Merlin adjusted his grip on the sword, he dusted off the ash from his bloodied figure, beside him, Jeffrey rested his weakened body on his spear as he stared at the horde opposite them.
Jeffrey stayed quiet for a moment, then asked tiredly.
"How many?"
"...Forty-seven." Merlin closed his eyes as he replied with a hoarse voice.
"And one more…" he added as he stared at the mass of flesh behind "A Great Monster"
The new moment, the first wave of nightmare creatures attacked, Jeffrey charged forward not waiting behind for Merlin, his spear punched through one creature as others to lunged at him, claws raked Jeffrey's shoulder as a monster bit into his forearm and another slammed into his ribs.
Jeffrey roared, headbutting one creature before driving his spear upward through its chest.
Merlin wasn't spared either, he scrambled through countless creatures, stealing thoughts, constant air bullets and slashes.
A wolf-like nightmare creature lunged at him from behind, his danger sense screamed at him, but his exhaustion caught him as he dodged a little too late.
The jaws of the beast dug its way into his shoulder blade, as the pain registered in his brain, he snapped his finger and flame jumped away.
Bang…
Bang…
Bang…
Ha fired three consecutive air bullets as he appeared, all aimed towards the wolf-like nightmare creature.
He sidestepped, then slashed down bisecting another nightmare creature that lunged from his blind spot.
Merlin combined wind and tumble to restrict the movements of the other approaching nightmare creatures as his sword moved through the battlefield like a death blade carved for the sole purpose of reaping lives, but the exhaustion was tolling on him.
Throughout their endless battle, the Great Monster simply watched, as the number dropped significantly under their relentless brutal attacks.
Thirty three…
Twenty five…
Twenty…
Seventeen…
Eleven…
Four…
And finally, Jeffrey drove his spear into the last one, his skin that had been hardened by his aspect, held countless cracks and he was bleeding through multiple open wounds, Merlin didn't fare any better, there were only a few places he could transfer injuries that wouldn't restrict his movements, and with the amount he had received, transferring it was simply useless.
At that moment, the Great Monster, the final living creatures moved, not giving them any chance to rest or recover, his target was Jeffrey who was more wounded.
The monster's shoulder smashed into him like a runaway train, Jeffrey flew twenty feet before crashing through a tree in the distance, knocking him out cold, the tree split in half from the impact.
"Jeffrey!" Merlin shouted as he unleashed everything he had on the Great Monster, the highest rank creature he had fought, it was injured badly, but that just made it more dangerous.
Freeze rays…
Air bullets…
Paper daggers…
The Great Monster bulldozed through every attack he sent its way, then it flung one of its massive tendrils at Merlin, he raised his sword to counter, but the impact hurled Merlin across the battlefield.
He felt as the attack knocked the wind out of his lungs, he crashed into the ground and rolled like a ragdoll, the Great Monster didn't give him time to get up as another tendril flew to impale him, Merlin couldn't react in time, but just as it was about to crash into him.
Clang!
A spear blocked the attack, Jeffrey stood in front of him, battered but alive, blood covered half his face, his left shoulder hung uselessly, the remaining bones had been shattered by the impact.
"I'm...not finished" He gritted his teeth, beside him Merlin stood up too, clutching his sword too.
Jeffrey leaned heavily on his spear.
"I've got...nothing left, what about you?"
Merlin smiled weakly as he replied.
"I have one thing, but I'll need to get closer… let's finish this"
Jeffrey nodded and held his stance as the Great Monster charged, Merlin sighed as he prepared himself and they rushed forward too, suddenly the clearing became filled with copies of both him and Jeffrey, an illusion.
The monster hesitated slightly, and Jeffrey took that window and sprinted forward at great speed, his cracked ribs threatened to pierce his lungs, his injured ankle nearly collapsed beneath him, but he didn't give up as he deflected a few wide range attacks the Great Monster aimed at the illusions.
Merlin followed right behind him, the gauntlet reforming into a spear as he prepared his final attack, an illusory book floated beside him.
The next moment, he threw a paper dagger into the air, near the Great Monster and he flame jumped, then he unleashed his trump card.
Something he had recorded during his training with Azarax, the conqueror's will, and not just regular will, this was the will to kill, and Merlin was now harnessing that will, at its fullest, as he focused on the Great Monster below him.
With the last of his strength, threw the spear at the core of the Great Monster, he supplemented the attack with his will to kill, it was minimal, but it was his. The spear hurled through the air as it accurately pierced the Great Monster, normally that attack would only cause minimal damage to it, but under the will of a supreme conquer, it was as lethal as poison.
The Great Monster struggled for a few seconds, then it became still as the spell sounded in Merlin's ears.
[You have slain a Great Monster, Flesh Devourer.]
[You have received a memory…]
…
Merlin landed hard on the ground, Jeffrey collapsed beside the slain nightmare creature, his shoulder was dislocated, multiple ribs were broken, his left forearm was deeply gashed with less than a flesh stump remaining, his ankle punctured, and the wound in his stomach bled steadily.
Merlin fared little better. His back and thigh were slashed open, three ribs were broken, his right wrist was fractured, his shoulder had a large gash, and exhaustion from fighting nearly left him unconscious
After several minutes, Jeffrey laughed weakly as he stood up while leaning on his spear.
"We actually won."
Merlin stared at the sky and said calmly.
"We survived…"
Then he also stood up as he climbed the body of the dead Great Monster and removed his sword, then he turned to face Jeffrey, but the sight he saw left him stumped, Jeffrey the man who had fought with him, who had just congratulated him was standing in a daze as blood flowed endlessly from his mouth, in his chest was a black tendril that had hardened edges, it pierced right through him.
Merlin traced the long black tendril, and found the source, a large humanoid nightmare creature that had black slime covering its body and multiple tendrils protruding from its back, the monster bore a striking resemblance to venom from his other world.
Looking at the nightmare creature and the now dead Jeffrey, Merlin felt something in him snap, he clutched his stomach as he bursted out in laughter, his voice was hoarse as he laughed like a madman, he laughed at his powerlessness and at fate itself.
After a minute, Merlin finally stopped, he turned to face the nightmare creature that had already retracted its tendril, he spoke with a tired voice.
"Project X I presume… Sigh, it doesn't matter anyways… let's finish this"
The spear in his hand reformed into a katana, and he held the stone sword in the other hand, the next moment he moved towards the corrupted demon
The corrupted demon didn't rush, it stood motionless among the corpses of nightmare creatures, black slime sliding across its humanoid body as its thick tendrils swayed lazily behind its back.
Jeffrey's body still hung limp where it had fallen, Merlin stared at it for only a second as he rushed forward with his sword in both hands, then quietly he inhaled.
"...One more"
The demon stared at his approaching figure, then it vanished, Merlin's danger premonition sounded like an alarm inside his head, on instinct, he twisted his body to the side.
The next moment, a black tendril screamed past his cheek, fast enough to split the air, Merlin didn't dare hesitate as he attacked.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
An air bullet blasted into the demon's chest the instant it reappeared, the impact didn't even cause it to stagger, as the hole in its chest was already closing, its black flesh crawled over itself as the demon regenerated.
"So that's your trick… high speed regeneration"
Merlin flicked six paper daggers into the air as he initiated flame jump, his body disappeared in orange fire as he reappeared just above the demon.
His two swords descended upon the corrupted demon at the same time, the demon's torso split open from the attack, but the wound lasted for less than a heartbeat, the wound knitted together with sickening speed.
"...Ridiculous" Merlin muttered to himself.
Merlin's danger sense screamed at him three tendrils shot at him, he twisted his body to avoid the first he jumped backwards to avoid the second, but the fourth pierced right through him.
Paper Figurine Substitute…
His body burst into paper as the real Merlin reappeared behind the demon, without giving it time to react, he launched another attack.
"Freeze"
A pale ray struck the creature's back as white ice spread across its shoulders, Merlin didn't wait as he immediately followed up the attack with Wind, making a gale that slammed into the semi-frozen body, throwing the demon off balance.
Merlin didn't hesitate as he attacked again, the stone sword flashed as he immediately severed one arm of the demon.
Black slime surged again from the demon, and a new arm grew almost immediately, replacing the old one.
"..."
Merlin laughed helplessly as he stared at the demon who was beginning to get serious, the demon attacked without pause not giving him a chance to catch a breath, five tendrils became ten as Merlin jumped between burning paper daggers and substitution.
During his defense, he wasn't being all passive either as fog rolled across the clearing, restricting the vision of the demon, then he struck at its blind spot, his katana carved through its neck as the stone sword followed up by piercing its ribs, he activated his ability as electric shock surged through both blades, making the demon convulse slightly.
Merlin didn't stop there as he immediately used burn and flame control coupled with wind, igniting the slime covering its body, the flame spread wildly as the monster screamed and regenerated even through the fire, its burning flesh simply peeled away and became new flesh.
A tendril erupted from beneath the flames with air tearing speed, aimed at him, Merlin barely raised his sword as the impact blasted him backward, making his fractured wrist scream as blood spilled from his mouth.
Merlin remained standing, he still stood despite the exhaustion, despite already being at his limit, he still stood.
The demon suddenly stopped moving, as it turned and locked eyes with him, its slime hardened as the once glossy surface became black armor.
Merlin's eyes narrowed as he flame jumped and slashed with the stone sword, but it felt like hitting metal, immediately his danger sense screamed, a tendril ripped through his side leaving a gash wound, blood exploded across the grass as Merlin staggered, another attack came as he blocked, but the weight behind it swatted him away like a fly.
Merlin still stood up shaking as he smiled weakly.
"I guess… this is what fighting something stronger feels like."
He threw another paper dagger and flame jumped towards the demon, dodging a tendril as he relentlessly attacked at the demon, his sword all rendered ineffective by the hardened skin of the corrupted demon, after a while, he flame jumped away to catch his breath.
The demon's eyes were still fixed on his figure, Merlin wiped blood from his lips as he muttered.
"...One more try."
Then he gathered every remaining paper dagger and activated multiple abilities at the same time.
Flash…
Fog…
Black Screen…
Wind…
Burn…
Electric Shock…
Everything activated together, as the battlefield became complete chaos, the perfect battlefield for a Trickmaster and his final stand off.
Merlin vanished inside of the chaos, The sheer chaos of the area made the demon pause for the first time, and Merlin saw it, a single opening he could use, without hesitating, he flame jumped, appearing directly above the demon's head.
Both of his swords descended with everything he had left in him, the demon didn't give him a chance as it crossed two hardened tendrils to block the attack.
Boom!
The collision shattered the ground around them as Merlin forced the blades in his hands downward, cracks spread across the hardened armor, then finally, the shell broke.
His katana cut into its shoulder and the stone sword pierced through its chest, causing black blood to spray around, the demon staggered backwards, but the next moment, Merlin's danger sense erupted louder than ever before.
A black spear shot forward from the corrupted demon, he didn't even have the chance to react as it went right through his chest, Merlin's eyes widened as warm blood filled his mouth, the demon lifted him into the air exactly as it had Jeffrey.
Merlin looked down at the black tendril protruding from his chest, many faces flashed through his eyes.
Sunny…
Nephis…
Effie…
Kai…
Aiko…
Annie…
Silver…
Cassie…
And finally Ariel.
His vision became blurry as the world seemed to slow, then the next moment his vision changed completely, then he heard a voice echo in his ear very clearly.
"Ah… here we go again…"
.
.
.
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A/N: Last chapter... Final battle and end of second nightmare, coming up next... Here we go 🎉🎉