Julian rubbed his eyes, as he woke up.
"You're finally awake!" his mother said.
"Huh? Ah, yeah. I guess I did fall... asleep?" Julian quickly turned around upon hearing the familiar voice. It was his mother? No way.
He sat in a moving car, in between all of his siblings.
— Cars do not exist in the fantasy world... nor does my mother. What... the hell?
"You look pale. Well, paler than usual. You alright, Julian?" his brother to the side asked. A black-haired boy with green eyes and a similar appearance to Julian sat right next to him.
"Huh? I'm... alright. It's just... I feel a bit tired, that's all."
He looked at his hands, then looked at the car's front-view mirror. It was really him. He touched his face all over. It was truly him.
He looked outside. Dark and raining. A calming setting, despite how rough the rain was. Thunder boomed. It startled his siblings, but Julian
remained calm.
His mother sat in the passenger seat, and his father sat in the driver's seat.
"Bullshit."
Julian punched the window's glass, shattering it.
"I don't have a father, you dumbass."
"Tch."
The thunder intensified. As if the heavens were trying to assault the earth. His little sister glared at him. Julian walked out of the car.
"Who the hell are you?" Julian asked, clenching his fist.
"Your mind was way too strong. It was a good thing those mushrooms really weakened your mental state."
"That's not an answer, you idiot."
An undistinguishable figure stood before Julian, in the heavy rain and thunder. No matter how deeply Julian stared at the figure, it was impossible to figure out what that figure truly was.
"Hm. What am I? I guess I'm the... truest form of pride. I am not a being. I am a concept, Julian. That's why you have no idea what I am."
"What is it that you want from me, 'Pride'?" Julian asked.
"I was going to trap you here forever and claim you like a parasite. But even with the mushrooms affecting you, your mental strength is far too strong. So, I will have to ask you instead. Become my host."
"I'm not sure why I would be the host. I have no pride in anything. After all, I'm not what would be considered... strong."
"You're quite foolish, aren't you?" it said, moving closer and closer to Julian. It pointed at his chest.
Well, Julian wasn't fully sure if it was pointing at his chest or not. That's what he assumed, though.
"You have the pride of a dragon. Dragons are quite prideful creatures, after all."
"You've got it all wrong. I'm not prideful, that's just... the-"
"I should've known. Negotiation will not work for you. Then, I'll have to force it onto you."
"H-Huh?!"
The thunder was intense. A bolt of lightning came charging toward Julian. He rolled out of the way.
"You managed to avoid it? What a surprise."
Cars from both sides of the road started to appear. There were several different lanes, so it's not like he could move out of the way.
"Damn it, modern infrastructure! This is my mind, why can't I control it!?" Julian yelled out.
The objective at hand was... about impossible. To defeat something unimaginable.
— Think.... come on, Julian. Think! How can I beat... true pride!?
"You bastard! You couldn't even beat me in a real fight!" Julian yelled out.
In an instant, the storm and traffic stopped.
"How dare you... Fine."
'Pride' materialized into a humanoid form. Slender and tall, towering over Julian by about 3 centimeters.
"If you win, I'll hand over just my body. If you lose, you'll answer three questions from me truthfully."
"Sure. Take it."
"Now, let's shake on it!"
'Pride' stuck its hand out. As soon as Julian shook it, he received a blunt kick to his stomach. It sent him flying a few meters back.
"Keuk!-"
"You should've been ready for that."
Julian got up, slowly. Once he reached his knees, another kick reached his face. He was sent into the wet dirt, again.
— Damn it! It's all in my head, but it hurts so much!
Julian jumped up, feet first. By complete accident, he managed to hit 'Pride' in the chin. It was a strong kick, but there was no blood at all.
Julian stood up, raising his guard.
— I rushed into this blindly! I'm not even that good at fighting, how am I supposed to win?
'Pride' had a strange movement, as it walked toward Julian. It swayed from side to side. 'Pride' turned his back to Julian.
— A spin kick! I have to... dodge it!
Instead of a spin kick, it was a back kick. It hit Julian's solar plexus. He spat out blood. Although it was a devastating blow, he recovered fairly quickly.
'Pride' jumped into the air, wrapping its legs around Julian's neck. It placed its hands on the floor.
— What is it... thinking? No way...
In a quick and sudden movement, it flipped him over, with its legs alone. He managed to free himself in the air.
— Shit! I'm open!
'Pride' jumped, dashing into the air. Its knee slammed into Julian's chin.
"Gyah!-"
'Pride' grabbed Julian by the hair, throwing him into the ground. Slowly, it fell to the ground.
"From the start, I was destined to win, Julian. It is impossible for me to lose!" 'Pride' said, stretching its hands out. Then, 'Pride' reached its hand over Julian's forehead.
"I was sure that I was going to lose. Take care of my body and my soul. I'll come back for it."
"Huh-"
It was too late for 'Pride' to take back what it was about to do.
. . .
. .
.
'Julian' woke up in a haze. He had fear and worry in his eyes.
"Was that fucker... really telling the truth?" he asked himself.
"But... this vessel. I feel better than ever!" he exclaimed, smiling.