Chapter 10: Through the Demon Portal

The rocket ascended steadily.

The moon landing mission was only moments away from completion. Yet, there was no joy to be found on Zoran's face.

He, too, had sensed the surge of dark energy on the planet below. The more massive that power grew, the colder Zoran felt inside. It wasn't hard to imagine what kind of righteous force would be birthed to counter such a formidable evil. It would be an existence he could not possibly hope to withstand.

Ever since Shendu had shared the news, Zoran had been racking his brain. It was a nearly insoluble puzzle. The world was watching him, preparing to erase him. Even as a former demon, he found the pressure difficult to bear.

He hadn't made a single wrong move. First, he had possessed Jade, the luckiest member of the J-Team, to prevent unexpected interference. Then, he had seized the Pan'ku Box exactly as planned and reserved the first portal for himself. In just a few days, every step had been practically flawless.

And yet, no matter which path he took, he couldn't seem to escape the fate looming before him. Victory seemed to be within his grasp, but Zoran had only one thought: Is it worth the struggle? Can I truly beat the odds?

Shendu seemed to sense the shift in the air as well and remained uncharacteristically silent. After all, he had failed countless times before. Light would never truly destroy him; if it did, a more powerful demon would simply rise in his place. Light would only seal him away to dissipate his power and prevent new evils from forming.

The same applied to Tso Lan, the Moon Demon. It was an Ouroboros, a cycle of dark and light where no one ever truly escaped. But Zoran had only lived twenty-odd years as a human; once sealed back in the Netherworld, his mind and soul would surely be ground into nothingness.

His thoughts swirled. At this most dire moment, Zoran suddenly laughed.

He looked toward Shendu. "Why so quiet?"

The face of Valmont, currently possessed by Shendu, suddenly took on an air of ancient weariness. He gave a helpless smile.

"My brother, in my eternal struggle, I have seen through it all. No matter how many chances this world gives me, they are nothing but bubbles. What you are about to face..." He paused for a moment, then concluded knowingly, "...is the same."

"So you've known all along," Zoran said with a faint smile.

"Yes, I've known. The Pan'ku Box is not hope. Even if I could release all our brothers and sisters, it would be nothing more than a fleeting show. I have spent a demon's lifetime and still cannot leap out of this cycle."

His gaze slowly settled on Zoran. "However, I am glad that you realized this reality the first time you left the Netherworld. Your wisdom far exceeds our own."

The rocket had entered space. The reflection on the aviation glass showed Valmont's eyes, where an ancient, weathered dragon resided. He looked out at the stars, the demonic ferocity entirely faded, replaced by a weariness that had never belonged to him.

"This is destiny, my brother. Open your portal."

For the first time, Zoran saw a different side of Shendu. This old dragon had fought for too long within the inescapable loop of fate. He was exhausted and covered in scars. Even now, despite having once wielded such magnificent power, he looked more fragile than the little girl Zoran was inhabiting.

Indeed. An ancient demon, a multiple-time escapee of the Netherworld, the sole ruler of ancient Asia, how could he be a fool? He had realized the truth long ago!

But surprisingly... he was still fighting. Failing time and again, only to fight once more. This demon simply wanted to pull back a corner of the curtain and catch a glimpse of his past, supreme glory.

"Shendu..." Zoran whispered his name. "This world wants to destroy us!"

"I have long known this."

"Good and evil are irreconcilable." Zoran pointed toward Earth, which was gradually being enveloped in thick darkness. "That Ultimate Darkness is prepared for us."

"It has always been so."

"Haha. Since we're caught between two extremes, what do you think of me... siding with them?"

"You would lose," Shendu replied, showing no mercy.

"I think so, too." Zoran spoke as if he had known the answer all along. He opened his mouth, and what he said next made Shendu shudder. "So, I'm going to eliminate them!"

Zoran's voice was like thunder. Shendu recoiled, looking back in disbelief. "Tso Lan, have you gone mad?!"

"No, I'm not mad." Zoran's expression was subtle. In a moment of absolute despair, he flashed a confident smile.

"Our minds have never been able to escape the loop of Yin and Yang, of good and evil. Who says light and dark must always be at odds? And is evil always born from the same source?"

"Since the Ultimate Darkness will birth an Ultimate Light... then I simply won't let the darkness reach its 'ultimate' state."

Zoran spoke calmly, leaving Shendu wide-eyed with astonishment. "What do you mean?"

"I am going to tear away the darkness wrapping around the Earth. By doing so, I will stunt the growth of the righteous forces, giving us all a fair game!"

Since the world wanted to use extreme measures to birth a champion of light, Zoran would simply refuse to let it succeed. Everyone's logic was trapped inside the Ouroboros; one only needed to step outside the circle.

Then... the problem becomes solvable!

Hum—

Accompanied by a massive resonating sound inside the lunar lander, the rocket carrying the two ancient demons touched down on the moon. Clad in a spacesuit, Zoran drifted out of the hatch.

The Pan'ku Box floated in his palm, slowly shifting. A beam of emerald light shot out, and in the void of space, a scroll suddenly manifested. It was several stories high, glowing green and radiating an air of supreme nobility.

The bottom of the scroll slowly unfurled. This was a portal, a gateway from the Netherworld to the mortal realm! Inside, massive magical energies twisted into a vortex, the crimson interior reflecting the eternal image of the abyss.

Finally, the portal was open. The true form of an ancient demon was about to descend upon his former, loyal domain.

Zoran looked down. The Earth was nearly fully consumed by darkness; three-quarters of its territory had been pulled into the Shadow Kingdom. Once the process was complete, the entire planet would be dragged into the shadows forever.

Of course, the forces of righteousness would not allow that to happen. Just as at that moment, another lunar lander crashed onto the moon's surface.

The hatch slowly opened, and Jackie and Uncle stepped out in their spacesuits. They had caught up, a predetermined outcome.

Zoran's gaze settled on Uncle. Suddenly, he let out a soft laugh.

So, it's here.

Inside Uncle's spacesuit, a golden light flickered. His white robes were saturated with the power of protective incantations. In Jackie's hand was a bottle of green liquid, a potion filled with the spell intended to cast Zoran's true form back into the Netherworld.

"You're finally here," Zoran whispered.

In the vacuum of space, they could not hear one another.

"Aiya! Move faster! Once we deal with Tso Lan, Uncle has to get back and stop the Ultimate Darkness!"

"Tso Lan, get out of Jade's body!" Jackie roared, charging forward with all his might.

Zoran couldn't hear him, but his lips moved to form a silent reply: "Gladly."

In an instant, he detached from Jade, his soul rushing toward the Demon Portal. Simultaneously, a ripple emanated from within the gateway. A massive, terrifying pressure erupted!

Clad in robes of violet and crimson, the Moon Demon slowly emerged from the portal. He was stories tall, sitting cross-legged, his long violet-black hair falling with a divine grace.

With such a majestic presence, he should have had ten thousand immortals bowing before him; now, there was only desolate lunar dust. One pair of bony, angular hands pointed toward the sky, resting lightly on his knees. A smaller pair of secondary arms was folded in front of him, exuding an air of calm.

His eyes were closed. His visage was one of solemn dignity. He parted his lips, and his voice seemed to carry across ten million years.

This was a demon's domain. He could command the vacuum.

He said:

"Through the Demon Portal..."