Chapter 46

  Dim light caressed my exhausted face. Rough walls loomed over my sorry head. The last specks of dust from the collapsed ceiling drifted onto my body… Stop, moment, you’re beautiful. Somewhere, sad music played. A familiar tune… Knock-knock-knockin’ on heaven’s door… Oh yeah… Love that one. Shame this world doesn’t work like that. I’m just knocking on the next room’s door, where more bullshit awaits. Why so pessimistic? It’s obvious. When your whole life’s been a straight-up clusterfuck, why expect change? No guarantee the next turn brings anything good. No counter for good or bad events. No balance. The universe has no justice. The fact that my consciousness is doomed to hop from one life to another bums me out. But maybe, one day, after hundreds of rebirths, my soul will find peace, dissolving like morning mist under a bright sun.

  Knowing what comes after death turned my life into some drawn-out prelude. No more intrigue. The answer to the question that’s haunted humanity for millennia doesn’t actually help you live. Wonder… If people knew what’s next, would suicides go up or down? Maybe the world would turn into one big lottery. But I hate lotteries. You can’t win.

  A giant pile of shit floats before my eyes. Think I’ve seen it before. That’s my life. There’s me forgetting a poem in front of the whole school. There’s me, drunk, puking all over myself at a birthday party. (Weird, first time seeing that memory.) There’s me clumsily hitting on a girl, only for her to laugh her ass off at me. There’s me scrubbing a latrine in the army. There’s me slaving fifteen hours a day in the fields. There’s me getting fucked up by two dumb demons… And plenty more… Sure, there were good moments. Probably. Don’t really remember them.

  Fuck… This is so damn unfair. I’m not okay with this! I don’t wanna die a loser! This life’s been total ass, but it’s not over. I’m only seventeen. Enough hiding in a coffin. I wanna live! I won’t let these bastards kill me that easy! Oh no… They’ll remember this day for a long time! Think I’m the one trapped? Nah… You’re all fucked. I’m not playing your lottery. I’ll smash it to hell! I’m the monster here! The toughest cockroach! The most venomous bug in the jar! So enough of this pop shit. Yo, DJ, change the tape!

  Pam pam pam param pam param pam

  Pam pam pam param pam param pam

  Pam pam pam param pam param pam

  Pam pam pam param pam param pam

  I’m surrounded. Enemies closing in. A few demons are already mid-leap. They float slowly through the air. Their hands reach for me. Their eyes want to rip me apart. Well… Let’s cure their hostility with the healing power of lightning… Chain lightning! Dozens of bolts scatter in all directions. Took some effort to aim them at the nearest demons’ eyes. Now I’ve got time to blend into the crowd. I dive to the side. Dagger in hand. Stab it into the first victim’s neck from behind. This demon’s under my control now. Let’s dance, baby…

  Push the tempo.

  Push the tempo.

  Push the tempo.

  Push the tempo.

  Push the tempo.

  Push the tempo.

  Push the tempo.

  Push the tempo.

  Shake what ya mama gave yaaaааааааaaaa!!!

  I’m the scariest parasite in the world. I hijack a body in a hundredth of a second. And not just any way… Seizure technique works like a charm on demons. Especially to Fatboy Slim. My shocked puppet swings its claws left and right like a marionette. Someone jumps me from behind. Perfect. My alert system’s top-notch. I’ve cranked my focus and sensitivity so high I can feel the electromagnetic field two meters out. I know when someone’s creeping up. In this mode, sneaking up on me is tough. I ditch the first victim in time and switch to another. No worries about the abandoned demon—others already took care of it. They won’t ignore a nutcase defending a human.

  I’m using the Fatboy Slim tactic to save my strength. My mana pool’s way bigger than my endurance, especially after that kid incident. I hop from victim to victim, using their bodies as weapons. Some are weaklings whose heads get ripped off by their buddies right away, but sometimes I snag a real beast. Just caught one. One, two, three, five, ten demons… His seizure strikes send the rest flying like baseballs off a bat. I’m riding high when a brutal kick from above turns my champ into a wet stain. I dodge fast. Ulfric… That lanky fuck hasn’t used magic yet, which is great. If he starts casting, I’m screwed. Gotta kill him quick, but getting close is tough. He’s fast. A new wave of demons rushes me from three sides. No time to think. Stop for a second, and I’m done. I’m an elusive, deadly shadow in their ranks. Slipping between someone’s legs, I reach a wall. Super risky here. Too few escape routes. But using the moment I’m out of sight, I get to those fire vats. Light’s my enemy. I don’t need it much. Everyone here wants me dead, and I don’t care to tell them apart. They’re all enemies. Total darkness won’t happen, but darker’s better. Can’t do it instantly. I tip a vat, and the floor’s coated in bright flames. Kinda counterproductive. More light. Whatever. Demons don’t burn. I lure a few into the fire and give them a massive bloodletting. That’ll dim it a bit.

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  When others spot me, I dive back into the crowd. This time, I grab two. Yeah, in emergencies, I surprise even myself with my agility. Stabbing one dagger in one’s back, another in the other’s, I can go full 360. Chaos, death, screams… Blood flows like a river. And only Fatboy Slim keeps pounding, Push the tempo. Push the tempo. Push the tempo. Push the tempo. One sword swing lops off both my horses’ heads. I barely duck. Right after, Ulfric’s leg lands nearby, leaving a deep hole in the floor. His other leg swings at my ribs but only blows dust off my chest. Ulfric’s not stopping. He wants to keep attacking, but his foot’s stuck in the floor. My chance! Come here, you taekwondo fuck. I charge, but more demons block my path. You won’t stop me, assholes! Long-range eye shots are still on the table. The moment I vanish from their sight, I slip through a narrow gap between their bodies. As I do, a powerful spin kick greets me from the other side. Screw Neo… I think I bent my spine in ways it’s not meant to. I fly further from the momentum, while Ulfric’s leg wipes out those two. Damn… Chance gone. No time to sulk. Dodge an axe. Then a sword. And, of course, some friendly hugs. Don’t stop. Don’t stop. Move! Or they’ll corner me.

  There’s gotta be tons of mages here, but no one’s used magic yet. Their minds are fogged. They’re obsessed with my death, but from my own experience, they’ll soon remember their abilities. When that happens… It’ll be pure chaos. I gotta kill as many as I can while I can.

  Desperately maneuvering and hijacking new puppets, I reach another fire vat. This time, I tip it onto the crowd chasing me. The flames won’t hurt them but will fuck up their vision. Keeps me out of a pincer. I’m still not caught. Can’t stop here. Two vats left. I head for the next, but my alert system goes berserk. Something sharp’s flying at my chest, though I see nothing. Trust instincts. I sidestep and swing my dagger at empty air. Hit something. Yup… This one was invisible. So jealous… Nah, no reason to be—he’s got a hole in his head. Did he even know what he was doing? His own guys could’ve trampled him. Though, reflecting light didn’t save those poor saps already turned into rugs. Shit… Fucking stray thoughts! Get out! I lingered too long. Someone’s claws rake my back. They’d have stripped my muscles if I’d been distracted a second longer. Got off with shallow scratches. I’d settle the score, but no time. A demon in front preps a spell. Hand outstretched. No clue what magic. Gotta strike first. I zap him with lightning just as a thin, bright beam shoots from his hand. My hit knocks it off course, and the beam slices through ten demons like a Jedi saber. What the fuck was that?! He regains control, but I dive under the laser. A few more demons lose their heads. With all my seizure strength, I charge. The beam’s still there. He aims it at me again. I arch like a high jumper over the deadly stream. One more step, and he’s mine. Finally, I sink my dagger into his leg. This guy’s a goldmine. Go! It’s a fucking death ray! I take out a few more before someone spears the mage. Yup, body count’s spiking. Gotta watch not to trip over a corpse or slip in blood. Alright… No time to chill. These demons won’t kill themselves. Or will they?

  I snap back and resume the dance. Push the tempo. Need a new horse. I’m getting winded. Need a quick breather. Can’t let fatigue pile up. First guy I grab has a sword. Thank fuck. With him, I reach the next fire vat. This time, I make the demon lie on it. Much darker now, but the demon ranks are thinning. I’m still easy to spot. I head to a darker part of the building. As I step, a meter-long spike shoots up where my foot’s afterimage was. Fuck… Gotta run faster! Need to hide from this mage. Another step, another spike nearly pierces my leg. At full speed, I charge toward the enraged demons. This sneaky mage goes for the kill. Dozens of spikes sprout like roided-up mushrooms under, behind, and in front of me. All I manage is to jump. The poor bastards running at me didn’t think of that. They’re instantly skewered like some hentai girl. I push off one’s head and vanish behind their backs.

  Ulfric’s back with his legs. So far, I’m only dodging. I need the perfect moment to counter. But as I’m ready, two demons attack from the right. I leap left. A spear’s already flying from that side. Seizure mode maxed! I dodge, but spikes attack from the ground. I jump, but Ulfric’s got a spin kick ready. Blocking it is death. Suddenly, a powerful air gust knocks me off the leg’s path. Flying thirty meters, I slam into a wall with a ring. Thanks for the save, air mage buddy. I slide down forever. No time to float around doing nothing! A few demons are already aiming at me. Gotta burn mana on long-range attacks. Can’t let them lock on.

  I fire my cannon fast, but don’t take them all out. Almost touching the ground, a massive web pins me to the wall. Fuck… They’ve got every kind of magic. The demon who caught me grins wickedly, pulling a knife. But lingering on foreplay, he misses a huge, fat guy with a massive axe trampling through, mowing down dozens of demons. The web holding me vanishes. I barely dodge his sledgehammer. His swing nearly takes out the wall. This meathead’s perfect… Let’s roll! I hijack his nervous system and start smashing enemies in batches.

  Sneaky ground spikes are no threat now. I crush them with my giant axe, along with heads. This guy’s slow as hell, but with my control, he’s a fucking combine harvester. Remaining demons scatter. Further off, I spot Ulfric. Looks like he’s finally hitting the mass-kill button. I gotta take him out first!

  I steer the bull straight ahead. Max speed! Twenty meters to Ulfric. White mist pours from his body. A wave of icy air spreads across the floor, snuffing out all life in the building. Remaining demons turn to brittle ice blocks and shatter into thousands of pieces. Only one creature, in slow motion, flies toward him through the dense white haze. The heavy cold air doesn’t reach him at this height. Pushing off a now-legless demon at the last second, I close in relentlessly. There you are… No hesitation—I hurl both daggers at his eyes. A powerful electric surge follows. The lanky, headless body drops quietly onto the frost-covered ground. Right after, I land in a badass pose, knee bent. For a second, I freeze. No one’s left alive behind me. I’m sure of it. No need to look. Now, just nail the cool face. Oh yeah… Shame no one sees me. Push the tempo, fuck.