"Forget about a dead man like me and move on," Master Kon's words struck Carpy like a blow, causing his fist to clench involuntarily. He hid his fist behind his back, not wanting Master Kon to see this.

Master Kon was no fool. Carpy knew the slightest slip could expose things he didn't want to show.

The reason Master Kon remained unaware of the truth lay in his apparent demise. Carpy knew that the once astute Master Kon had let his guard down, his observant nature overshadowed by the belief that he was dead.

"Also, you should try and find a nice girl and settle down," Master Kon's suggestion was met with resistance in Carpy's mind. Images of unwanted scenarios flooded his thoughts, and a wave of disgust washed over him. He struggled to keep the distaste from showing on his face as Master Kon continued, undeterred.

"Maybe someone like Uwabami? I mean, sure, she is a weird snake demon. But deep down she is a nice girl and an ultimate class demon to boot."

Master Kon's words conjured up even more unwanted mental images, causing Carpy's internal repulsion to intensify. He managed to maintain a mask of impassivity as Master Kon hummed contemplatively.

"Well, you could also go for the Dragon King's daughter. But she's actually kind of annoying to deal with. But, if you're into that, I'm not going to judge." Master Kon mused.

That was when Carpy realized something: Without the weight of the world pressing on him, Master Kon was a pretty weird guy.

Master Kon's recommendations of other ultimate class demons followed. "I mean even the nine-tailed fox isn't that bad. She might be an old hag, but she is still hot and can teach you a lot of things."

"I do not care about any of that," Carpy declared, striving to cloak his embarrassment behind an expressionless facade.

Master Kon's reaction was unexpected, "Wait, you're into men?!"

Carpy's mind reeled in disbelief. This wasn't the direction he had anticipated the conversation to take when he had thought about talking to Master Kon.

"I never thought I would have a gay son. How do I even react to this?" Master Kon muttered, his internal monologue unintentionally audible.

Carpy experienced a surge of happiness at the unintended paternal sentiment. But this was far from the way he wanted to learn about such a thing.

"I'm not into men," Carpy clarified.

"Oh! Then are you..."

Carpy found himself unwilling to hear Master Kon's further speculation. In a swift motion, his form began to dissipate, "Sorry Master Kon. It seems like I have to go. Staying here longer could hurt you."

The time limit was a bit longer, but this conversation had somehow ended up trying to find him a wife, and he didn't want to continue that talk.

"Harm me?" Kon's eyes gleamed with an almost predatory curiosity. "What danger could a man already deceased pose?"

That was when Carpy realized another very important thing: Master Kon was a master manipulator when he wanted to be. Had he asked those questions to make him let his guard down? That way Carpy would slip up like he did.

Had Master Kon engineered this line of questioning to lower Carpy's guard?

Being on the opposing side of Master Kon was scary. He had been spitting blades with schemers for years and had gotten quite good at it. Actually, since this was Master Kon, he was the best at this!

Master Kon's smile was tinged with amusement as he waved casually. "Whatever, just make sure that whatever you want to do, be careful and use my memories as a guideline and not as absolute facts. Everything has already changed too much for those things to be reliable."

***

Uriel approached the big gem that entrapped the silver-haired woman, his steps momentarily faltering.

Was it wise to tamper with forces beyond his comprehension? He wondered.

That familiar undercurrent of fear, the same fear that had become a steadfast companion throughout his survival, surged within him once more. This time, however, running away was not an option he could entertain.

Summoning a deep breath, he rallied his courage, determined to cast aside the specter of cowardice that had guided him thus far. With a resolute shake of his head, Uriel walked forward and shot blasts of Ord. He tore through the connecting tubes, severing their hold on the crystalline coffin and sending it crashing to the ground.

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He was about to try and crack open the rest of the rest of the crystal. However, before he could do something like that, cracks spread around the crystal before it finally burst apart.

Immediately, Uriel felt his body lock in fear as a presence washed over him. The dust cleared up, but there was no one there.

"Who are you?" A disembodied voice asked. It had a strange commanding tone as it sliced through the silence from behind him. Ethereal white hair snaked its way around him in a tight grasp.

With a measured breath, Uriel answered, his voice steady, "I am Uriel, one of the Dream Lords of Avalon Island."

"Avalon Island?" Laughter, mirthful and tinged with an enigmatic knowingness, rumbled from the woman. "It seems like my little Avalon has grown quite big."

The tendrils of hair, like an artist's masterstroke, let go of their grasp on his body, allowing him to move. The woman walked in front of him, her hair, an elegant cascade, wrapped around her form, serving as clothes.

For some reason, Uriel felt like he couldn't take his eyes off this woman. His gaze met her eyes, twin abysses that threatened to trap his very soul.

For an instant, he found himself ensnared, caught within their hypnotic depths. Then, a more forceful torrent of knowledge swept over him, as if the very fabric of his being was unraveling, replaced by an inundation of knowledge—limitless, overwhelming. Blood trickled from his nostrils, his vision tinged crimson as the strain surged.

Amidst the tempest of newfound understanding, an unexpected solace emerged as a cool hand tenderly covered his sight. It pressed gently against his eyes, each touch both frigid and oddly soothing, like the embrace of distant memories.

A heartbeat fluttered, irregular yet strangely harmonious, a rhythm he felt at the core of his being.

"You really shouldn't just go around staring at people like that," she scolded, her tone confident as if her words were matter-of-fact. "If you weren't the one who saved me from imprisonment, I would have left you here to die. By the way, why did you even free me? There's no way that bastard Dragon King would just let me go."

Uriel kept his eyes closed even as she took her hand away, and he got to one knee. "Avalon Island is about to be destroyed by an alchemical creation of Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel, along with another creature... a dragon."

Upon hearing the mention of a dragon, the woman's frown deepened, and she clenched her teeth before forcing a tight smile. "A dragon? How annoying. One of those bastards is here on my island? It can't be the Dragon King or one of his dumb offspring, as they are cursed to never even find this island. A new dragon? Ah, how annoying."

Uriel opened his eyes and gazed at the ground. He sensed that the woman had a strong aversion to dragons.

"Well, let's go and slay some dragons," the woman declared with a gleeful tone. "Once I'm done here, I will go and kill that Dragon King bastard. But before that, I will kill his dumb son and bitch of a daughter."

She walked toward the entrance Uriel had come through. However, just as she was about to step into the cave hallway leading outside, she extended her hand. A brief shimmering followed, revealing a translucent barrier for a second.

After that, a crackling sound of electricity filled the air, causing the woman to swiftly retract her hand. She examined her scorched palm with a frown. "Bitchy dragon always was a cautious one. He created a barrier that allows anyone to enter and leave except me. However, that wouldn't be enough to keep me here unless there was another condition that would allow me to escape without reciprocation if known. The way to get out had to be written here somewhere, as that would increase the risk and make the barrier strong enough to hold me in here."

She spoke quickly, her voice taking on a robotic quality as she explained the intricate workings of the barrier. Whether she was doing it for her own benefit or to inform him, Uriel couldn't tell.

Nevertheless, she continued her uninterrupted movement, eventually locating something inscribed on one of the distant rocks. The writing was in an unfamiliar and cryptic language that even Uriel struggled to decipher what kind of language it could be. However, the woman's smile was one of understanding.

"Aha, so that's it," she turned towards Uriel and approached him. As she drew nearer, the faint scent of charred flesh came from her. Oddly, she seemed unperturbed by it and used her hand to pull him up, her eyes still closed. "My name is Merlin, the daughter of *****..."

When she spoke that last word, it felt like someone was whispering curses in Uriel's ear. Causing him to be unable to hear the word.

"Right, I nearly forgot about the curse tied to my father's name when spoken aloud," she mused, her chin resting in her cupped palm as contemplation flickered across her gaze. Then, an expression of apprehension clouded her features. "Hold on, if the barrier's conditions dictate that I must reveal my true identity to my liberator, yet I'm forbidden from uttering my father's name... that's a loophole that... Oh, damn it! That bastard dragon!"

For someone of such a captivating appearance, her language was surprisingly uncouth.

Through clenched teeth, she pivoted toward him and declared, "I am Merlin, the daughter of the one known as the Son of God..."

As she continued her explanation, Uriel's attention wandered, his eyes widening like saucers.

Jason had a daughter?!

The Son of God, renowned as the mightiest vanquisher of demons. His name is now imprisoned by a curse, forbidden to be spoken or even transcribed in some instances. Only those privy to his name before the curse remained exempt from its grip. Uriel counted himself among them.

Jason... that was the appellation of the man who earned the title of the Son of God, an unparalleled exorcist in history. The very individual who single-handedly quelled demonkind, only to meet his demise through humanity's betrayal.

Post-explanation, Merlin moved toward the barrier, pressing her hand against it. This time, her hand slipped through effortlessly, a triumphant smile playing on her lips. "Seems the dragon scoundrel has lost his touch. Age must be dulling his wits."

Uriel harbored the suspicion that his knowledge of her lineage fulfilled the stipulated condition.

Well, well, the overpowered exorcist had offspring? That was rather scary...