***
I opened my eyes, in front of me was a game console and a TV screen showing the main menu of The Mayhem. I saw my hand holding a joystick. The surrounding me was inside my old apartment. On the wall in front of me were two posters depicting Hellraider bravely slaughtering the hell monsters swarming him using his signature weapons.
Had I just woken up from my daydream? Maybe yes because I had been thinking too emotionally about why my favorite hero character ended like that, making the world inside The Mayhem feel very real to me.
I then restarted the game. It felt very enjoyable to slaughter those hell monsters and demons with Hellraider's cool weapons. I didn't know how long I had been sitting in front of the TV.
Suddenly, the sound of a creaking door was heard from behind me. Who was entering? I thought there was no one else left besides me living alone. Aunt Nancy had already returned to her hometown.
Footsteps were heard approaching me. I felt someone kneel beside my left side. I paused the game and turned to the left. I was instantly shocked to see who was beside me. My eyes widened and my mouth slightly opened.
"M-Mom...?!?!?!"
Mother whom I truly recognized, with a face already wrinkled yet still beautiful with shoulder-length brown hair similar to mine. Tears began to flow down my cheeks. I smiled as widely as I could.
"M-Mom, h-how can y-you be h-here...?!?!"
Mother began to gently hold both my cheeks while smiling.
"My beloved Johann... Let's go back together again... Mom is already here for you... Leave that game..."
Suddenly my happiness over Mother's presence vanished and I began to realize something that should not be happening right now.
"Mom... I shouldn't be here... And you have already been gone for a long time..."
Mother immediately released her hands from my cheeks and her expression changed into disappointment mixed with anger.
"So you have forgotten me, Johann?!?! You have replaced Mom with that game!"
"N-No... It's not like thaaattt...!!! I truly remember that Mother is gone... I saw Uncle Jenkin carrying your ashes… Aunt Nancy took care of me… I only played that game so I wouldn't keep feeling sad after Mom left me forever…"
Mother immediately stood up and stared at me sharply.
"Johann!!! Let me tell you! They are all just fiction!!! And you have replaced me who is more real with them all! I will never want to meet you again!!!"
Mother immediately turned around and left me toward the exit door. I immediately stood up and began chasing her while crying.
"MOOOMMM PLEASEEE...!!! FORGIVE MEEE...!!! I DIDN'T MEAN TO FORGET YOUUU...!!!"
Mother went out of the apartment door and closed it. I immediately opened the door and suddenly what appeared was not the outside of it but a horrifying event at night that I could never forget.
I saw in the dining room, father was stabbing mother in her neck with a kitchen knife until she leaned against the wall. Blood still splattered from her neck. Mother was still choking and her head turned toward me.
"J-Joh... haaannnn... t-theyy... a-are n-not... reaaalllll..."
My breathing immediately raced rapidly until my body rose and fell. Then I took a deep breath and shouted while closing my eyes.
"THEEYY AND DAVIIIDDD... ALL OF THEM ARE REAAALLLL...!!!!!!"
***
Inside Azkerath's stomach, Johann floated among the streams of souls that were screaming and appeared blazing. Johann's body seemed engulfed in flames but showed no signs of burnt. The souls struck Johann but they could only crawl over him.
Suddenly Johann's eyelids opened and revealed pitch-black eyes with bright white in the center. His entire body emitted bright white flames with deep black inside. All the souls began to move away from Johann. The flames began to spread widely.
***
David saw Azkerath still writhing wildly as if something inside was tormenting him. He immediately summoned red energy from his left hand while running toward the demon king. David threw the energy and again Azkerath staggered. Moments later, he teleported to Azkerath's forehead and David immediately slashed rapidly using Grunginus at his head.
Azkerath's blood, which was like hot magma, splattered again, even both of his eyes were severely injured. The liquid hit David's body but didn't harm him at all. The demon king roared loudly again and teleported away once the energy disappeared.
David saw Azkerath appear some distance from the main portal. Suddenly Azkerath dropped his sword and began walking with difficulty trying to escape into the portal.
"I WILL TAKE THIS CREATURE TO MY MASTERRR...!!! LET MY MASTER END ALL OF THIS...!!!"
David immediately dashed and prepared to fire that energy sphere again downward. As he stepped on the ground, he fired it and upon impact, Azkerath was slightly thrown and rolled face down. David dashed into the air. When he was above demon king's body, he teleported to an even higher position and thrust his Grunginus straight into Azkerath's chest covered with black obsidian spikes, descending at great speed.
When it struck Azkerath's chest, a massive explosion occurred and he roared loudly again and collapsed. David destroyed the upper part of his chest forming a crater with his spear piercing Azkerath's heart. He pulled out Grunginus and blood mixed with magma sprayed heavily. David jumped out and landed beside Azkerath's body while staring at him who seemed dying.
Azkerath's head moved with difficulty toward David who had defeated him. It seemed like he glanced at him even though both his eyes were destroyed.
"Y-YOUUU... FINALLY YOU DEFEATED MEEE... B-BUT REMEMBER THIS... I-I... HAVE ALREADY OBTAINED WHAT I DESIRED... AND YOUUU WILL NEVER FIND IT...!!!"
Azkerath collapsed motionless after saying that sentence. Suddenly all the hell portals on the battlefield disappeared. Beams of sunlight finally pierced through the black clouds.
David immediately ran toward Azkerath's stomach. With his Grunginus, he tore it open wide so that blood and internal organs spilled out. David planted his spear into the ground and searched through the pile of organs with his hands.
Suddenly there was the face of someone covered in blood. David immediately recognized him and pulled him out. He knelt while supporting the person, who was Johann, in his left arm. David began breathing quickly while showing a worried expression.
"Johann...!!! Wake up...!!!"
But Johann didn't wake up and didn't appear to be breathing at all.
David became even more panicked, but suddenly he remembered something. A memory of Johann saving him from choking on a stone.
He raised and clenched his right hand. David then struck Johann's chest and he immediately spat out blood. He looked relieved when Johann breathed again and immediately carried Johann with right arm. When David turned around, he saw Greslan already kneeling before him.
"My Lord... I'm very glad you could save him... Allow me to carry your man to a safer place..."
David took Grunginus and jumped onto his back. Greslan then ran back toward the front-line troops. During the journey, David saw that almost all hell monsters had been eliminated and the troops were chasing the rest that tried to escape.
When they arrived, Greslan brought David to a group of his acquaintances who were once again gathered. They were all shocked and full of worry upon seeing them return. When they saw David descend from Greslan while carrying Johann, Glynpatra and Grelmure burst into tears and immediately hugged him. They looked very happy that Johann was still alive. Gruzhnil, who shed tears, immediately ordered the medical team to come through his radio.
Johann was immediately placed on a stretcher and put into the shuttle to be taken to the central hospital for intensive treatment. After the shuttle flew away, they all immediately knelt again before David and Greslan.
"My Lord... we are deeply indebted to you who have finally eliminated this terror for now and forever. All generations of Grivendal will remember your feats..." said Gruzhnil.
David only stared on them and then glanced toward the shuttle flying away carrying Johann.