Lord Of The Lost

William narrowed his eyes.

It can phase through attacks... but not energy-based strikes.

Good.

He adjusted his grip on the Evil Spear, feeling the weapon hum with power in his hands.

With a sharp sweep, the tip carved a glowing arc in the air—

[Slash]!

A streak of dark energy surged from the spear, slicing through the air toward the nightmare.

But the beast was fast—

Too fast.

It leaped at the last moment, dodging the attack.

The dark arc collided with the ruins behind it, causing a violent explosion that sent debris flying.

And then—

Nightmare retaliated.

A blinding black light erupted from its body, sweeping over the battlefield.

And from the darkness—

Three phantom nightmares emerged.

Each one tore itself free from the unconscious bodies of the Forum Master, the Gambler, and Metatron.

Their nightmares had been given form.

And with them came an overwhelming wave of exhaustion.

If I close my eyes now... I might never wake up again.

---

The Evil Spear Awakens

The nightmare was trying to drag him into a dream.

And it might have succeeded—

If not for the weapon in William's hands.

The Evil Spear screamed.

It vibrated violently, as if sensing the threat.

And then—

It reacted.

The dark history of the weapon surged forward—

A knight and a devil had once perished together, their spirits forever entwined within the spear.

The blood of both good and evil was sealed inside this blade.

That very cursed power now surged forth—

The Evil Spear unleashed its wrath, sending a shockwave outward!

CRACK!

The nightmare phantoms shattered, dissolving into mist.

William felt the haze over his mind clear, his senses sharp once more.

The confrontation lasted only a second, but in battle, a second meant life or death.

---

The Witch Strikes Back

A shadowy figure leaped into the air—

Sophia!

Before Nightmare could react, she landed on its back, gripping its burning mane with one hand.

The beast thrashed violently, trying to throw her off.

But Sophia's expression was twisted in rage.

Her bloodied lips curled into a fierce snarl, her emerald eyes burning.

"You DARE touch ME?!"

Her voice boomed, filled with power.

"I am the Last Witch! The King of the Night!"

"You DARE insult your KING?!"

William blinked.

What the hell is she doing?!

Sophia raised a tiny fist—

And then—

BAM!

She punched the nightmare in the head.

The impact was so strong that its skull nearly caved in.

William swore he saw its brain rattle for a moment.

---

The Nightmare's Rage

The creature shrieked, rearing up on its hind legs, sending Sophia flying backward.

She slammed into a stone pillar, coughed up blood, and collapsed onto the ground.

But before William could move—

The nightmare turned—

And charged at her.

It was going to trample her to death.

---

The Final Blow

William moved.

[Piercing Attack]!

He launched forward like a bullet, the tip of the Evil Spear aimed straight for the nightmare's chest.

This time, the impact was brutal.

Half of the nightmare's body was erased.

Like an artist wiping out part of a drawing with an eraser, its entire left side disintegrated, leaving behind only scattered shadows.

William landed, panting.

Above him, the nightmare's form trembled—

But instead of collapsing—

It started to regenerate.

Sophia coughed from the ground.

"Nightmares feed on fear!" she yelled.

William turned—

He saw the unconscious team members twitching, their faces locked in expressions of agony.

They were still trapped in nightmares, their fear fueling the beast.

As long as they are afraid, the nightmare will never die.

A chill crawled down William's spine.

Then that means…

To kill the nightmare—

They had to kill the fear.

The Nightmare's End

The higher the level of a transcendent being, the more refined and overwhelming its abilities become.

For a creature to reach Sequence 8, it must fully develop and manifest the potential of Sequence 9.

But this Nightmare—

It was different.

Its sheer presence was suffocating.

The weight of its aura was like a giant, invisible hand, gripping their hearts and squeezing.

William clenched his jaw.

If they didn't pay a price, they would never take this thing down.

Then—

BOOM!

A burst of golden light erupted from his hands.

He had drawn the [Glorious Lantern]!

Darkness shuddered in its presence.

Evil shrank from its glow.

The connection between the Nightmare and the realm of bad dreams was severed in an instant!

The fear field flickered, its oppressive weight lifting just enough to let William breathe again.

But the price—

The spiritual oil within the lantern burned rapidly, sizzling like a flame-drenched wick.

William could see it dwindling, the battle between light and nightmare consuming his only hope.

The Nightmare howled in agony.

Smoke rose from its body, and it staggered back, desperate to escape the light.

But William wouldn't let it.

He charged, lantern in one hand, Evil Spear in the other.

[Piercing Attack]!

He threw the spear—

Like a falling meteor, it ripped through the Nightmare's belly, splitting its shadowy form apart!

Black blood sprayed across the ruins.

The Nightmare shrieked, staggering, limping—

But not dead yet.

---

The Witch's Wrath

"You think you can leave?"

A furious voice rang out.

Sophia.

She had leaped forward, grabbing onto the Nightmare's tail, her hands wreathed in flames.

She was fuming.

A witch—attacked by a mere nightmare?

Unforgivable.

Witches ruled the night.

Nightmares were beneath them—nothing more than twisted, weak creatures that lurked in shadows.

Some witches even kept nightmares as pets.

But this one?

It had dared to challenge her.

And for that—

It would pay.

She yanked with all her might, her fire-covered grip searing into the Nightmare's flesh.

The beast howled in agony and panic, its instincts screaming at it to flee.

It had never encountered a battle like this.

For years, it had lurked in the ruins, devouring souls, feeding on fears, and growing in power.

No one had ever resisted it.

No one had ever fought back like this.

But now—

It was on the verge of death.

It knew.

And so—

It kicked.

A vicious back kick, hooves ablaze—

CRACK!

Sophia was sent flying, her chest caving inward from the impact.

She hit a stone wall with a sickening thud, blood splattering across the ancient ruins.

William's pupils shrank.

His rage ignited.

"You. Fing. Bastard.*"

---

The Final Strike

The Nightmare turned—

It had one chance to flee.

But before it could—

A shadow moved.

Alex.

Like a phantom, he emerged from the darkness—

And then split into two.

The Demon Blade in both hands, slicing twice in midair—

SLASH!

Two deep gashes ripped across the Nightmare's body.

But the Nightmare wasn't done yet.

It roared.

A shockwave of black flames erupted from its hooves—

BOOM!

Alex was blasted backward, his body slamming into the ruins, motionless.

At that moment—

The lantern's light flared.

The players woke up.

Realizing the situation, the Forum Master and Metatron instantly attacked.

BOOM!

A lightning bolt struck from above—

Followed by a ray of moonlight that pierced through the Nightmare's burning body.

It staggered.

Burning. Dying. Weak.

But not dead yet.

The lantern's glow still held it in place—

And William finally arrived.

The Whirlwind Axe was in his hands.

A massive weapon, chipped at the edges but still deadly sharp.

He raised it high—

And swung with all his strength.

CRUNCH!

The Nightmare's head flew from its shoulders.

Black blood gushed out, splattering the ruins.

The fear field collapsed.

The air was clear again.

And then—

The Nightmare's body disintegrated, turning to ash, its existence erased from the world.

Silence.

William exhaled, lowering his axe.

It was over.