Carl did as he said and had everyone over for lunch, including Nergal who Kyubi insisted he invite.

Running through events from start to finish Leanna was a bit shocked to hear about Squidge and Levi destroying the man that had greeted them with her present, but the real shock for all the immortals was when he mentioned Gilgamesh.

"That bastard should be dead." Nergal didn't shout, but growled the worlds dangerously, for a moment they wondered if he was going to go there and rectify that. "Wait, have you been checked for curses?"

"Err, yes, they were very thorough, body, mind and soul..." Carl shifted uncomfortably, making his mums and Lillim roll their eyes. "...No, it wasn't like that. Actually on that subject as well, Klaire and Kyubi said they wanted Nergal and Faylorna to see my soul."

"Why?" Nergal asked curiously, ignoring anything else.

"I don't know, something about brightness."

Faylorna and Nergal crooked an eyebrow each, then told Carl to lay on the floor and Nergal pulled it out with a grace that spoke of his experience. The illumination that followed was just as blinding as it had been before.

"Well, it has to be the strongest soul I've ever seen." Nergal said as he shielded his eyes.

Faylorna circled it, then suddenly told everyone not to panic. "I'm going to see how sturdy it is, but I will stitch it back on after..." She grabbed his left hand and wrist and pulled, but to her surprise, it didn't budge at all. "...The boy's soul is as stubborn as his mind."

She swapped out her arms and tried again but still couldn't pull any part of him free. "Want me to try Faylorna?"

"Yes please, even my soul-form is growing unruly in the face of this stubborn fool."

Nergal stepped forward and reached to grab him in the same way as Faylorna had, but then Carl's soul suddenly punched him with a strength that his body didn't even possess. The moment of contact illuminated by golden sparks.

Nergal was sent reeling, crashing through the wall and into the ocean beyond, sending a massive water spout reaching for the sky above.

A minute later, he returned soaking wet. "Sorry, might I trouble someone for a towel?"

Tiamutael reached through space and pulled one through, then took it to him.

"Thank you, little one... I think it's safe to say his soul is the strongest I've ever encountered."

"Agreed, would anyone be opposed to my trying to consume a bit?"

"Yes. If anyone is going to do that, it's probably better for Klaire to be the one to do that. That was just a reflexive tap because he isn't overly fond of Nergal, I would rather not push it and see what happens when he actually attacks someone."

"That is a wise suggestion..." Nergal mumbled around his fingers as he pulled out a tooth loosened by the reflex. "...That might have destroyed your head Faylorna."

"Really? And where is my heir and fo-" She was interrupted by the sight of Carl's soul cracking it's neck, then looking about and descending from where it had floated up right above his body.

"Erm, sorry to interrupt, but his understanding of Soul just increased and he's learned to control his soul remotely." Sis added suddenly as they watched his soul return to his body.

"Well, that felt really strange, not as much as splitting in half when Kyubi pulled my mind projections out."

"You already had a good understanding of Mind, so that's why you were conscious then," Bahamut explained.

"How did you learn how to control your soul, while it was detached?" Nergal asked.

"Well, it took one of my mind projections with it... I was pretty conscious, trying to figure it out, then I realised that my soul is just another piece of me and no different really to my body or mind."

"Another terrifying display of growth..." Nergal sighed.

"Sorry for the punch, it was a stray thought, but that's what helped me figure it out."

Faylorna got herself back on track and then asked her question again, leaving Carl to explain that his return interrupted their day thanks to Ki-ko's trickster influence on Tiamutael and that he told them to enjoy their day.

Lillim and Faylorna both tried looking for them then suddenly stopped and looked at each other.

"Why does it feel like Carl's with them and in two places at once?"

"I gave Klaire a vial of divinity in case she gets hungry. Kyubi might have had some as well, apparently it's like fine wine... Can we change the subject, going to a weird place..."

"Carl, my man!" Gillian shouted with the dumb expression of a crude teenage boy.

"Gil, shut up, don't forget that Kyubi's one of them..." Blanc said as he was nervously moving away from him as though worried he'd get caught in the crossfire.

"Yeah, that... Is a very good point." Gillian agreed as he apologised.

Faylorna then demanded that Carl go and fetch them, but Nergal made the point that sending Carl was unlikely to get them back any quicker and cleared up any doubt as to exactly what they were doing at that time.

"Regardless of Faylorna's obsessive personality, the issue is Gilgamesh... He is two-thirds god and technically a relation. Carl, do not let him know your connection to Ishtar, he hates my family and their creations more than anything.

The next time you meet him, you must keep a barrier up at all times."

"Right, no problem. Oh, by the way, I still suck at barriers and can't hold one up for too long..."

"Well then you have two choices, be cursed by false hero or learn. Don't underestimate him, you're lucky you walked away without one."

"I didn't, he managed to get a confusion curse on me, but..."

"Your inversion saved you, his curses are not to be underestimated. He was likely only testing a simple one on you so he could see how to deal with you if necessary. Now what will it be?"

"No offense, but why are you asking like you will be training me?"

"A curse from my kin is unique, only I can properly test your defenses."

Carl groaned. "Fine, let's see how good a teacher you are..."

Nergal grinned as a loud crashing noise rang out where the corner of the house collapsed as a result of the whole Nergal made...

"Maybe fix your house first though.."

"Yeah, that sounds good..."

Carl fixed the house then stepped outside onto the sandy beach with Nergal, who was looking eager to see why Carl was struggling with the barriers when he didn't have any issues learning much more intricate things.

"I assume one of the others has already suggested layering?"

Carl nodded and explained that even when he did that, the moment he moved, the inner barriers broke through the outer ones the broke apart.

"I see. Let's try something else. Try forming a barrier around just your hand."

Carl did as requested with no issues. "See. It's just trying to protect myself full when it goes wrong."

"Does it really... Show me."

Carl once again followed instructions, the barrier shattering as it did every time previously, floating around him like shards of glass in frozen time.

"Hmm... can you communicate with your mind projections?"

"Not really, they just repeat my own words back to me, I've tried before to see if they could help me understand the law of Mind."

Nergal nodded, then appeared in front of him and sent a shockwave through his body his internal organs shook violently and he threw up yet again, but Nergal smiled. "Your minds are repeating your actions, which is why they're collapsing."

"Well, thanks, but what did that achieve?"

"It disciplined them. You're used to letting them run wild, a powerful mind is both a great weapon and a liability, you have two."

"Let me guess, I keep making barriers and every time they shatter, you shake up my guts?"

"Exactly, see, quick learner... Hopefully they are too, I don't want to face either of your partners' wrath."

Carl nodded, then threw up a barrier which shattered and Nergal used his shockwave. The process repeated a dozen times and Carl was throwing up blood by the end, that was when Nergal saw Carl's resolve first hand for the first time.

"Seems we should take a break."

"No, I'm stubborn, they'll learn quicker when they realise how mad the girl's will be they dragged this out..."

"We ha-"

"Just do it." Carl threw up another barrier, the intensity in his eyes remaining strong as it shattered.

A dozen more times and he was on his knees, struggling in vain to get back up as the colour completely drained from him.

"Carl, that's enough..."

"No. If they aren't gonna learn now, then I'll die in a week anyway. Trying again tomorrow will just be a waste of time, the girls will be distraught one way or another..."

Carl put up another barrier, but this time as it flexed and warped, one of his minds pulled itself free and erected its own barrier in a separate layer. "Great, now get back in and do the same damn thing idiot. How angry would the girls be if I became brain dead because you're outside the barrier."

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