The Final Battle

After running for a while, I stopped midway down the street and returned home. I quickly went to my parents' room. I had many thoughts racing in my head.
"This might be the last time I see my family. I hope I make it out alive. I really have so many things to do... I have lots of dreams I want to fulfill. So many new things I want to try. I promise that if I survive, I'll be more grateful for the everyday life I have."

****
I went to the tower along with my wand. There weren't any people nearby. That was to be expected since it was late and very cold.
I took the stairs again, because I couldn't jump high or fly.
As I was going up the stairs, I was wishing with all my heart that Meiko was safe and sound.
I wouldn't tolerate the demon if he had done anything to her.
I was bullied for a long period of time and now that I found real friends, a demon was trying to kill them? Absolutely unforgivable.

I arrived at the top. It was very cold and my chest and legs were freezing.
I took a deep breath.
"Here I am!" I exclaimed to the demon.
"Well, you sure took your time." he said, turning to face me. "Did you take the magic wand with you?"
'Yes, I did." I said while holding the wand in front of me. "Now, where is Meiko?"
"She's here," he said, and with a snap of his fingers, he made her visible.

Meiko was tied with ropes. She couldn't speak and all I could hear was her mumbled voice.
I could see it on her face that she was asking for help but she couldn't yell.

I gave her a reassuring look.
"Don't worry. I will save you no matter what. Just believe in me, okay?"
She gave me one last look, as if telling me "Do your best" before she fainted.

"I'm ready whenever you are!" the demon shouted.
Oh, so I had to make the first move?

I ran as fast as I could and I tried to punch the demon with my fist, but he moved really fast that I didn't even have the opportunity to scratch him.
"Be careful, or you'll fall if you run like that" the demon said.
"Just like your brother?" I shouted. "I didn't ask for advice."
He got angry and punched the ground.

"Hey, if you want to take the wand, you should come and get it yourself!" I told him.
"So you turned the tables. Good. It's better if I chase you then because I have already wasted enough time."

The demon ran towards me and a musket appeared on his hand.
"PREPARE TO DIE!" he exclaimed, and a riffle flew very close to my head.
"That was incredibly close", I thought.
The musket explosion was so loud that my ears started to buzz.

I ran in his direction and with a fast move I took his musket and hit him with it in the head.
But it had no effect on him.
"It takes more than that to defeat me," he said while creating two other muskets out of thin air.
That was the moment I lost all hope. Meiko was still hanging there with her eyes closed, but I didn't know what to do.

I tried pushing him from the tower, but he avoided me several times.

The demon approached me with one musket on the left hand and one musket on the other.
"No, wait. I don't want to die. Can't we talk this out?" I said begging the demon for mercy.
He giggled.
"Too late for that."

He pulled the hammer back by the thumb and released it by pulling the trigger.
That moment was really the scariest moment of my entire life.
I saw death flash before my eyes as the riffle was coming closer and closer to me. I closed my eyes while thinking about my family and my friends.
Luckily, the riffle didn't hit me.

When I opened up my eyes, I saw a white creature with wings protecting me.
"Who is he?" I thought while squinting my eyes and wiping the sweat off my forehead.
"Oh look, you came at just the right moment," the demon said to the stranger. "Since you're here, I can kill both of you instantly."
"Not so fast," the creature said. "You need to be punished for all the trouble you have caused on this planet."
The demon chuckled. "What are you gonna say next? That I should ask for forgiveness? So painfully cliché."
"To be honest, I really thought you could change. But you don't deserve any mercy after doing all these crimes on Earth. Many rumors have been spread around this city. People have been saying that you kidnap Earthlings in the middle of the night. And I see with my eyes that this is true. Do you have any last words to say?"
The demon said nothing. He ignored the white creature's words and attacked him with all his might. I closed my eyes while hoping that this battle would end here.

While they were fighting, the sky was full of thunders.
The fight was hard and long. I could hear the demon and the creature gasping for breath and then continuing to fight again.

I only opened my eyes when I heard a loud moan.
I saw the demon on the ground crying from immense pain.
"This battle is over," the creature said while looking at me. "Now, can I have that wand, please?"
I couldn't get any word out. I just pointed at the wand in hesitation and looked back at him.
The winged creature nodded slowly. I gave him the wand even though I didn't fully trust him. I only knew that he saved me from the demon, so that meant he was on my side.

After the odd creature chanted a magic spell, the demon disappeared.
"Is it gone now?" I asked.
"Yes, it is."
"Forever?"
"Forever. Don't worry about it. You have to hurry and help your friend now, okay?"
Oh shoot, I totally forgot about Meiko being there!
I ran to the corner of the roof and untied her.

She gasped for air. I kept her in my arms.
"Are you okay, Meiko? I'm so sorry that you had this terrible experience. You're safe now. That's all that matters."
"Th-Thank you, J-Jun." she said slowly.
"Wait, Jun? I am not..."
She touched my face.
"Huh... I know it's you. Your appearance is different but your voice is the same. Th-Thank you."
It was pointless to lie to her.
"No need to thank me. In fact, you should thank this creature here."
Then after I turned to the white creature, I asked: "Who are you and why did you save us?"
The creature smiled. "I won't tell you my name. All I will say is that I am what you call an alien. I came from the Moon to search for my lost wand."
"So that wand belongs to you?"
"Yeah. I'm really sorry, but I have to take it with me."
"Don't sweat it. To be honest, I'm glad this is over. Thank you, umm... alien-san?"
The alien laughed out loud but didn't bother to correct me.
"I have to go now. Now that the wand is in my hands again, demons won't bother you anymore. Enjoy your life and take care!"
"Yep, you bet I will," I told him.

****
The next morning, I saw Meiko at the school gate. I talked first.
"So, you came to school today?'
"That's what I would ask you too," she said.
"Well, I didn't sleep at all, but I have no other choice but to come here."
"I didn't sleep either!" she said while laughing.

Then, after a minute of silence, she asked:
"Why didn't you tell me you were a magical boy?"
"Would you believe me? I'm sorry. I thought you would think I was crazy."
'Well, you're not wrong about that" she said with a sarcastic tone. "So did you like being a magical boy?"
"Nah, it was boring. I had to wear a stupid costume and fight with demons on high buildings."
"If it makes you feel better, I think you looked hot in that costume."
"Uhh... thanks. I think you looked hot tied in ropes too."
She punched me lightly.
"Jun, what the hell?"

She lowered her brown eyes on the ground.
"But hey... your outfit could always be worse. Can you imagine wearing magical flip-flops?"
"Ugh, imagine me fighting in flip-flops!"

I laughed at the image that popped into my brain.

We both paused our conversation for a few seconds in order to greet Naora.
After she entered the classroom, Meiko asked:
"So does this mean you are glad you are normal again?"
"Oh yes. A thousand times yes. I was a magical boy and I found it boring. Having a normal life is much better and less tiring. You get to sleep enough."
"I agree with that," she said, and together we entered our sun-bathed classroom - ready to face our normal, seemingly little, everyday problems.

THE END