Yarin's POV:
I blinked and was startled by the enlarged face in front of me.
"What are you doing?" I reflexively pushed Heller away, and he stumbled but didn't mind, immediately pouncing on me with a joyful shout, "You're awake! Goddess, you're finally awake!"
Then he began calling for others. That was when I realized I was lying on a large grassy field, and beneath me was a familiar magic circle. There was no one around, but there were many
cameras.
The grassy field was completely sealed off. The werewolf grandmasters and warriors thoroughly searched here in case there were any remnants of evil powers or items.
And I was sitting in a nearby tent drinking juice, recounting the events to Heller and Cynthia for the fifth time.
"... Linda died, and then Azazel decided to stop struggling. He requested to stay in the Moon Palace's courtyard, and now I can't feel any of his power anymore, so... he's dead. There's no doubt about it. Maybe someday in the future, another demon will condense in the world, but it won't be Azazel anymore, so we can stop worrying about him forever."
"Bro, I still can't believe it. Is everything just ending like this? Without an earth-shattering final battle? Is it really ending so peacefully?"
Heller still couldn't believe it and seemed ready to ask me for the sixth time. I quickly said, "That's it, just that simple. Azazel was already on the verge of death back then, unable to use his own powers anymore. What could the two of us do to shake the world? Anyway, that's the truth. If you're unsatisfied, you can go home, watch movies, and take some takeout."
"So, Linda has completely disappeared? Not even her soul remains?"
"No, she couldn't be more dead. She deserved a death where her soul was dispersed for all the innocent lives she had taken. Speaking of which, Azazel's death was indeed a bit too easy. He had caused so many tragedies over countless years. I should have stabbed him a few more times back then!"
As we talked, my parents arrived, accompanied by several werewolf grandmasters.
Just like Heller's reaction, the easy death of such a malevolent god was hard to believe. So, I underwent countless spells, formations, and runes over the next three months. The werewolf grandmasters tried everything they could to find remnants of Azazel's schemes on me. But there was nothing, not even the passage to my soul remained.
So, after another half a year with no results, Aunt Dorothy told Mom, "We believe that Azazel is indeed dead."
At this point, people finally let go of their held breaths.
Dealing with Azazel was not the final battle. He had left behind as many cultists as ants. Most of them disbanded after Azazel's death, automatically severing their ties.
A small, stubborn faction resisted, not out of piety but because they were unwilling to lose the power and longevity they had gained. They were also notorious for their evil deeds, and apart from being by Azazel's side, they had no other place to go.
"We've found Karter's trail."
After waiting several months, I finally found the person I most wanted to find.
Karter, who remained loyal to the demon even after Azazel's death. I didn't understand his mindset, and I didn't need to understand what he was thinking. There was only one thing left to resolve between him and me, and it would cost him his life.
Jasper, the border city.
Stepping on this land again showed me how everything had changed. It was still chaotic, filled with debauchery and evil. Several blocks beyond the border, people used drugs as their daily bread.
After the fall of the Lily of the Valley, 'Pollen' had disappeared forever, but the drug trade still thrived. Other gangs that took over here wouldn't miss such a lucrative opportunity.
When I found Karter, he was hiding in an abandoned fast-food restaurant.
He no longer looked as youthful as a young man, as his youth had slipped away with Azazel's death. Now, he appeared to be a middle-aged man in his forties. His voice was no longer as quacking as a duck, but it still carried a manic sharpness.
Heller and I approached him, and neither of us brought anyone else.
Karter sat motionless in a chair, in front of him was an expired and rotten burger combo. It felt strangely familiar; I realized it was the fast-food joint Lily used to frequent when I ran away from home to come to the border city.
"For a long time, I didn't need to eat. The boundless power helped me evolve beyond this cumbersome need. Since I was fifteen, I haven't taken a single bite of food."
Karter spoke as if he hadn't seen us, lost in his thoughts.
"So, when I picked up food again, it wasn't a feeling of satisfaction and deliciousness, but an unbearable nausea."
He continued to be silent, and outside the store, there was a noisy brawl, local gang members causing trouble.
A sparrow flew in through the ventilation and landed on Heller's hand.
He said, "Do you remember the car accident you planned at the Silver Moon Pack?"
Karter replied, "I remember. How could I forget? I was so full of energy then; my power made me fearless. I didn't care about anything, I didn't think about anything. So when I finally realized that endless youth and power were just a lie, I knew this day would come.
"You've come for revenge, young prince, and I've been waiting for this day for a long time."