Asmo's eyes slowly opened, adjusting to the surrounding light after being momentarily blinded by a sudden burst of white. He found himself no longer in Maria's embrace, but back in Johnny's office. To his shock and relief, Johnny stood before him, alive, strong, healthy, and as talkative as ever.
Asmo was at a loss for words. It had worked—the time travel had actually worked. He stared at Johnny, hardly believing his eyes. As Johnny approached, Asmo, overwhelmed with emotion, grabbed and hugged him like never before.
"Whoa, Asmo, what's gotten into you?" Johnny exclaimed, his breath slightly taken aback by Asmo's intense hug. He couldn't fathom why Asmo was behaving so strangely.
"Dude, you do realize I'm your manager, right? Unless you're willing to pay me to be your therapist, let's keep things professional," Johnny added with a lighthearted chuckle.
The scene was a mix of disbelief, relief, and a touch of humor, as the two friends and colleagues processed the surreal turn of events.
Asmo, holding back tears of joy, finally spoke, "When have you ever done things professionally? You only got this job because you're my best friend."
Johnny took no offense, acknowledging the truth in Asmo's words. Shifting the conversation, Johnny brought up their current issue, "Now, let's talk about that girl you brought to the company grounds. How are we going to deal with her?"
That statement reminded Asmo of Maria. If his memory served him right, she would be addressing his workers downstairs.
"Come on, let's go and meet the love of my life," Asmo blurted out thoughtlessly, leaving Johnny baffled.
The tension between Asmo and Johnny was palpable as they navigated their complex personal and professional relationship. Asmo's impulsive remark about Maria only added to the intrigue, leaving Johnny puzzled by his friend's unexpected outburst.
They both descended to witness Maria fulfilling her expected role. She had just finished her sermon, and as usual, someone in the congregation was in tears.
Asmo was indifferent to what she said to evoke such emotional and thoughtful responses from the audience. All he wanted to know was whether Maria also remembered what had truly occurred before he time traveled.
He received his answer when Maria turned to see him and Johnny. She rushed to him and embraced him tightly, a display of affection that was uncharacteristic of her former self.
Johnny distanced himself from them, uncomfortable with the affectionate display. The situation was becoming too sentimental for his liking.
Asmo and Maria were astounded. They had indeed time traveled, and they were the only ones who retained their memories of the previous timeline. The realization of this extraordinary occurrence left them both in a state of disbelief and wonder.
After the heartfelt embrace, they reached an agreement to keep the events preceding their current reality a secret. They resolved that no one, especially Asmo's brothers, should become privy to what they had achieved through the combination of the power of a prince of hell and the grace of a saint of God.
As the day was far from over, there were still tasks that Asmo needed to attend to. He entrusted Johnny into Maria's care and swiftly departed into the sunset.
His urgent mission was to locate the mercenaries whom Satan intended to dispatch after his workers and Johnny. With time being of the essence, Asmo set out with determination to protect those under his care from the impending threat.
Asmo did not have to search extensively, as the unmistakable aura of anger left behind by Satan led him directly to the mercenaries. Upon locating them, he made a startling discovery—they were radical religious assassins committed to purging the world of what they deemed as impurity.
It became apparent to Asmo that they perceived his best friend, Johnny, as part of the impurity they sought to eradicate. Despite attempting to reason with them, they remained obstinate in their beliefs. As a last resort, Asmo invoked the golden rule, compelling them to adhere to the principle of treating others as they would wish to be treated.
In an unexpected turn of events, he hypnotized them and commanded that they eliminate anyone among them who had viewed pornography. The situation took a darkly ironic twist as they ended up turning on each other, resulting in their mutual destruction.
The incident served as a stark reminder of the hypocrisy of those who pass judgment without mercy, forgetting that they too will be judged by the same measure. It was a sobering reflection on the folly of sinners casting judgment upon their fellow brethren.
As Asmo departed from the scene, he was filled with a renewed sense of holiday spirit, ready to embrace the Christmas season. Upon reuniting with Maria, he made a bold declaration to Johnny, announcing his intention to transform the R+18 film studio into an STD preventive education campaign center, if such an establishment existed.
Together, Maria and Asmo departed from the premises, vanishing into the unknown. However, Asmo remained vigilant, aware that he still needed to guard against any potential plans Satan might have in store to bring him misery. To confront this looming threat, he decided to convene a family meeting on a secluded island, where he would face his brothers.
With this second chance that he had been granted, Asmo was determined not to squander it. His goal was to ensure that the world experienced a peaceful Christmas and a joyous New Year. While the specifics of how he would achieve this remained uncertain, Asmo was resolute in his belief that nothing was impossible for the Almighty Asmodeus.