24 Aftermath (Part 1)
This extra chapter is dedicated to Ahmad_Ramzan. Thank you for the review.
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Zhe Chouhen was back in the empty space full of clouds, skies, and doors again.
The panda in pure white robes floated in front of him.
"Panda-laoshi..." He approached the mascot, reaching out.....
To pinch and twist his ear!
"Where the hell have you been, man!? Did you rush out to jerk off or something!? When I needed you the most you suddenly bailed on me, WHAT KIND OF FUCKING SYSTEM ARE YOU!?"
[Oww! Let go of me!] Panda fought him with his fluffy and pudgy fingers.
"Leandro's inside me all along!!!!" Zhe Chouhen wrestled with the panda's head! "How can you let that happen, huh!? I almost shit my pants when he talked with my own mouth— his mouth— Whatever! It was fucked up!"
[Alright, alright! I'm sorry! It was a bug and I fixed it!] Daoist Panda struggled on his grasp squirming like a caterpillar. [That's why it took so long. I didn't really expect my theory was correct either.... Holy shit....]
"I'm done with this!" Zhe Chouhen yelled at him. "Make me go home or just permanently kill me already! I already lost the love of my life! But at least I saved him from a fate from an evil monster, so I am already satisfied to die at the age of 22!"
[It won't happen again, okay!? I promise! And the system's rules are set in stone, I can't bring you back home that easily when I already transmigrated you here!]
"Aren't you the system!? The fuck do you mean, you can't break your own rules!?"
[Yeah, I am the system..... and a new one! I'm still getting used to it!] Daoist Panda grumbled. [I'm trying my best. And how dare you ask me for favors when the first thing you do when seeing me is to hurt me!]
"Alright, fine! If you won't bring me home, just kill me! I died once, I can handle it again!"
Zhe Chouhen spread his arms wide. "Come fucking do it, you psycho! Kill me already!"
Daoist Panda's expression suddenly softened and he shook his head. [Calm down. I won't kill you, that will be breaking the deal.]
"If you don't fucking do it, I'll do it myself!" Zhe Chouhen yelled. "Give me a knife or something!."
[Zhe Chouhen, calm down!] Daoist Panda's voice became more firm now. [You're giving up on life just because of this? Over fiction? You could just think of all this as a dream and don't get so attached, yet you clearly fucked that up by falling in love with my character!]
"Yet you wanted me to be attached, weren't you? To make me suffer?" Zhe Chouhen's expression went cold. "Isn't that the purpose of bringing me here?"
[No. My purpose was to prove you wrong. To show you that my stories can never have a good ending with a good love interest.] Daoist Panda frowned. [Sure, I was annoyed with you. But it was never my intention to make you suffer..... At least, this is too much.]
Zhe Chouhen rolled his eyes. "Oh, really? So you think bashing my head again and again on the ground to make me unconscious for 200 years isn't suffering?"
[It's fiction, Zhe Chouhen! What part of that do you not get!? I won't do that in real life, I did that precisely because I knew it's not real!]
"But it felt real."
Daoist Panda's red and fuming expression started to cool down a bit.
"Think about what it's like on my place. It's just fiction for you, because you're just watching along with your stupid readers. But what about me?" Zhe Chouhen clenched his fist. "The love I had for Daniele.... That's not just a one-time thing! It's not the same as falling in love with a character you've only READ ABOUT. I EXPERIENCED it."
"The fear of dying is real too. And you just treat it like a game. I'm not one of your characters, Daoist Panda, who you can control how much mental stability they have." Zhe Chouhen sat on the inexistent floor, rubbing his head. "I have my own limits. I will crack and break, eventually going insane, and you can't do anything about it."
Daoist Panda went quiet, looking unsure. He fidgeted his fingers.
[I'm...] He tried to get out the words. It was hard for his sky-high pride, but he managed eventually.
[I'm sorry. I didn't know that.... you would be hurt this much already.] He looked away. [You're right, I don't know what it's like to be you. I shouldn't have judged on my own.]
Zhe Chouhen shook his head. "I don't need your lousy apology. I just want to go home.... or for this to be over."
[I can't. I now want to as well, but I really can't.] The chibi panda kneeled in front of Zhe Chouhen, and bowed his head to the ground. [I'm sorry again. I will try my best to help you win the deal and go back home from now on.]
The transmigrator went quiet, a little skeptical about the author's apology to him. But he sounded sincere. He really couldn't do anything about it.
"Don't bow to me..... Just.... Give me some time to breathe and think before we go to the next world."
He absentmindedly put his hand on the Panda's head, like he didn't even think much about it and just did it by instinct. "Can you do that at least?"
Daoist Panda raised his head up from the ground, a bit teary eyed from the gesture. He nodded. [Alright. Take as much time as you need.]
He disappeared into a burst of pixels, and Zhe Chouhen was left alone to consider everything thay just happened.
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Daniele had reached a place filled with endless skies and doors.
The angels brought him here. He looked around, and there was no one. He was alone.
"Is this.... heaven?" He asked the angels.
The angels were quiet, and as still as statues. Like they were waiting for something.
A fountain appeared before him.
"What is this?" He asked them again.
"The Fountain of Memories."
In one of the doors, the biggest and grandest one shining in gold, came a figure more majestic and beautiful than anyone Daniele had ever seen. He wore a mask made of an animal's skull, and his long hair overflowed up to the ground, leaving a trail behind him.
"Drink, my child." The figure said.
Daniele hesitated, worry still written in his heart. He still wants to go back to hell for Leandro. But he was also compelled to follow this figure, and so, he cusped the fountain's sparkling water with both hands, and drunk.
Suddenly, his pupils dilated, and it all came back to him.
"Teacher!" He said to the figure. "T-Teacher I have returned!"
"You have." The Teacher calmly answered.
Soon, the doors opened, and more people had joined him. He gave a bow to all of them, and gritted his teeth, very ashamed.
"Teacher, I have failed you."
"That is alright." The Teacher said. "I expected that our fight would not be won that easily. It is already written in the stars that the first would undoubtedly fail. You have done your best, you even manage to make him fall in love with you so quickly! But that's to be expected since the other side only thinks with their loins, not their heads."
Daniele nodded, but was still nervous. "Teacher, the other side is unpredictable. We must remain in caution if we want to keep the facade."
"Do not worry, we are unpredictable too." The Teacher took off his mask, and set it down the edges of the fountain. "We have the power of the Unknown, and the power of Hatred. As long as there's no Love, we will win."
He turned to the other people standing by the doors. "Listen, my kin! You must not let yourselves falter. When you drink from the Fountain of Forgetfulness, you must be resolute in not letting Love evade your senses. Remember our mantra!"
They all spoke at the same time:
"Love is for the weak, the manipulated, and the abandoned! We shall not Love again!"
After saying so, he put a hand on Daniele's shoulder, and the boy disappeared into a burst of light.
The Teacher smirked widely, but narrowed his eyes when he noticed that one of the doors remained closed, and a part of their brotherhood is missing. He knew immediately who it was.
"Hmph." He scoffed. "The panda has not yet returned. Is he being pulled into the other side?"
"I shall have a word with him, then."
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"Daoist Panda? Are you there?" Zhe Chouhen sat up from his long and deep reflection. "I'm ready."
Daoist Panda appeared again in front of him in sparkles. [I never left. I just waited.]
This reminded Zhe Chouhen of Leandro's words, and he grimaced.
"Well.... If you're gonna do that, give a warning next time. You should have told me you were there all along."
[Are you really sure you want to proceed to the next world now?]
"The faster we get this over with, the better." Zhe Chouhen looked at the doors lazily, picking and choosing. "You promised you'll help me win. You better not back out on your promise."
[Mn.] Daoist Panda nodded. [It'll be easy if you don't let yourself fall in love with the MC for real. Remember that it's all just an act.]
"Emotions can't be controlled, Panda-laoshi." Zhe Chouhen smiled sadly. "I learned that the hard way. The mouth may deny and deny that you love him, but the heart never lies."
Daoist Panda was struck by this, but just waved it off with sarcasm. [Did you suddenly become a monk while I was away?]
"Nah, monks are not bound by attachments, or at least try not to be by meditating for years and years. I'm too lazy for that. Speaking of attachments...." Zhe Chouhen rubbed his chin. "What happens to the Serpent now?"
[What about him?] Daoist Panda raised an eyebrow.
"I dunno. I just bonded with him like a real dad, more than my actual mom and dad. And I'm interested in his story." Zhe Chouhen paced back and forth. "From what I've heard before the 'Ending', Lucifer loves god?"
[Yeah, even I was surprised after hearing how much of an ass he was.] Daoist Panda nodded. [Leviathan deserves Lucifer more. I don't know why he would be so stupid.]
"That just proves my point." Zhe Chouhen shrugged. "You can't control who you love."
[Yes.... But you can control your actions. Lucifer had started a revolution despite loving god, yet now he's fine with being stuck in literal hell for him. That's just plain stupid.] Daoist Panda scratched his head. [I still don't understand that decision, he's not my character after all.]
"I guess we will never know. Even so.... Though I know that love cannot be controlled..... I'm still rooting for the Serpent." Zhe Chouhen concluded. "I hope one day Lucifer would realize his devotion and loyalty for him and the world of 'I Will Drag You To Hell With Me' will finally have a good resolution."
The panda seemed like he wanted to say something, then pressed his lips together and didn't say it.
"But again, I guess I'll never know. All I could do is hope."
Zhe Chouhen finally walked towards one of the doors, hesitating a bit to open the knob. "That's how life is, I guess. Nothing is for certain and so all we could do is hope. But at least....."
He turned back to Daoist Panda.
"I can be certain that no matter what comes next, you're coming with me, right?"
The Panda felt something unexplainable in his heart and placed a hand over it, then nodded.
[Of course. I'm your system after all, and you're my annoying, scummy hater. I'll always be by your side.]
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