Uriel led Merlin through the caves. Despite her beauty, he refrained from turning around to look at her eyes. Otherwise, he would once again find himself overwhelmed with information.

Despite her striking appearance and her two-thousand-year imprisonment within the crystal, the young woman was quite talkative on some subjects.

"All dragons are incredibly selfish, caring only for their own whims and desires. They always assume they're the strongest demons around and have little care for others," Merlin paused to take a breath before continuing her chastisement. "When has a dragon ever done a thing for anyone? Even the barrier created by the Dragon King for humanity was, probably, just an excuse to keep his shitty kids safe. Well, I will show him how safe his stupid kids will be when I am done with them!"

Uriel listened intently, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead. He found her somewhat annoying but dared not interrupt her.

Despite her strength, Uriel sensed that she was not overwhelmingly powerful like the dragon he had encountered, nor as terrifying as the green-haired guy.

But he was more afraid of her than of those two. There was a reason for that. Because of who her father was there was no way she could be so weak.

Just the thought of Jason sent shivers down Uriel's spine. While Uriel had been formidable in his own right during that era two thousand years ago, he had merely been a spectator.

There used to be a joke back then: If Jason was in a fight, always bet on brown. Because Jason had a brown beard and hair.

Even when Satan, the strongest demon, led an assault on humanity, Jason single-handedly stopped them all. In the end, he even used Satan as a chair at the afterparty. It was utterly ridiculous.

If all the demons in the world were to unite against Jason, who would win?

The logical answer, of course, would be the demons. After all, they possessed immense raw power and numerous special abilities.

However, when a situation like that came to play the demons had chosen to incite discord and betrayal amongst the humans.

Why? The answer was simple. Despite their collective strength, uncertainty had always lurked in the back of their minds. No one ever thought Satan was even something that could be defeated. But he single-handedly took him down and decimated his army.

Despite all the battles he had fought, it wasn't as if anyone had ever truly witnessed Jason fighting with all his might or facing a life-or-death struggle. When he squared off against Satan and his army, many claimed that Jason cracked jokes during the battle and even taunted Satan's lover, Lilith.

What if the demons were to discover that Jason had left a child behind? There was a chance that someone had inherited Jason's powers and talent.

Uriel knew what would happen. Barrier or no barrier, the demons would undoubtedly launch a relentless assault on this place. No barrier in the world could deter some from coming here, determined to end that man's legacy. Some demons might even be willing to sacrifice their lives to achieve that goal.

Even after two thousand years, Uriel doubted that the fear of Jason had dissipated among some demons. Just the mention of Jason's name would send some demons into a frenzy.

"He always used to spew his idealistic crap, but look where that ended up. He should have ruled the world, and not decided to act all passive about every damn thing! Why did I have to suffer for his mistakes?"

"My father was strong, but he was also a fool. He should have killed all the demons and dragons when he had the chance. Despite all his power, he was nothing more than a fool!" Merlin complained. "He always used to spew his idealistic crap and look where that got him. He should have ruled the world instead of adopting a passive stance on everything! Why did I have to suffer for his mistakes?"

"Your father was a great man, and he only was defeated because of betrayal," Uriel said, his words escaping before he could stop them.

Merlin stopped walking, and Uriel halted as well, though he didn't turn around to gauge her reaction.

'Damn, why did I have to say something like that?' Uriel cursed, yet strangely, he didn't feel any regret. In a way, humanity had betrayed the man who had sacrificed so much for them. Even Uriel himself had betrayed him, for when he witnessed the Sun Demon Slayer stabbing Jason in the back, he had been close by, but he had done nothing.

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"You know, after my father's betrayal at the hands of the people he had saved, those very same people worked with the Dragon King to create a barrier around the last remaining humans," Merlin disclosed. Even without seeing her face, Uriel could hear the frustration in her voice as she clenched her fist. "Yamata no Orochi refused to help that shitty Dragon King. However, my father's closest friends offered to use me as the core of this entire barrier! Those traitors had promised my father they would look after me, even after betraying him, but in the end... They betrayed him one last time."

Uriel found himself at a loss for words, so he opted to keep his mouth shut.

Nevertheless, he had his own thoughts on the matter. But he understood that voicing them aloud wouldn't paint a pretty picture for his near future.

In his perspective, one woman's sacrifice seemed far more acceptable than the potential extermination of all humanity.

"Keep walking," the woman said coldly, and Uriel sensed that this might be his end.

He couldn't shake the feeling that she intended to kill him as soon as they left the confines of this cave.

The rest of their journey was eerily quiet, and Uriel could feel her icy gaze fixed on him. There was no mistaking it; it was a murderous intent.

Finally, they reached the outside, and in an instant, the hostility vanished. Merlin laughed heartily, extending her arms to embrace the sunlight. "Ah, the sun. Something so simple, but I nearly forgot what it feels like to have sun rays hitting my skin! The low heat... It almost feels like I can even smell the light!"

She paused and turned to him, her anger replaced by something else. "Despite the betrayals I had through my life, there was someone who I knew would never betray me, even after two thousand years. The tamed demon, a little low-class demon turtle that I tamed when I was young. Wanna know the turtle's name?"

Uriel nodded, not like he had a choice. "Yes, Lady Merlin."

She knelt down, her hand caressing the rough earth, a strange fondness in her eyes. "His name was Avalon. It seems like he has grown quite big since I last saw him."

With those words, Uriel's heart raced as the pieces fell into place. Before he could fully grasp the reality of the situation, Merlin whispered softly, "Wake up, Avalon."

Suddenly, the entire island trembled, and the very sky shifted. Merlin's laughter took on a maniacal tone as she witnessed this transformation.

The change happened so rapidly that it was as if the island had suddenly awakened.

"Yes, I see now, so that's what's happening," Merlin nodded, as though she'd communicated with her tamed demon. "It seems like my cute little Avalon has had quite a hard time keeping the Dragon King from reaching this island. Thankfully little Avalon has the power to shift through space. He even made a special vow that anyone could find this place except the Dragon King and his blood. Due to the vow saying 'everyone' and the spacial shift being boosted to its maximum over two thousand years, it reached the pinnacle, and even others from different dimensions could find this place, but never the Dragon King."

As Merlin concluded her explanation, Uriel felt lightheaded as he was overwhelmed by Ord which felt like it spanned the entire world, descending on him. This was an Ord cultivated through two millennia of sacrifices and contracts linked to Avalon.

The power was astounding; not even the dragon he'd previously encountered possessed such raw might. However, before Uriel could regain his composure, Merlin placed a hand on his shoulder and chuckled. "Let's go and gather an army! I have some dragons and intruders to kill!"

Uriel trembled, now comprehending why Avalon was forming contracts with creatures, making them stronger. For two thousand years, it had faithfully awaited its master's return.

The army was already at their disposal. The power was already within their grasp.

Uriel felt like he had traveled back to those times when monsters roamed the land!

***

Carpy felt a sudden chill run down his spine as he soared amidst the clouds, gazing down at Avalon Island. The very earth beneath him seemed to stir, releasing a powerful Ord that forcefully pushed even him away.

"What is this?" Carpy growled, his patience thinning. With Master Kon's revival hanging in the balance, he had no time for games. He was prepared to murder anyone who dared obstruct his path.

Extending his senses across the island, he detected a concealed presence. Avalon Island was not a mere landmass; it was the upper crest of a colossal living creature.

Never before had Carpy sensed such immense power.

As he concentrated, he discerned beings whose fates were inexplicably tied to Avalon Island, gathering near a particular mountain. Waiting at the foot of said mountain was the guy with the cursed flaming wings, and there was another presence beside him.

Carpy descended from the shroud of storm clouds that surrounded him. It was apparent that whoever orchestrated this disturbance was aware of his existence and might even sense his approach.

However, as Carpy closed in on the island, he spotted something in the distance that halted his flight. It was something he believed he had obliterated before.

How was it possible that the Gardens of Babylon still stood, and moreover, they appeared to be flying toward the island?

Perched atop one of the golden walls of the Gardens of Babylon, a young man with dark green hair met Carpy's gaze. He offered a seemingly friendly smile and waved, but Carpy sensed an undercurrent of bubbling emotions in his intentions. This feeling intensified as Carpy noted the other creatures in the Gardens of Babylon, which amounted to an army.