightened emotions, but it was a fleeting and feeble increase, nothing compared to what the others gained. If he were to intervene in the battle now, he knew he'd be obliterated in an instant.

A torrent of memories crashed upon Gem like a relentless wave. He couldn't help but recall the moments they had shared – the laughter, the teasing from Kon, and the biting wit of Bets.

The floodgates opened, and tears streamed down Gem's cheeks as reality settled in: Kon was truly gone, and there was no reversing it.

Falling to his knees, Gem sobbed uncontrollably, his heart aching with sorrow. Crawling towards Kon's lifeless form, he clutched his friend's cold, withered hand, overcome with guilt and regret. "I'm so sorry for failing you as a friend," Gem lamented. "I'm weak, a coward, utterly unworthy of your friendship. It's all my fault… I’m sorry…"

Amidst the overwhelming despair, Gem's soul felt the relentless grip of hopelessness take hold.

***

Carpy felt an inexplicable sensation, a profound connection to Master Kon's sacrifice as he broke his contract. The immense power of the Ord from Master Kon's sacrifice had now accumulated within Carpy.

Once a high-class demon, Carpy had always seen the barriers to becoming an ultimate class as insurmountable. But now, those barriers were shattered, and yet all he could feel was overwhelming despair.

In the past, Carpy's deepest desire was to achieve ultimate class status alongside Master Kon, becoming an unstoppable force together. However, fate had other plans. Carpy had reached the finish line, but he was now alone, with Master Kon's life sacrificed to push him forward.

Master Kon's emotions in his final moments had amplified the power of the Ord he had given up his life for. Carpy even wondered if he could bypass the lengthy incubation period that most demons had to endure before becoming true ultimate class beings.

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt an electric current surge through his body, and suddenly, a burst of knowledge flooded his mind. It was as if he had inherited the life and experiences of a man named Roland.

Roland had lived an average, unremarkable life until he woke up in a world straight out of a Manga he had enjoyed in his previous life. In this strange world, he had become Kon of the Dark Sword Clan through a process called transmigration.

As Carpy absorbed all this newfound information, he realized the immense value of Master Kon's legacy – his experiences, memories, and fighting strategies. It would undoubtedly prove valuable in battles.

Yet, what captivated Carpy even more was the revelation of this world's origins. Learning that his entire world was nothing more than fictional entertainment for others shook him to the core.

Carpy couldn't help but wonder how Master Kon had coped with such knowledge. How could he see the people around him as real individuals when, in his eyes, they were merely characters in someone else's stories?

These thoughts threatened to unravel Carpy's sanity. Had all his struggles been in vain? What about his family, and what about Master Kon?

But amidst the chaos in his mind, the memories of his master held him together. Master Kon had lived his life with a strange perspective, always considering others even amidst conflict and chaos.

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Carpy couldn't help but be saddened by Master Kon's last thoughts. In the face of death, Master Kon had maintained a strong front.

Since he had shared everything with Carpy, even those final moments of despair had transferred over. Witnessing those grief-stricken moments, Carpy's heart felt as though it was being torn apart just thinking about them.

Above all, Kon's last thoughts haunted Carpy. How could they not? This man had given him everything, serving as both a parent and a brother, something unusual in the realm of fish where parental care was not common.

While reflecting on these poignant thoughts, Carpy realized he was inside a dark cocoon. Strangely, it didn't seem dangerous or confining; instead, there was a sense of security. It became apparent that his power was growing exponentially, and it dawned on him what was truly happening – he was evolving.

Ordinarily, the process of evolution would take days or even months, during which the demon would enter an incubation phase to settle their body and Ord. This crucial period would determine the extent of the demon's strength after evolution. Carpy knew from observing ultimate-class demons that there could be significant variations in power, and interrupting such an incubation process could be perilous.

However, Carpy was not an ordinary demon; perfection was within his grasp, unlike other demons who could only dream of it.

{Perfect Me}

'Order, evolve me perfectly.'

As soon as he spoke those words, Carpy found himself inexplicably crying even more. The memories of Master Kon were still fresh in his mind.

Suddenly, his perspective shifted, and he became aware that he was outside the cocoon. Although his physical body was still within it, he could feel the transformative changes taking place. It was a peculiar sensation, one that Carpy hadn't encountered before. Though he understood how Master Kon's ability worked, having experienced fusion with him, he had never expected to undergo something like this. Yet, having delved into his master's memories, it wasn't entirely surprising.

His Ord and body underwent rapid shifts, turning a process that would have spanned years or even decades into a matter of minutes.

Carpy's gaze shifted towards Perenelle, who was trapped nearby.

Yes, after he finished this, he couldn't wait...

***

Zumi felt shame as she stood there, exposed and burdened by the weight of failure. Not only had she been unable to complete her teacher's mission, but Kon had also lost his life. Despite the situation, she valued her own life too much to recklessly rush into anything.

The emergence of Agon's Yamata No Orochi brought back memories of its devastating power during the war. Even now, the place where it had awakened remained tainted by a deadly poison that could even kill her teacher, the Sage.

Perenelle laughed confidently, revealing a red gem on her chest that supposedly preserved her body against any poison. The gem's brightness seemed to intensify after her revelation, as if it had been strengthened by some sort of vow.

Zumi considered whether she should engage in combat. With Perenelle restrained, she could deliver several powerful blows, but the risk of being affected by the residue poison made her think twice. Her fist-fighting style was ill-suited against opponents like Yamata No Orochi and his poisonous abilities.

Feeling uncertain about her role amidst the unfolding chaos, Zumi kept a watchful eye on the Kuro Clan Head, who knew what he would do now without Kon to hold him back.

There were too many unknown factors at play, and this situation was far from the enlightenment she had sought when agreeing to help Kon.

The Strength Exorcist took his chance and lunged at Perenelle with an imbued fist, but Zumi realized the attack wouldn't have the same impact it once might have. Her newfound perspective allowed her to perceive the world differently.

The Strength Exorcist, while strong, fell victim to Perenelle's retaliatory strike. Just like Agon, his wounds healed quickly, but not all possessed such regenerative abilities.

Zumi found herself face to face with Perenelle in the dark dress, but her attack was swiftly dodged. The woman moved with unexpected speed, avoiding Zumi's punch effortlessly.

"My name is Perenelle Flamel," the woman declared, her voice firm. "Even if there were a thousand exorcists like you, they won't-"

Whatever she was about to say, she suddenly stopped. Dark purple patches appeared around her body, and she coughed up a mouthful of blood, collapsing to the ground in the Gardens of Babylon.

Strange creatures emerged, resembling two-headed snakes and a human with an apple for a head. They approached Perenelle, seemingly trying to help her, but as soon as they got close, their skin turned purple. The creatures screamed in agony, and the apple-head creature's fingers slowly turned to dust.

Zumi felt a chill down her spine, realizing that she would have suffered the same fate if she had remained near the woman for even a moment longer.

'I thought it was safe! What a foolish assumption! I should just stay out of this, or one wrong move and I will end up dead by friendly fire,' Zumi thought. She knew that someone like Yamata No Orochi wouldn't even care about her if she died.

Her gaze shifted to Kon's withered corpse, looking like a mummy.

Yeah, she didn't want to end up like that.

"Ahhhh!" Perenelle screamed in pain, clutching the gem in her chest as her body thrashed around. No one dared to approach her.

Despite the gruesome scene, Zumi couldn't help but wonder about how some things weren’t adding up: if Kon was now dead, then who the hell was the silver-haired man?

Her gaze wandered toward the large dark cocoon nestled amongst the white clouds.