40 Aftermath (Part 2)
As Xiong Mao managed to bite the Teacher's right hand up to the elbow, the enchantment on the cage weakened, and he managed to escape!
The Teacher was overcome with shock that his kin, a member of his brotherhood, could wrong him like this!
But he easily got over that shock and yelled, "Run after him!"
Eating the hand in one gulp, the monster Xiong Mao ran faster and as he did so, his body transformed into that of a naked young man, hurriedly running and running to escape through one of the floating doors---
But one of the members of the brotherhood managed to shoot him!
"Ahhhhgh!" He collapsed to the ground, his form flickering back and forth from human, to panda, to beast, then again and again. In the end, he settled with the two-dimensional panda.
As a dying Daoist Panda, he edged to the door, trying to reach the knob with his chubby fingers as a dozen men chased after him.....
And he managed to go through, zapping inside the portal!
"We lost him!"
"SHIT!"
"Was tun wir jetzt?"
The brotherhood was slamming through the door, but it was locked tight, soon glowing dimmer and dimmer.
Some of them helped the bleeding Teacher, wrapping the chomped-off arm in cloth. One of them asked, "What will happen now, Teacher? He has your arm, which means he took half of your powers and control over the doors."
"Let him have it. It's only a matter of losing a little bit of hold and sight on his movements and those nearby..." The Teacher winced, willing himself to heal the broken arm quickly. "He had not killed me, or taken my eye. We will still succeed in getting our Retribution."
"He's a traitor!" One of them yelled. "He will collude with the other side!"
"My kin, do not let your spirits waver from this. This is just a minor setback." The Teacher assured them with a pained smile. "This is not the first time. Many of us had lost their way. Luckily, they had not drunk from the Fountain of Memories, and will never remember the purpose of their suffering. They are stuck with their counterpart from the other side, who will never love them back as we had already pulled strings in their hearts."
"Oh yes, like Li---"
"Do not mention any names." The Teacher snapped at the one who said that. "We must cut our losses and move on. We're still many, and as long as we are together, we are strong."
"But what if Xiong Mao uses the power of your hand to defy us?" The one with a gun asked. "I shot him, and so his current forms would all die, but he can still occupy a body from any of the doors, and we would never know because you no longer have a hold over him. He can plot something to destroy our doors, and let the other side's Champion succeed."
The Teacher waved his other hand, causing his long, flowing sleeve to sway. "Let him plot all he wants. He is not a friend of the other side either. Once they managed to get the Champion as one of them, he will have no one left. He will just be a lonely animal with no body, trapped inside the doors because he would only be a soul outside of them."
"He'll come back to us." He smiled. "I'm sure of it."
The brotherhood frowned. Because Xiong Mao is the youngest, he had always been the Teacher's favorite, the Teacher's pet. They felt like he was being too lenient on him, but did not say anything.
One of them came out of one of the doors after a brief knock. "Ashton Florice is coming soon. Both sides ended in a truce again."
"The other side's Champion is unpredictable just as Daniele has said." The Teacher's long hair had noticeably become a little curly, the same way how Daniele's were curled. "But this truce streak would end soon. I can feel it. Either side will win this time."
He turned to them, with a sly grin. "Make sure that it is our own."
"YES, TEACHER!!!"
They yelled and cheered, speaking their mantra once more.
"Love is for the weak, the manipulated, and the abandoned! We shall not Love again!"
---------------------------------------
Zhe Chouhen was surprised to see that even when he was back to the space with doors and endless skies, Daoist Panda was still a floating head.
"What happened to your body?" Zhe Chouhen asked.
[It..... It doesn't matter. This is the second time the other side---- I mean, my MLs has possessed you without us knowing, right? I'm sorry about that.]
"Panda-laoshi, tell me. " Zhe Chouhen grabbed the head squishing it, trying to intimidate it with a scary look. He emphasized every word. "What. Happened. To. Your. Body?"
[I.... I don't want you to see it.]
"Why not?" Zhe Chouhen started to worry. "It's just a 2D avatar, what could have gotten wrong with it?"
[.... Fine. Since you're so fucking persistent.]
He revealed the lower portion of himself below the neck. It was just the same as before. But the white robes are stained red.
"You're..... You're bleeding!?" He immediately took the small chibi panda, holding it up under the arms like a baby. "Who did this to you, bro????"
Daoist Panda looked away, but he already expected such an embarrassing reaction. [Zhe Chouhen, I have no time to explain. I only have time to give you this.]
His eyes glowed, and he floated out of Zhe Chouhen's grasp. Painstakingly, he made some gestures despite his wound, something a bit like Tai Chi, but also different. A piece of rectangular paper floated, along with an inkbrush. He took the brush, and in one swift motion.....
Wrote something on it, and pasted it on Zhe Chouhen's forehead!
Zhe Chouhen: ....
He reached out to the paper. "What the hell is this? A talisman? What does it say---"
[Don't look! Don't take it off!] The dying Panda reminded him, dropping back down. [It's to protect you from having your body occupied by the ML again. I now have the power to do so, sorry that it took a while. Once you go to the next door, it will vanish as a barely noticeable mark on your new body.]
"Really? Thank you!" This is great news for Zhe Chouhen, but he still could not help but be anxious about the blood dripping on the floor. "....What about you? That wound is temporary, right? You'll be okay, right?"
[... Yes.] Daoist Panda forced a smile. [Thanks for your concern.]
"I managed to stop an ending where Henry takes control over Ashton's life, but that's not enough to lower the Scum Meter all the way." Zhe Chouhen kneeled beside him, getting a little cross-eyed from the talisman in front of him. "So I still lose the bet then?"
[Yes.]
"I see. But can you..... Can you still help me in that condition?" Zhe Chouhen gritted his teeth. "Someone did this to you, right? That skull mask..."
Daoist Panda's beady eyes widened in alarm. [How did you know about the skull mask?]
"It made a new app once I uninstalled yours. I know there's another enemy here, someone shittier than you. I...." Zhe Chouhen hesitated, but eventually.....
He couldn't stop himself, and hugged the chibi panda!
"I never should have done that. I must be the one who put you in danger. I'm sorry." Zhe Chouhen covered the large hole in his back with oozing crimson liquid. "I missed you, bro."
[..... Me too, bro. Me too.] Daoist Panda gave his back a few small taps with his paw, trying hard not to tear up.
"As much as I hate you for all the things you've done.... I feel like your hands are tied. And so, I'm going to help you untie it." Zhe Chouhen squeezed his panda's face. "Let's escape this shithole together."
The dying panda chuckled. [Yeah...]
But then....
His vision is swimming, and he would soon just be a phantom, a soul you cannot see or touch.
"Why are your eyes getting droopy!?" Zhe Chouhen panicked. "Panda.... don't fucking do this to me. I'm not done yet! I haven't told you about my ultra special friend date I have planned when we get outside whatever this hell is and succeed in the next world!"
[Sounds.... nice... Go on.....]
The panda doesn't know that he's flickering, pixels missing in huge chunks.
"Oi, oi, oi!!!..... Sob....." Zhe Chouhen held him close in his arms. "You.... You're zoning out. You said you'll be fine, right? You're not gonna die....."
[Yes.... I'm just tired. Tell me about the friend date.]
"Okay.... Ha..." He wiped his eyes furiously with his elbow. "First.... ah..... What was it again? Oh! The park. Yeah, near my house, there's this really big park with a giant cucumber monument in it....."
[.... You're bullshitting me again.] Daoist Panda said weakly.
"I'm not! I'm not! You should see it for yourself. People take pictures with the giant cucumber. And it is surrounded by a chrysanthemum garden. Isn't that very suspicious?"
[Yeah.... very sus....] He tried to nod, but only managed to do so once.
Zhe Chouhen tapped his cheek a few times. "Don't roll your head like that! Listen, don't die yet! I haven't told you about the mall..... my school..... you gotta visit, Daoist Panda! Ya hear!?"
[I will..... after this.....]
"But you don't even know where I live!" Zhe Chouhen exclaimed, giving him his complete address. "Now you tell me where you live so I could visit you... Come on, bro! Keep your eyes open, don't do this to me....."
[I will visit..... bro.....] Daoist Panda promised, the light on his eyes flickering, and his body slowly vanishing. [I swear..... with my whole fat heart. Then, if there's no cucumber monument..... I will punch you really hard...]
Zhe Chouhen sobbed louder, hugging the tiny body in his arms. "Panda-laoshi.... There really is... Don't die, there really is..."
[I see..... Just pick a door now. Any will do.] Daoist Panda mumbled, his eyes closing. [Also, don't cry. You're ugly when you cry, like a chimpanzee with your nose flaring bigger...]
"Sob..... sob.... fuck you... Fatty panda. Cute, little chubby panda....."
[Hehe, fuck you too. I ain't cu.....]
Before he can even finish the word 'cute'.....
He let out his last breath. Disappearing into a bunch of pixels, until there's none.
Zhe Chouhen tried to grab a few of them, but he was just left with his bloodstained hands, and saw his own tears falling down them.
He had encountered so many sad things in his life. Many sad deaths. He can't believe the first one that can make wail and weep like this....
Is the death of a chibi panda.
"Damn it!" Zhe Chouhen punched a door.
But in doing so, he accidentally got zapped inside it!
------------------
This is the last of the free chapters, but I hope you would still continue reading and supporting me! The story is faaaaaaaarrrr from finished. Please continue this journey with me and consider using Fast Passes or coins to unlock the next chapters. I will be publishing everyday once the Premium is approved by the editors and set, and the bribe list still stands, so that means you can experience having double updates in a day or triple or quadruple even! Look forward to that, and thank you for supporting me so far!
