The first demon that came for him ran on three legs that ended in razor-sharp claws. Rey had seen and slaughtered scores of demons such as this. The thing never even stood a chance. Rey sidestepped its mad dash and sliced it open along the length of its body, and in the process, hacked off a limb. The thing convulsed on the ground, leaking its dark blood on the tiled floor.

  He didn't bother finishing it. After all, these things had caused his grandmother pain, so they deserved to die in excruciating pain.

  The next was a pair of monsters that would've given Rey nightmares had he not already spent half a decade killing things that would make these things look cute and cuddly. He ran for them, roaring loud enough to make some of the humans look at him with concern in their eyes.

  But he wasn't as strong or fast as he was ten minutes ago, when he faced the King of Hell. One of the demons slashed at his ribs, leaving a long, bloody scratch along the length of his body. He ground his teeth and groaned, but didn't let the pain deter him from his task. He ducked the second demon's blow and ripped open its underbelly with his cleaver.

  The one that had scratched him snarled at Rey. He was so angry that he bared his teeth and growled back at the demon. The next moment, he knew he was on top of the demon, hacking away like a madman. The demon howled in pain, and Rey would've felt sorry for this soulless being if rage didn't burn in his heart. Now, he just wanted to make them hurt.

  Something jumped onto him, raking his back with its claws. Rey cried out as the thing sank its filthy fangs into his shoulder. Instinct took over, and he plunged a sharp knife into the side of the demon's neck and threw him over his shoulder. Then he stabbed it so many times that its blood washed the tiles black.

  Three more demons remained, and they were all busy chasing after others, so Rey made short work of them. With each kill, his fury lessened in intensity, but he didn't stop his assault until he sent them to the nothingness that awaited them.

  Blood dripped from Rey's hands and his brow, and he stood drenched in it. All the demons in the restaurant lay dead, save for one. It looked like an oversized bunny with bony horns where his ears should've been. Its orange, veiny eyes regarded Rey with caution as if he were facing an Archfiend.

  Just a few hours ago, even Archfiends used to run away from him, but now he was reduced to this pathetic state. There wasn't much left in Rey. He had been raked bloody. He was covered in so much blood he didn't know which was his and which was the demons'. Two servers remained alive and cowered in a booth to Rey's left. The two girls, who couldn't have been older than Rey himself, were the only ones alive. The entire restaurant had been slaughtered.

  Behind him rested his grandmother's body. He made sure not one of these infernal demons got even a lick of her, and now only one remained, and he would see to it properly. He won't let her turn into a mindless demon once Earth was integrated into Hell. That would be the fate of every soul that was massacred here.

  He took a step towards the demon, and its nose twitched, very reminiscent of a real rabbit. It waited a moment, no doubt assessing if it should attack. After a moment, it sprang up on its hind legs, jumped forward, and rushed towards Rey, horns at the ready.

  He meant to sidestep, and even in this weakened state, he could have but didn't, as a core realization struck. Last time, Zalathar only saved him because he lay dying. If I don't achieve that near-death state, would Zalathar even bother saving me?

  The hare struck, jamming both his horns into Rey's stomach. He gasped loudly as pain erupted in his gut. Pain like he hadn't felt in a long time. He had made his build around deadening the pain. Not eliminating it, but muting it down several levels. Enough that he still felt it, but not to this level.

  The demon drove him into the wall. His head smashed against the wall and must've left a hole in it. His vision swam, and he saw two of everything. The girls whimpered, knowing that with Rey's downfall, they would be next.

  He looked at them and smiled a bloody smile as the demon dug into his innards as if he had secretly hidden carrots in his guts.

  "Don't worry, pretty birds," Rey said. "You'll die soon, too; just make sure it's not by suicide. Hell hates quitters."

  With the last of his strength, he stabbed the rabbit from Hell between his horns and drove his knife into his brain.

  "You should've stayed in Hell. The rent's cheaper."

  His strength gave way, and darkness encroached on his vision. However, by some quirk of fate, he lay next to his grandmother and held her hand.

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  I'll figure out a way to save you…somehow…

  The girls tentatively scampered out of the booth and said something, but Rey didn't hear them properly. He had lost so much blood by then that he feared that not even Zalathar and his minion would be able to put him back together.

  Then, as he lay there awaiting death, a horrible thought struck him. What if Zalathar doesn't pick me? What if he chooses someone else? Is that even possible? Can the future or past change?

  It already had. The bull demon wasn't here last time. Last time, Rey had hardly managed to kill the demon that had killed his grandmother before another ripped him to shreds.

  Oh, my god…did I do too much in my fury? Did I miss my window—

  Then, the girls cried out as darkness enveloped Rey. He smiled. Never mind. I'm coming, you shifty bastard. I'm coming to cut your heart out.

  *****

  The next thing he knew, he was sitting in a school classroom. The sun shone brightly outside, making Rey wince after the dark. It must've been another part of the world, as it was evening in Rey's town, and the sun had almost set, but here, it shone brightly as if it were high noon—just like it had last time. There was no blood on his clothes and no wounds on his body.

  He was seated with a dozen other men and women who looked as bewildered as Rey had last time. This time, he sat expectantly, albeit a little disappointed that he didn't have a knife on him.

  He looked around at the familiar faces and noticed some new ones—people who had not been here last time. So, it was possible to change the future. He could have passed me by if I hadn't let Bugs Bunny dig for a carrot in my guts.

  Then, just as his sweep of the class ended, his eyes met hers. Oh no…Of course, she would be here.

  He quickly looked away and focused somewhere else. At the front of the class, behind the teacher's table, sat a horrific demon in a terrific suit. He had red leathery skin, two small horns on his head, a small black horn sticking down from his chin, and furry paws that came with retractable claws, which he would use soon on one of them.

  Rey was having a hard time remembering which one it was. He thought it was the middle-aged woman; she had a very Karen-like vibe. But the woman made no move to get up from her seat and annoy the superbly dressed demon.

  Rey almost wished she would and take one for all the Karens. He shook his head. What the fuck are you thinking, Rey? She's a living, breathing human. Not a demon. Let her at least die first. Then you can watch her get mutilated by demons.

  Yes, you're right, Rey. He said to himself. I was being very inconsiderate. I can't wait to get out of this class and watch them get maimed, disfigured, and come to all sorts of bodily harm.

  Quiet, demon Rey! There's going to be lots of death and mutilation where we're going.

  Last time, Rey had turned into a demon—not willingly—and it seemed the vestiges of his demon self hadn't entirely left.

  Rey raised his hand, but Tibras or Minion was busy typing away on an invisible laptop. "Excuse me, sir." Rey waved his hand around, hoping to be seen.

  Tibras rolled one eye up to him. The other he kept on his laptop and kept typing.

  "Is the teacher coming to class soon? Or can we leave if he doesn't show up in ten minutes? Does that rule still apply? Or are you the teacher?" He quickly added. "Though I'll be honest, you don't give teacher vibes...sir."

  Tibras growled a low growl, and his claws extracted.

  Oh no, it looks like I'm the dumbass who is going to get slashed this time.

  "Okay, got it. No leaving, everyone." Rey announced to the class. "We're all going to sit here and be good little children."

  Once again, his eyes met hers, and he quickly looked away. No, bad Rey. Do not get close to her. Do not look at her. Hell, do not even breathe in her general direction. Do you understand? Or do you want to watch her take an acid bath a second time?

  It was funny how quickly he had gotten over his grandmother's death. Even though it had just happened mere minutes ago, it felt like it had been ages because, for him, it had actually happened half a decade ago. This time, it felt like he was reliving a nightmarish memory very vividly. It was astounding how the mind rationalized things. Before, he had thought it had been a random occurrence because of the apocalypse, but now he knew who was responsible, and he couldn't wait to meet him again.

  No one talked or even dared move. Most sat fixed in their seats. They all had gone through something similar to Rey, so the fear of death was somewhat alleviated, though what was coming next was beyond their wildest dreams.

  Rey counted, and one person was missing. Only eleven were there, so Zalathar must've been out hunting. Right then, as if the demon was listening to his thoughts, the twelfth and final person of their group showed up. It was a blonde girl with pristine clothing, perfect makeup, and lustrous curls. She looked like a celebrity's kid or a billionaire's daughter.

  How many puppies did she butcher to earn a spot on the Doomsday Express?

  Then, finally, their teacher arrived, and he looked somewhat tame compared to when he had seen him in his brother's throne room. He didn't have his neon-colored skin falling in on itself. Before, if Rey stared at him for long, he would find himself drooling as the seams of his mind began to crack. Now, he just seemed like a regular school teacher. If the school teacher had sharp, pointy, mismatched fangs that varied in size and color. His eyes kept changing as well. Sometimes, they were human; the next moment, their irises expanded to cover the entire eye, and after that, they became slitted like a reptile's.

  I take it back. He's still trying to crack our brains with just his presence.

  "Ah, my Chosen Ones," Zalathar said, his arms wide as if asking for a hug. He had chosen the voice of a middle-aged, pot-bellied man who liked to watch his wife get railed by a stronger man like Rey, who definitely had a bigger dong than him. As a matter of fact, it wasn't too far away from his real voice.

  Zalathar continued. "I'm so happy to see you all. Now, you all must be very confused about what has happened. About those demons that ripped you to shreds? How come you're here and not, you know, lying in a puddle of blood or being digested by the fine denizens of Hell? We'll get to all those questions, but first, some introductions."

  He bowed his head a little. "I am Zalathar, the Sovereign of Chaos and Darkness and the rightful ruler of Hell."