Chapter 240: Sacrifice

Chapter 240: Sacrifice

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 mindthoughts 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 masters 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.This chapter is updated by nov(e)(l)biin.com

We could have lived a happy life together, only if he wasnt 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 Abilityone 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.

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, youre 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 didnt seem like he would attackthough 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.