Neo opened his eyes.

Despite what he had seen in Hades' past, and despite meeting Apollyon, he remained calm.

Was it because Neo was starting to understand his own [Fate]?

Or because he was beginning to grasp how things would eventually end?

Perhaps it was both.

And… even if only a little, he was beginning to understand the meaning behind the words:

'The Dao is corrupt.'

'[Fate] of Cruelty. I wonder if Hades can tell me more about it.'

Another name surfaced in his mind.

'Did Ultris know why the Devil of Cruelty was important?'

Neo exhaled softly.

He knew his thoughts could not be answered at the moment.

The fragment of Hades that remained with them did not have complete memories.

And whatever Ultris had known, whatever he had hidden or feared, it was locked away beyond reach.

For now.

If Neo wanted answers, he would have to approach Paul.

And ask him directly about Ultris.

About the Devil of Cruelty.

"Neo?"

He turned his head.

Persephone stood a few steps away, her hands clasped together unconsciously.

She had been trying to look calm since he woke up, but her eyes betrayed her. There was tension there. Worry she could not hide.

"Did you see…?" she asked carefully, her voice quiet but unsteady.

Neo nodded.

She froze for half a second, then exhaled a long breath she had clearly been holding in.

Her shoulders relaxed, and a bright, genuine smile spread across her face.

"That's good! Now, there is no need for anyone to be angry. You should talk with him now. Let's go—"

"Later."

Her smile faltered.

"…What?"

Neo saw the disappointment in her expression immediately, and it hit him harder than he expected.

Seeing her like that reminded him of how much love she had poured into him.

Even before he was born, she had given him infinite time and affection.

He was thankful for her grace and love.

He did not want to see her sad.

So he spoke, choosing his words carefully.

"I know why Ha—" He paused, then corrected himself. "Father did what he did. I understand his reasons now."

Persephone's eyes widened slightly.

"But I need time. I respect him. I really do. But I've been holding grudges against him for two eons. That doesn't just disappear because I understand why he made those choices."

He looked at her directly.

"I need time to… think. Time to know what I should say to him. If I go now, I won't know whether I'm talking honestly, or just forcing myself to forgive him."

Persephone was silent.

Then she nodded.

Slowly. Gently.

She understood. Pain that lasted for countless years could not be washed away by understanding alone.

"Mother…"

Neo reached out and held her hands.

"Just give me some time. Also…" He smiled, soft and sincere. "Thank you. For being my mother."

That was all it took.

Persephone's composure broke completely. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she pulled him into an embrace.

Neo wrapped his arms around her and held her steady while she cried.

He did not rush her.

These were not tears of sorrow.

They were tears of relief.

From that point on, Neo began to live an infinitely happy life.

He went on picnics with Moraine and Elizabeth. He bickered endlessly with Paul, sometimes seriously, sometimes just out of habit.

He sat in silence with Hades, sipping tea and watching the sun dip below the horizon, neither of them feeling the need to speak.

He went shopping with Persephone, enduring long hours of indecision and unnecessary comparisons, even though she always ended up buying the first thing she picked up.

There were good moments.

And then, there were the "difficult" ones.

"Mo-Moraine?" Neo asked through clenched teeth, his smile strained. "You can walk, right?"

"No," she answered calmly.

Neo's lips twitched.

She was heavy, dammit!

And he was a mortal!

A mortal climbing a mountain with her on his back!

Neo gritted his teeth, and vowed to beat the hell out of the guy who told Moraine that there was a good picnic spot on top of the mountain.

The only good news was that Elizabeth had taken the picnic set he had been holding, giving him some respite.

One might think Elizabeth was perfect unlike the moody Moraine, due to this incident.

But they could not be farther from the truth.

A few months later, another incident occurred.

"What are you doing?" Neo asked flatly.

"What?" Elizabeth replied, confused.

They were connected through their awareness, so she knew exactly where he was looking.

He pointed toward his Cosmos.

"My reincarnation, and your reincarnation. Why did you do that?"

"…?"

"You gave her some information, didn't you?"

Elizabeth stared at him as if he were speaking nonsense.

Neo's fragmented souls had been reincarnating across his Cosmos and the Nine Heavens. The technique, created by Hades, allowed him to remain unaffected by time manipulation. It was meant to protect him from enemies who tampered with time.

One thing led to another.

Moraine's and Elizabeth's fragments were now included in the technique.

They made an agreement. One life would be spent with Moraine's fragment. Another with Elizabeth's.

This life was with Elizabeth.

Their fragments existed on a world called Earth, where Cursed Spirits roamed and Exorcist Clans ruled from the shadows.

Elizabeth's fragment was a Clan Leader there.

Neo's fragment had reincarnated into the same clan.

Naturally, that meant they would not be married in this life.

Neo had decided not to interfere. Whether his fragments lived peacefully or died, he would not intervene.

But then—

Elizabeth's fragment had held a shotgun to his fragment's temple.

And forced him to marry her.

"What did you do?" Neo asked again.

"I just gave her my feelings for you," Elizabeth replied calmly.

"Why? I told you not to interfere. Just because you're my Avatar and I'm the Godfather doesn't mean we shall give privileges to—"

"What?" Elizabeth finally snapped back. "You think that's what happened?"

She leaned forward, glaring.

"I made her do that because you were being shameless. Do you know how many girls your fragment flirted with last weekend? I'm going to do worse than marriage if he doesn't behave. So you better make sure he behaves."

Neo shut his mouth.

After hearing her words, he was inwardly crying.

How was it his fault that his reincarnation was hitting on other girls?

That bastard didn't even do anything beyond flirting. He didn't touch anyone. He didn't sleep with anyone. He didn't cross any lines that actually mattered.

He just flirted.

That was it.

'Fuck, what's wrong with this guy.'

'Should I just kill him?'

'My life is getting hard because of him!'

He pinched the bridge of his nose and leaned back in his chair, staring at nothing in particular.

Somewhere inside his Cosmos, his reincarnation was probably smiling, completely unaware that his creator was receiving cold shoulder from his wife because of him.

Time passed.

Despite as much as Neo complained internally about Elizabeth and Moraine, he wasn't without fault either.

There was another incident a few months later.

"A competition?" Elizabeth asked, glancing over the reports he had submitted.

"Yes," Neo replied. "You know how Arthur, Felix, and the others are now outside my Cosmos and fully here. Everyone's restless. They need something to do. I thought holding a competition inside the Sect would help. It would be entertaining."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow.

"And what's your real reason?"

"I want to beat the shit out of Pau—" Neo stopped himself mid-sentence and coughed lightly. "The fight with Apollyon is getting close. I want to fight others, learn their battle styles, and improve myself."

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