Chapter 12 (Ending) (Part B)

As Max abandoned the gate, Jizo rushed towards him and hugged him. 

“My boy, Max. O, My pupil.You’ve passed the final test. You now stood alive amongst the billion deaths. You now stood mature among countless children. Except you, nobody had walked out of the final stage during my lifespan,”

 Max, too, hugged back and sobbed, “With your help, Master. I couldn’t pass if I had not met you,”

 When Jizo saw Max was wearing a white robe and the golden crown of fiv jewels, he exclaimed,

“My boy! You are holy now. A holy demon boy! You are now the worthy one of my respect, O little Thus gone one”

 Max looked at his wears and blushed. 

“These clothes look cool,”

 And together, they laughed.

“Now, let us enter the blessed realm of children,”

 But as they motioned to leave, the judges of Naraka, led by Yama, surrounded them. They blocked them in all directions and all exits. They held weapons of Deavs and demons. They took fearsome forms. 

“You cannot leave! No one shall create a portal inside this hall!” and created a wall of flame, blocking the way out of the hall. His form turned into a gigantic demon with three heads of bulls. He had twenty arms, each holding various weapons. He had flaming nostrils through which he breathed venoms and snakes. 

Max was left speechless. The sudden action of the Judges angered Jizo. He said in an orderly voice,

“Yama, son of Vivasvan, how could thou break thy words? Haven’t thou said to free Max after he passes the Bardo test? Could thou see not his holy presence? Art thou a judge or a deceiver?”

 “Holy or unholy… A demon shall not pass Naraka without being sent to Tartarus…” he said. Although King Yama spoke these words, his voice was shaking. His eyes couldn't contact Max directly for he knew he was doing unfaithful. Still, he blocked all the entrances and exits. He had been overwhelmed by the tasks given from above. He had been blinded and departed from his holy rule.

“Ye Fibber,” Jizo said and began using his powers to break the walls of fire. He knocked his staff on the rocky ground, causing the firewall to separate. Max, with his powers, protected Jizo during the procedure. He fought with all these judges alone while Jizo was trying to break the walls and make a portal outside. (Since he cannot create a portal inside the hall, he had to drill the walls first)

After making a pathway outside the hall, Jizo made a portal to the blessed realm at the end of it and said to Max,

“Go, little boy, to your destination,” 

while flames and judges surrounded him. Max, however, refused, saying, “I will not let you alone twice, O Master,” and did not depart from him. Instead, he pressed his palms together and closed his eyes 

“Bang!”

 Max had changed into something unordinary out of his ordinary demon form. He stood twice as big as King Yama's fierce form. He had five heads of bulls, all endorsed in flames. He had three eyes in each face. His red eyes were bulging. His fangs were piercing. His whole body had a dark blue color. His body was muscular unlike Yama’s round belly. He had three sets of wings that produced flames in each flap. He had thirty two hands, each holding various weapons. 

 He was so fearsome that even the judges of hell grasped in awe, cried, and screamed. “It’s the striker of Yama!” “It's Yamatanka!” They screamed.

With his mighty foot, he kicked King Yama and caused him to fall. When Yama fell, Max stepped on his chest. 

 This intense action reminded the King of hell of his duty. 

 “Free them! Free them! Never point a finger towards them. Never let them scratch a bit. We are all doomed for we had sinned against the worthy one,”

 King Yama, with his palms pressed, apologized to him,

“Forgive us, O, Well-gone Lord. We have been deceived,”

 Only then, Max freed the King of hell from his foot. He changed back into half-demon-half-human form, grabbed Lord Jizo, and flew towards the portal to the Blessed realm.

…

 Max and Jizo arrived at the Blessed Realm, where every sight was peaceful. 

 Children played unconcernedly in peace of the body and health of the mind. Upon the shades, they rested. Below the trees, they slept. The weather was always sunny yet not hot. The flowers bloomed in all seasons yet never withered. Every sight was colorful. They have no dissatisfaction for everything they desired appeared on the trees. The area was part plane and part hill. There were streams, there were rivers, and there were lakes filled with five lotus. Children played there without any worry. 

Among the playing children, one boy, the charming of all, adorned with golden curly hair, ran to Max as soon as he saw them.

 Enthusiastically, he said in an angelic voice,

“Max Norton, the holy, I am so proud that you came to my realm!”

 Max could only guess the kid was the Lord or Leader of the realm. His sudden eager greeting caused him to be speechless. Jizo smiled at him.

“Come! Let’s play!” the boy said, and Max was unsure what to do. Jizo motioned him to go with the boy. 

 Together with other children, they played for a while.

Then, a boy carrying a key rushed toward the leading boy, whispering something. The golden-haired boy’s face looked stern. 

He said,

“Max, you have to choose. Your friend, Vithura, has preserved your body so well,”

 He clapped his hand, and a scene of Vithura sobbing near Max’s body appeared in a hologram.

 “You may choose to go back to your body and live your life or live here and find eternal bliss,”

 Max, didn’t choose long,

 “Little Lord, for all the time, I needed Vithura. But for now, I think he needs me. What am I supposed to choose? I will go back,”

 “Max, the Thus passed one, think carefully. If you go back, you may die again somehow later. And if you die, I know Bardo could not save you anymore. The judges will show no mercy as they did now. You may even be sent to Naraka to get tormented for years. All your achievements in Bardo will be in vain,”

 Max knew it was impossible since he had punished the judges. Yet, the child of golden hair continued,

“Afterall, Max, O, Well-gone One, you have finally got a happy ending. What else do you expect more from me?”

 Upon hearing this, Max had realized the true nature of the boy. As he looked at him again, he could see his face as bright as a thousand sons, yet as serene as a stream in summer. His white robe was threaded with the lights of thousands of stars. Max had known him as the all-governing one.

 “My lord, my journey to Bardo was never in vain. I had witnessed my inner side through it, that is all.That is my achievement. To be fair, I did not even walk there. I achieved nothing. Even though I have walked a hundred miles, I never truly walked a step,”

 The boy was delighted by Max's answer.

 “I will now go and live with my beloved parents and friends and protect them at my own cost. I, Governing Lord, Let me not attain peace until I can help all those who need me,”

 Jizo was proud of Max and shed tears. The golden-haired boy smiled and said,

 “Now, that’s your choice. I salute you,”

 The boy placed his palm on Max's head,

 “Go! Go! Go beyond! Go utterly beyond! To the perfection of awakening! All hail!”

 Max's eyes opened after the boy’s words. He could see Vithura near his bed, falling asleep after crying so much. But Vithura detected his movement and woke up.

“Max!” he yelled and hugged him.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry! I’ve made you in pain and put you into so much trouble!”

 His face was like a real child rather than a 40000-year-old non-aging god. He continued sobbing and muttering. 

 Max warmly accepted Vithura’s apology and said,

“I understand you, Vithura,”

 “It had been 60 days since you left,”

Max was surprised by Vithura’s words, he thought the journey lasted only about four days.

 “I know lord Jizo could save you. Had he said anything about me?”

 “He told me that you were a good friend. Vithura, where are my parents now?”

 “They are here. Wait,”

Vithura left the mechanical room for a second. Then, the Nortons came in with him, first seeing Vithura as a disgusting creature. As they saw their son sitting, with unbelieving eyes, they came to him and touched him. Together, they cried and laughed.

 Max knew his new life was just the beginning. He knew he had to face more because of his choice.

…..The End…...