Nightmare Mythos

The Nightmare they thought they had escaped from appeared right on the heels of their hope of escape.

It was merely standing, gazing at them as if they were provoking the cohort to take a step forward and exit the desolate ancient table.

But to do that, they'll have to defeat it first.

'This mother fucker is smart…!'

Cesar couldn't help but curse inwardly and he knew he wasn't the only one getting this thinking.

The Nightmare might've been waiting for them the entire time after their marathon. As for how it was able to come faster when they should've met it in the middle of their journey, everyone was relatively confused.

'Did it use its teleportation ability and mark the door throughout the time it had been here or was it able to outrun us and be at the door the best it could sprint while trying to avoid us… just because it felt like it?'

Cesar was unsure what to think at this point. Drawing a conclusion as to how or why the Nightmare is doing this is not even the pressing matter they need to deal with.

The Nightmare itself is the problem.

Jeremiah couldn't but let out a deranged chuckle, his face twisting in disbelief, "Hahaha, this… In the end, we really have no choice but to eradicate it, or we'll be killed otherwise. Yeah…"

Jeremiah and Klaus prepared themselves while having a bitter taste in their mouth. Amar put Leah down from the floor before grouping up with the back of the group, ready to support them any time while having a defeated expression as if all these actions were pretty useless.

Quentin went behind Klaus and Jeremiah, feeling down at the events unfolding. His feelings were no different from the others, knowing this fight was appearing to be futile.

It looks like they were going to fight which outcome has already been decided.

Cesar was the only one who remained motionless. However, he started to trod and reached behind Quentin.

But even with those easy movements, all of it felt heavy. Moving his arm felt heavy, and picking up his revolver was heavy as well. Breathing in his position appeared to be quite a hassle as well.

Everything felt so heavy.

'This feeling…'

Gazing up front, directly staring at where the Nightmare observes them with its two red eyes… It was captivatingly dangerous and a bit… beautiful.

It all brought him back when he encountered Hunger, the Nightmare that almost ate him when he was a child.

The feeling of helplessness when one is incapable of facing absolute strength that most people can only do is bow down.

He felt like he was being choked once again, firmer and stronger this time.

All these thoughts muddle his mind... which is why he failed to notice something changing underneath his foot.

'Hahaha…. How pathetic,'

Cesar tried something by muttering under his breath, "Cedeit, if you're there, it's time for you to say hey again,"

After he sounded pleading, Cesar didn't hear the voice from his head and could only let out a deranged chortle.

He had to surrender to the thinking that they were the only ones who could help themselves.

Whoosh—!

No idle talks or strategies were planned. The cohort already understands the strengths each one wielded. They can think of something up while they are fighting but planning something against a creature that could potentially wipe them out is just futile.

They'll just have to fight it… and win somehow.

"Nicotara!"

Klaus yelled at the top of his lungs as he and Jeremiah found themselves on the frontlines once again. Linking his tether to the leader of their cohort, they were the first to engage the Nightmare as they advanced toward it.

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The Nightmare, who was merely standing in its place, let out a painful scream as if it was trying to hold itself together after its name was revealed again.

However, the shadow creature wasn't going astray and feral as it did in the bars of the candelabra. Instead, it somehow controlled itself to the 'effects' of the name that made a Nightmare vulnerable to its enemies.

Swoosh—!

Hence the moment Klaus and Jeremiah went near the Nightmare, attacking it all together, the Nightmare merely extended its two shadow hands.

Whoosh—!

Cesar reached the Nightmare's back to counterattack but he was left with futility once his attack only connected to the manifested, ethereal wall that it conjured.

Clank—!

After deflecting Klaus and Jeremiah's attack, the Nightmare quickly redirected its focus to Cesar, aiming a powerful punch at him. However, Cesar easily dodged the incoming strike straight to his head, immediately stepping back as a frown crossed his face.

'What the… The Nightmare didn't seem to be holding back. If so, why we be able to attack and counterattack as if it were a normal opponent…?'

Cesar instantly spots a difference between the usual absurdities of the Nightmare before the marathon compared to the Nightmare they are encountering right at the very entrance of the hopeful entrance they hoped to enter.

'Is it tired?'

Yes, it was being affected by the name but Cesar's intuition kicked and he immediately deduced one thing.

'Don't tell me this Nightmare is tired? Did this monster just come here a few minutes before we dropped down, really rushing it towards here so that we wouldn't enter the door towards the other side? Then, that could only mean we're on the right spot!'

For some reason, Cesar couldn't help but be hopeful while thinking that his thoughts aligned with what the Nightmare's situation was.

He wasn't as negative as he was a few seconds ago.

He felt a surging happiness flowing through his entire well-being.

"Jeremiah! Klaus! That thing is tired from the marathon it did as well just to intercept us on getting inside that door!"

Jeremiah and Klaus were trying their best to eliminate the creature. The moment they heard Cesar's thoughts regarding the Nightmare's condition, they all couldn't help but smile in a twisted yet weird way.

'If this is tired, we're going to die if it manages to recuperate a bit more of its strength!'

Klaus glanced at Jeremiah and whispered after distancing themselves from the Nightmare after that short exchange.

"You have to use it,"

Jeremiah clicked his tongue in a defeated sigh before raising his left hand slightly upward as he dashed forward, "Purge!"