Sei had transported the others to the mirror world, and upon their return, everything had undergone a drastic transformation. A significant portion of Avalon Island had vanished, replaced by a seething lake of lava. It seemed as though the already tumultuous events in this realm were intensifying.

Upon their descent, The Strength Exorcist voiced his complaints, but Sei disregarded his words. In an unexpected twist, Carpy emerged abruptly, urgently instructing them to leave the area.

Sei had wanted to point out the lack of a boat, but he never got the chance. Carpy's demeanor abruptly shifted, his eyes turning frigid.

Anika interjected, her voice breaking the tension. "We need to escape from here." This declaration struck Sei as odd, considering that Anika had been the most deeply affected by Kon's death within the group.

'She must know something about Carpy's current state,' Sei surmised. Despite his suspicions, he chose not to address it. Instead, he conjured a sizable mirror for everyone to board, soaring away from the chaotic scene.

As they departed, Sei stole one last glimpse at Carpy, who now bore a resemblance to the silver-haired man, accompanied by the limbless woman. Pondering the cause of such a transformation, Sei opted once more not to pry and departed.

With events rapidly unfolding, Sei recognized his position as being on the less formidable side of the conflict.

***

Carpy sensed their departure and pondered Perfect Me's intentions. In a mere instant, a myriad of thoughts coursed through his mind—thoughts that seemed detached from human nature. It was as though years of planning had transpired in the blink of an eye.

For a brief moment, Carpy's surroundings plunged into darkness. Then, a resounding sonic boom reverberated, accompanied by a crater where he had once stood. Suddenly, he found himself amidst the cluster of exorcists and his master’s friends, he was by the side of the lifeless body of Master Kon. Handling Kon's mummy-like corpse with care, Carpy created a water barrier to shield the body from the wind pressure generated by his descent.

None of the onlookers could catch more than a fleeting glimpse of his movement; the disparity in raw speed was insurmountable. At his full velocity, the world itself seemed to hush.

"You've returned already?" inquired Perenelle, the sole observer capable of tracking his speed. She offered a smile, her teeth stained with blood. “I am weak, powerless, and my husband was the genius behind this whole thing. Even my Special Ability, he was the one who came up with it.”

Although Carpy could have exerted pressure on her skull, potentially shattering it, the restraint of Perfect Me held him back, urging him to allow her to elucidate her schemes.

“We could have lived a happy life together, only if he wasn’t so damn obsessed with creating a so-called perfect child. He called it the fusion between us both, with an unlimited potential to boot,” she sighed, her hair gradually turning gray.

In an instant, Perfect Me ripped her body apart, simultaneously launching an assault on the crimson gem with blades of water. Regrettably, this effort yielded naught; even a surge of flames hadn't sufficed to obliterate the obstinate artifact.

Nevertheless, the indomitable item's radiance waned by the second, prompting a furrowed brow from Carpy. Conversely, Perfect Me promptly retreated, veering in the opposite direction.

Why did it simply leave behind the scarlet gem? Carpy mused.

Yet, the answer soon dawned upon him. The order he had given Perfect Me was absolute. This illuminated a facet of the Special Ability—one that now operated devoid of its original creator's influence. It could no longer intuit Carpy's intentions with the acuity it possessed for Master Kon's.

From its perspective, Perfect Me believed that bringing Perenelle along was an unnecessary risk that would expose their intentions.

However, as he walked away, Carpy noticed something intriguing. The gem's dullness dissipated, gradually disintegrating until it crumbled into ashes. This sent a shiver down his spine, an unsettling sensation.

Recalling Perenelle's final moments—her hair turning white—Carpy muttered a curse. Looking at Master Kon's lifeless form in his arms, Carpy's concern deepened.

She seemed unkillable… Even Perfect Me shouldn’t have been able to kill her. Had Perenelle sacrificed her eternal life for something?

Whatever the reason, it couldn't bode well for him. Delving into Master Kon's memories, Carpy discovered that Perenelle was much weaker in the original narrative. She merely served as fuel for the Gardens of Babylon, a vessel berthing what would eventually become a God. She was, in essence, destined to be the mother of that monstrous being.

Despite the danger her sacrifice might pose to humanity, Carpy didn't share Master Kon's empathy. He held little regard for humanity's fate.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

As the saying goes: out of sight, out of mind.

In contrast to Master Kon's fate, who perished due to his wanting to save everyone, Carpy was not of the same mindset. He hoped that Master Kon would forgive him if they meet again… no… when they meet again.

Amid Carpy's wandering thoughts, Perfect Me attended to another task. Master Kon's body lay within a water bubble, suspended. Suddenly, Carpy felt his bones shifting, his body undergoing a transformation.

Beginning with his head, antler-like horns erupted, followed by the emergence of black scales creeping from the corners of his eyes. The white fabric enveloping him, conjured by his versatile powers, disintegrated into ashes.

His legs melded together into a tail, while his arms retracted into their sockets. His body extended, a seemingly infinite growth in size, strength, and breadth.

The experience was surreal, his full power restored. He sensed Sei and the others departing the island.

Given that they were resorting to magical means, they were inevitably going to face certain challenges. This had been the pattern in the original story, after all. You couldn’t escape this place through foreign supernatural means.

Carpy might have helped them… maybe. Perfect Me, on the other hand, didn't perceive the necessity to rescue Kon's companions.

Notably, Carpy's concern for them was lowered due to Agon's presence. Agon held the pivotal role as the main character. Adding to the intrigue, Agon stood out due to his possession of just a single, thick Fate String. This peculiar attribute rendered it incredibly resilient against rupture. Regardless of circumstances, his journey appeared predestined along a single course.

Carpy found himself contemplating the possibility of severing that very Fate String. While he possessed the capability to do so, he had refrained from experimenting. Regrettably, the memory of Master Kon's demise cast a shadow over his motivations, stifling any inclination to explore his newfound abilities.

However, upon reverting to his dragon form, Carpy experienced a sudden comprehension of Perfect Me's intentions, and a sense of despair gripped him.

The aqueous sphere imprisoning Master Kon's lifeless body ascended, and Carpy's colossal dragon maw yawed wide, engulfing the corpse in an unrestrained gulp.

In a terrifying turn, he... he ate Master Kon...

***

Gem gazed down at the island beneath him, a sense of emptiness engulfing him. It seemed as though all vitality had drained away, leaving him devoid of the will to continue living. This lack of drive affected his Ord as well, causing it to weaken and diminish gradually. When one's spirit faltered, their Ord, too, would lose its connection.

Ord resembled a sword, its potential hidden until honed by an unencumbered mind and fortified by absolute determination.

For Gem, though, all that he held dear had already slipped away. He felt like within his heart was a gaping hole that sucked in all his motivation, dive, and emotions. Leaving behind only the sadness and depression.

"Are you alright?" his father inquired.

Gem hesitated to even consider the man his father. Throughout his life, his presence had been scarce, with this voyage marking their most substantial time together. Despite this, Gem had always yearned for recognition from his father.

But now, Gem no longer cares about such trivial things. “You know, you’re one cruel bastard. Always flocking around like a vulture waiting for its enemy to be weakened so he could feast on the flesh of men greater than him.”

A furrow formed on the Kuro Clan Head's brow, yet it didn’t seem like he would attack—though Gem wouldn't have been worried even if it were. The assembled group outnumbered him, individuals Gem held little affinity for. Only a fool would dare attack now.

Bolstered by this realization, Gem unburdened himself of long-suppressed sentiments. "Even if you die here, no one will give a shit. Even Natalie, my psycho bitch of a sister, your protege, won't even shed a tear," Gem's eyes welled with tears. He locked his father in a gaze of pure disdain and continued, "Why the hell couldn't you be the one who died? No one would have cared then."

The Kuro Clan Head's visage remained stoic, his attention shifting toward the island, now receding behind them as they soared over the sea.

"Something dangerous is following us," the Kuro Clan Head disclosed.

A silent exchange swept through the group, Anika elucidating, "It has a monstrous presence, and no doubt if a battle breaks out we will be surrounded."

Though unspoken, the implication resonated with all. Someone would need to stay behind, to delay the pursuer while the rest made their escape.

"I will," Gem raised his hand, and volunteered. Knowing that whoever stayed behind would end up dead.

When he thought more about it, his body shook with fear. But his mind grew clearer than ever before. He understood his role in all this.

All these times, he couldn't grow stronger because he wasn't meant for more power. His journey was going to end here, buying time so people with more potential with him could escape.

'Sorry, Bets, but it seems like I couldn't put the power you gave me to good use.' Gem thought, and begged his dead friend for forgiveness about what he was going to do next.

Even though the Queen Piece was a base power multiplier, it wasn't so useful on someone weak like Gem.

He clapped his hands and formed a shadow wolf's head. It was daytime so he couldn't manifest his full wolf, but it should still be good enough to buy some times.

Gem took a deep breath, and understood that he would have to fly by using his shadows as a platform. Something he had never done before, but didn't care-

Before he could take another step, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he was greeted by his father's cold gaze and said.

"Don't worry, I will deal with it," the Kuro Clan Head stated. "It doesn't seem like the current Shadow Tower can deal with the threats we are facing. So it needs to grow stronger, and I know only one way to strengthen such a power."

What was his father talking about, Gem wondered. The Kuro Clan Head didn't give any explanations and just jumped off the mirror, and a raft of shadows came to existence just before he landed onto the water.