Chapter 23 - Rebehold The Stars, My Love

My other book, QT: No to Bad Boys, reached 100 votes. So here's an extra chapter. (Also, Scum Gong System will be contracted soon yaaaaaaayyy)

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At hearing this, terror struck Zhe Chouhen.

(No.... It can't be..... P-Panda-laoshi, it's you, isn't it!? It must be you! You're just scaring me!)

(Thank you for making Daniele love me.)

Zhe Chouhen froze completely, unable to move a single step.

(He now loves me with all his heart. All you need to do is say some pretty words, some act of kindness..... I never thought it would be that simple.)

Zhe Chouhen gulped. (Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be replaced by me?)

(I never left. I just watched.)

Zhe Chouhen desperately called out for help. (Panda-laoshi!!!! PANDA-LAOSHI!!!)

(Haha, why so scared? And why are you asking help from that strange bear of yours?) Leandro chuckled in his head. (Aren't you two enemies? I'm your ally here. I can help you return to your own world without bothering to reach the end.)

Zhe Chouhen yelled back. (THE HELL WOULD I LISTEN TO A CRAZY BASTARD LIKE YOU!? DAOIST PANDA, IF YOU DON'T COME BACK, I'LL... I'LL SASS YOU EVERY SECOND OF YOUR LIFE!)

(Since Daniele loves me now, and the Watchers of my world are satisfied, I can take my body back. All you have to do is let me. Then you can make that 'Panda' pay.)

"Oi, shut the fuck up! I'm not dealing with a devil scum like you!" Zhe Chouhen yelled out loud, banging his head with his fist. "As if I'm going to let Daniele end up with you!"

Daniele and the Serpent looked back to him worriedly as they are almost approaching the Center of Hell now. They saw 'Leandro' hurting himself and banging his head first with his own hands, then knocking it against the ice.

"You hear me!? I'd rather die than hand over Daniele to you!!!" He yelled as he slam his head again and again.

"Leandro, what's wrong!?" Daniele rushed over to his side, trying to stop him.

"Daniele, I love you!" Leandro said, as blood trickled on his forehead again. "I love you, I love you, I love you!"

Just as this commotion was happening, the whole lake Cocytus rumbled as a booming voice spoke....

"Who tempts to travel to the Center of Hell?"

Leviathan's eyes widened, searching all over the thick blizzard and snow. "My lord!"

He rushed towards the direction of the voice, but before doing so, used his powers to incapacitate Leandro.

"I don't know what's happening to you, my boy, but the two of you must deal with it by yourselves. I have to find my master." He rushed and left.

Zhe Chouhen panicked as he can't move, lying on the ice with his blood freezing. "No! Free me, I have to kill him!"

"What are you talking about, Leandro!?" Daniele hugged him in tears, wiping away the solidified blood. "Why are you hurting yourself!?"

Leandro took over again. "Oh, Daniele! Your hands are warm and soft! Touch me more!"

He spoke to Zhe Chouhen. "I will never let you take away these hands from me! Daniele is mine!"

"Never! He doesn't deserve to be with a scum like you!"

At the same time, the howling winds of the storm cleared and they heard Leviathan's distant shouts.

"What do you mean you allowed this upon yourself, Lucifer!? Are you out of your mind!!!???? Letting yourself be punished by him!? What about the revolution!?"

A muffled, deep, and gravelly voice that can only belong to a monster answered back. "I betrayed Him, Leviathan. He and I made the world together. I gave these people light, but because of my greed, the same creation we made are now suffering because of me. Because of us introducing them to sin!"

"Then let us build a new world! His own judgment is not perfect, why must we rely the world to him!? You have never wronged him!"

"I did, Leviathan, I did. I never wanted things to end up like this, I never wanted to kill Him! Because I..... To me, He is....."

Leviathan's snake eyes widened, and he held his chest like he was suddenly struck by lightning in the heart. "You don't mean that you....."

"Just go, Leviathan. You are now free of your duties in hell, you have always been free to roam the mortal world. You are no longer bound to me. I am just a sinner paying my dues."

"No! That cannot be! How can you be.... With him...." This is the first time they saw the Serpent cry. "Lucifer, I also....."

The two, or more accurately, three boys could not focus on the words these inhuman creatures are saying. Zhe Chouhen's head is aching so bad from both hitting himself and fighting off Leandro's influence, while Daniele is so distraught and confused that it's tearing his already damaged sanity.

(It's over, Visitor. Thank you for your service.) Leandro laughed heartily inside him. (But I must reclaim my Daniele now. The Writer already warned you, you shouldn't fall in love with him because he belongs to me. Go back to your world.)

(No..... I can't do that.....) Zhe Chouhen said. (I must.....)

An idea came to him, and he used his powers to at least be able to hold Daniele's hand.

"Daniele..... I'm sorry. I was overcome with guilt." Zhe Chouhen said. "That is why I wanted to punish myself. I... I belong here, but you don't. And the reason you are here....."

Leandro inside him panicked and tried to take control, but Zhe Chouhen fought him back, finally revealing—

"Was because of me."

Daniele stopped crying, tears frozen like crystals. "What?"

(No! No! No! Let me out! Let me out!) Leandro tried and tried to fight over the control of consciousness. But Zhe Chouhen remained strong.

"I knew already that I was the son of the Serpent ever since we met him. And even before then, my mother had told me my father practices black magic..... Just like her..... And me."

Leandro pounded on his head like a caged animal, making him wince, but the transmigrated hater pushed through.

He gave a sad smile. "I loved you since we were alive. But I knew that you would never love me, and that you must mot, because I was, at my core, an evil person."

Daniele shook his head. "No.... You've changed, haven't you? I've already forgiven you...."

"I do not deserve to be forgiven, Daniele." He said, gripping his hand tighter. "I used my magic to learn where you would end up to. I've always known you were a saint, yet I didn't tell you. I know you would go to heaven, and I would go to hell...."

"Daniele, I poisoned you. I poisoned the apple we have bitten. But more importantly, I tried and tried to corrupt your soul, so I could drag you to hell with me."

Terror struck Daniele, and he immediately let go of his hand.

"T-That's not true!" Daniele was aghast. "Tell me that's not true!"

"Daniele..... I have cheated my way to let you stay in hell. You just.... Never noticed." Zhe Chouhen smiled. "But now you know the truth, you realize everything now, don't you? You have always been a smart boy, being able to see the bigger picture once all the pieces were handed to you."

And he was right. Daniele did piece out every single thing. From the 1st Circle to the last, from before they died and after.

That's why they could pass through hell easily.

That's why he said those awful things about him being ignorant.....

But still, he saved him many times, didn't he? Was it all part of the trick? For what purpose would he trick him!? For what purpose would he make him feel like he was loyal to him, only to reveal all of this now!?

"You.... Why!?" Daniele choked on tears. "Leandro, why!?"

"Because I love you, that's why." Zhe Chouhen felt his grip on the body slipping. "That's why I betrayed you, so I could keep you and be your only one. Now, you are free. Free to behold the stars again."

His last words happened to align with what was being said by the lord of hell himself, the one who the Serpent of Eden had longed to see, only to be told:

"Go now, my friend. See the beauties of the land, the seas, the skies, and the stars for me. Do not come back here anymore to see my suffering, just enjoy the world above in peace."

The Serpent and Daniele both cried out in pain from the betrayal of their beloved, and for being told to leave their side.

Zhe Chouhen wanted to embrace Daniele and comfort him. But he had done enough. What matters is that he'll be safe from him.... from Leandro.....

He closed his eyes.

Then, he heard a voice in his head again, but this time, it's not the furious Leandro.

It was Daoist Panda.

[Love Meter lowered to 50%]

[Satisfaction Meter also lowered to 50%]

[Scum Meter... 0%. And.....]

[Penalty triggered.]

Zhe Chouhen felt Leandro's body fall back into the ice and become encapsulated in it, while Daniele's body start to rise and glow in golden light.

"No! Leandro!!!"

He heard his beloved boy call out to him as he was brought where he belong, where he belong, the angels taking him to heaven.

And the body of the monster he inhabited was now where he belong as well, stuck inside the icy Cocytus, the ring of Judecca.

A resolution worth of 50% Satisfaction indeed.

[The book has reached an ending. Aborting this world in 3.....2.....1....]

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~BRIBE ME, PLEASE~

Ok, I'm getting desperate and pathetic so now I'm willing to accept bribes. I get jealous easily of other books that have a huge following and get sad everytime, thinking what's the point of writing if I feel like no one's reading/appreciate it.

1 NEW 5 star review with genuine feedback (emojis and just saying compliments doesn't count) - 1 extra chapter

100 comments in a week (only those with TEXT count) - 1 extra chapter

5 NEW people voting for my other books- (so invite your friends haha) -1 extra chapter dedicated to them

100+ votes in a week in any of my books - 1 extra chapter for all of them

Magic Castle and up - Burst update

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