Chapter 167: The End of Dreams

"'She'…… hmm……"

I remembered and realized it through Karna's words.

A girl who continues to dream, like an older sister, before the Abyss she longs to reach, deeper than where Karna usually sleeps, and even deeper than Sora's pure psychological realm.... Hai reminds me of the sea of existence.

Remember and grit your teeth.

Of course, she would be more reliable than Karna.

Sora can only use what he believes is within his body, such as Karna and the Jewel Sword. There is a realization that my sister still exists deep within my heart as a Ghost, but that Ghost is a remnant of my regrets. Hai cannot use Sora's body unless she recognizes it as real, so she can focus on preventing Sora from falling.

And the sea should be able to interfere with the Dream World that Merlin is showing Sora.

Usually, she does not want her younger sibling to discover that she is the "real" her, and even if she had the chance to intervene, she would not act, but the current situation is an exception.

If the younger sibling falls to the current position on their own, and things continue like this, they will only melt and disappear into the farthest sea. Being locked up and intruded upon by Merlin.

Dreams are the surface layer of the collective unconscious. Regardless of whether you are a Magician or a connector to the Origin, an ordinary person can only have one path to the Origin Vortex, but this path is too narrow and simultaneously connected to too many people, so few Magicians in Sora's world use the Dream World to challenge the Origin Vortex.

Although it is unreliable and fragile, and one does not know when it will end, it is a complete labyrinth with too many Branches; this is because most Magicians have concluded that it is a dead end.

... Conversely, there are ways to interfere with and intervene in others' dreams, even if you do not have the special lineage of a Nightmare like Merlin.

Especially if she is merely a soul, existing in a position where she can directly interfere with the dreamer's mind, her ability to interfere will exceed that of the Nightmare Merlin, though limited to Sora.

Merlin tells himself this while regretting the existence of an opponent he forgot to be more vigilant against than Karna.

(... It doesn't matter. Even if she intervenes... as long as I am 'over there', neither she nor Sora himself can interfere.

If Hai-kun is helping Sora-kun not as a "Magician" but as an "older sister"... even if she knows, she cannot do it.)

I forgot about Hai's existence. I did not consider it, but I still told myself that the cautious measures I took are also effective against her.

This is a countermeasure to deal with Sora.

Merlin evaluated that even if Sora had the most contradictory dream possible, he would still realize it was a dream within a dream.

Because such a person became her fan, I never thought from the beginning that she would continue to have dreams full of contradictory sweetness, kindness, sweetness, and convenience.

And if he realizes it is a dream within a dream, Merlin will be at a disadvantage.

First of all, not only Merlin, but the existence of Muma can also interfere with and disturb the content of the dream, but even so, the dream still belongs to the dreamer themselves.

It is precisely because they do not know they are being subjected to Manipulation that they are able to intervene and patch things up as they please; especially when they realize their existence during REM sleep when the brain is clear, the initiative is easily Recaptured, and in the worst case, they are crushed like insects.

Although it has a physical body, Muma is a spiritual life form. Even if your body is destroyed in the real world, if you escape into someone else's dream, you can recover, even if you need time to recover and regenerate your body. This weakness of Muma also applies to Merlin, who is a half-human.

Originally, Sora should be in a non-REM sleep state because this is a dream that would even stop life activities, but since an irregular named Karna is using her body to wake up, Sora will be in a non-REM sleep state unless Karna is also made to sleep. First of all, this is actually Merlin's most disadvantageous condition.

This is why we take precautions and adopt preventive measures.

One's own hiding place, which can be called the "subject" that interferes with Sora's dream, is not a place that is "absolutely impossible to perceive," but a place that "cannot be discovered and interfered with."

If Sora is there, it is highly likely that when Sora falls to the limit, falls into the Abyss, falls into the Origin Vortex, and dissolves away, he will not be able to escape, but for Merlin, this is nothing.

It would be fine if the opponent in your heart is Sora. If she dies just like that, perhaps the people around her will understand.

I know such thoughts will be a terrible form of self-satisfaction.

But all of this has come to this point.

Everything I have done from the beginning was for myself.

What you are doing is to escape from what you do not want to see, to turn your eyes away from what you do not want to see.

What you are doing is to escape from a past full of regrets that you cannot regret.

(Everything... is for me... not for "you"...)

This is what I told him.

Although he does not want to see it, it has already been branded into his mind, and he cannot get rid of it.

I told myself that I was laughing with "him" and "him".

"Hai. Is this Sora's dream?"

"That is correct."

Hai immediately answered Kurapika's question.

"This is not your dream, it is Sora's dream. But now, it cannot be called that child's dream. In order to push that child into the Abyss, this place has become a prison."

"... What is going on here?"

"By the way, I want to ask what is going on with you two?

Eh? Is this Kurapika real? Are you on a business trip in my dream? What do you mean?"

Kurapika urged him to "tell me more" in response to Kai, which made no sense as he was always the first to state the conclusion, but Sora, still enduring Kurapika's self-harm, asked the two of them, still completely confused.

From Sora's perspective, I can imagine the current situation is even more incomprehensible and meaningless than Kurapika's, but when asked, the two ignored the first person. It was not that they did not have time to explain, nor was it that letting Sora understand was dangerous.

"Nightmares don't need you to explain, right? And you have already lost control of your own dream; let alone waking up, you cannot even maintain the body's life activities. If it weren't for Karna, you would have died in less than five minutes, you silly younger sibling."

A lot of overhead? I ignored the overwhelmed sister who skipped the mark and told Kurapika about Sora's current situation, even though Hai's lifespan was short and she skipped once on the spot.

"The initiative has been taken away?"

Kurapika realized that Sora's situation was even more dangerous than he had imagined, and blood flowed down his face.

I couldn't help but ask. No matter how you look at it, the initiative in Sora's dream is currently not being taken away by that "Muma".

This has been the case ever since Sora tried to stab his chest with a Sword.

Only Kurapika and Hai were trying to stop Sora from doing so. Other characters just looked at Sora silently with sad faces.

Kurapika was not clear about Muma's purpose, but he did know that he did not want Sora to commit suicide in the dream.

I interrupted the role of "Kurapika" in this dream created by the Nightmare, and from the memories I obtained, I thought the Nightmare was relatively favorable to Sora.

Those memories were full of contradictions and impossible things, but they were memories of a world that not only Sora, but also Kurapika sincerely hoped to "become like."

No matter how you look at it, this is not a world that would make Sora commit suicide. Rather, Sora's movements were too sudden; his movements were more contradictory than any scene in this world or the past.

And just as that contradiction caused the original cracks to spread, this kind and happy world had already collapsed.

Like the dance of the ocean, when she turned to show off something and faced Kurapika again, the surface of the world peeled away, revealing the truth.

The spacious living room, though someone else's house, was unusually comfortable, yet it turned into a cage that shrouded the surroundings, with thorny vines entangling them, making it impossible for them to Escape.

The other three just looked at Sora committing suicide with sad faces, turning into humanoid bushes and ivy.

And Hai transformed into a young girl smaller than Sora.

I don't know when it started, but the surrounding environment and the ocean had all turned into this state. It was only after Hai suddenly turned around that I realized it, but looking back, I felt that Hai had been Sora's sister from the beginning, yet she looked younger than Sora, like the age she was when she died, Gon, Killua, and Leorio. I felt that the people I thought were there had just been bushes from the start.

In any case, there was no doubt that their perception had gone off the rails.

However, if this perception were corrected, the leadership of the Dream World should no longer belong to the Trojan Horse.

But this place was still a prison.

Kurapika could not understand why only the story of the gentle world had collapsed, while the prison holding Sora was still alive and well.

"It is fast and helpful.

As you thought, the initiative of the dream has been restored by more than half. Or rather, that stupid little sister knew from the beginning that this was a dream, so she could always shift from a dream world turned upside down by nightmares to a free and easy lucid dream."

"Hey, wait, this isn't a lucid dream at all!? Regardless of my intentions, aren't you two being a bit too much!? Give me the initiative of the story, not the initiative of the dream!!"

"Kurapika. Make that silly little sister over there shut up."

Hai said expressionlessly, and Kurapika completely understood this half-hearted explanation; he was truly moved. But the sister blocked him.

Sora wasn't particularly bad either; both knew that if one wanted to read the atmosphere, one should explain, but the two who were still angry ignored the opinions of the person involved, or rather his earnest pleas, and Hai was his sister... I didn't even look at myself, just ordered Kurapika, and Kurapika immediately said "I understand," covering Sora's mouth with his hand.

"Then why is this place still a prison? This idiot doesn't want to be locked up either, right?"

When Kurapika asked this while ignoring Sora, who was still struggling and protesting in Kurapika's palm with muffled sounds, Hai's expressionless face collapsed.

It was just a wrinkle between her brows, but because of her beautiful face, the power of the anger contained within was truly terrifying for a fourteen-year-old girl.

Not only Kurapika, but even the sister was shaken by the force, and then ordered Hai to spit it out.

"Didn't I tell you? We have already taken back more than half, but it is still incomplete. The most important part, we have not yet regained control; that is something we cannot take back unless we find the main body. The nightmare within the dream. It is the same thing."

Kurapika was startled by these words, but he understood why Hai had gone to the trouble of bringing him here.

"You mean, with my ability, find out where it is?"

After confirming that the bleeding had stopped, Kurapika released his right hand that was holding the wound on Sora's neck and showed him the chain that had undergone Materialization in the ocean.

"Ring Finger Chain. Its attack power is almost zero, but it is the most versatile chain, the 'leading Ring Finger Chain dowsing chain'," but Hai immediately smoothed her forehead and answered.

"That is not true. Or rather, if it were the place where you are, I and the child would have known from the beginning."

"Why did you call me!?"

After being immediately rejected, Kurapika rushed in inadvertently. Seriously, this girl is always askew, everywhere.

However, although it was indirect, these sisters did not do meaningless things that would involve others.

This makes sense. The meaning of calling Kurapika must be that it had to be Kurapika.

Kurapika was the only one who could do what both Sora and Hai could not, even if he realized it.

"Over there."

Hai pointed at Kurapika, completely ignoring the question Kurapika was dying to know.

No, I didn't ignore it. This was a good enough answer.

"Although it is inhumane, he longs for humans, dreams of humans, and is kinder, crueler, more selfish, and more loyal than anyone else. The Succubus loves sincerity, I am there."

Kurapika slowly turned his head in the direction Hai was pointing and confirmed it.

I hoped it was a lie, but on the straight line Hai pointed to... there was... a person.

The hand Kurapika used to cover the mouth loosened.

My gaze naturally turned to the part Sora tried to stab with the knife, and the part I held to stop the bleeding.

Between the chest and the neck. A deep stab would certainly be fatal, but since it was far from the heart and carotid artery, proper treatment was enough to save it.

Even so, Kurapika was half-crazy, grabbing the knife and throwing it away. Even now, even though I know this is a dream, I am still afraid.

Because I cannot see myself, but I know what is outside.

"That" is her dream, but when she touched it in reality, her body trembled as if startled.

So I am sure it is there.

The place Sora tried to stab. The position is slightly below the collarbone.

There is... there is...

Sora raised his tightly closed corners of his mouth and smiled awkwardly.

Smiling, he said:

"... Yes.

Merlin's 'dead point here' counts me in. In me. In this dream, it lurks in a place you cannot catch unless you die."

"... Why............"

Tell yourself it's okay.

Even if someone notices the hiding place of my body, I cannot interfere.

For Sora, and for Hai who treats her as a "sister" rather than "Material," he knows this is the only way, but he still cannot help it.

I, who am hiding in Sora's own "blind spot," am also at a loss.

I tell myself over and over again, but I am afraid and lost.

So I cannot help but ask.

"Why... why... why don't you give up yet!!"

Karna no longer needed to hold Sora in his arms to prevent him from falling, nor did he need to keep calling out in hopes of waking him up.

He had to follow the rules of Avalon, but like Sora, he had the Spirit Power to accept everything without escaping his own sins, using willpower to suppress and shake off the sleepiness of sweet temptation.

Those wild as beasts, with dance movements as elegant as a demonstration of martial arts, were barely caught by Merlin using his staff and Manipulation of plants, continuing to parry.

Merlin's primary profession is Magician, no matter how much he looks like a martial artist. Worthy of him, who specializes in mental labor, logistics, and tactics, who is skilled at fighting Karna, a true warrior who has devoted himself to battle from his bone marrow to his blood droplets, it is not a bad idea. Facing him head-on. This is terrible.

However, Merlin himself did not realize his own mistake. I did not see such a thing.

He is like a whining child, like a child left alone somewhere... as if saying "Don't leave me," he is a person who does not give up on his own choices. Asking us.

"No matter how happy the process is, if the result is despair, even the happiest process will turn into regret!

If you know the result will be a tragedy, precisely because you do not regret meeting, because you do not want to, then what is wrong with ending it quickly to make it better!?

Why... why are you still struggling!? Even though this struggle is now just the prologue to a tragedy!!"

Even if he knows tragedy will come, why not hesitate, unlike myself, when clearly told the ending will only be a tragedy? Asking you if you are not afraid.

As usual, he worries for Sora and the others from the bottom of his heart. He does not want to kill Sora, he does not want to let Sora die and make her sad. On the contrary, it is precisely because they want to alleviate their sadness and despair as much as possible that they struggle so hard. He does not have the ability to embrace a person's sadness and despair.

Without a doubt, it is just that.

However, even if he thinks purely for others, this kind of thinking is selfish.

"... Don't casually conclude that this is a tragedy! Even if what you see is only the Master himself living that kind of life!

Master, the Master's life is not a story read to pass the time!!"

Merlin's question was dismissed.

Saying this, Karna used his staff as a shield and kicked him away.

Karna understood that while Merlin himself was in a state of being unable to move, kicking him away was a bad move against him, who possessed long-range attack means.

Nevertheless, he still had things to prioritize over killing Merlin and beating him until he could not speak.

Karna turned his attention to the Prince's army.

Gon touched it without hesitation, grabbed the stem covered in thorns, and pulled it off with all his might.

The arm of Killua, which had extended Ojigisou leaves, no longer moved. I could not even hear a groan of pain.

Nevertheless, Gon continued to speak to that arm.

"... Killua... wait... now... I'm coming to help you..."

The trembling voice indicated that Killua was well aware of the desperate ending that might emerge within this Ojigisou cocoon.

He still did not give up. It was still helpful. Absolutely helpful. The strong will to absolutely save her continued to shine behind the eyelids that were about to close under the heavy pressure of sin.

The reason Ojigisou did not attack Gon was not because Gon's combat power was too weak to be worth the "stimulus" of the attack conditions, but because he feared his own brilliance.

Karna shouted to prove this was true.

"Killua! Stay strong! Remember what Lazers said!

This guy is an Illusion user, not a plant user!! The pain you are enduring now is an illusion!!"

Hearing this, Gon looked up in surprise.

As soon as he lifted his face, he moved.

The arm of Killua, which had extended cocoon-like tassels, moved.

It was not a spasmodic movement, but a firm, conscious movement. I bent my elbow, pierced the fleshy leaves wrapping me with knife-like claws, and pulled it off.

Also kicking from the inside, as if kicking it, just when I thought it was twisting like cocoon-like leaves and stems, it exploded from the inside, a child's leg, Killua's leg. The legs all came out.

Using the arm extending from there and the arm inside, I tore off the remaining leaves and stems, and then what came out as if bitten was a bite wound and thorns all over the body, Killua had been pricked many times.

However, when Killua let out a muffled grunt and wiped the blood away with his fist, the wound disappeared as if wiped away by the blood.

"Oh, damn it! That's right, this garden is also a world created by this guy, and it's not a plant he actually planted, so this is definitely an illusion! Damn it!!"

"Killua! Killua!!"

Karna pointed out that Killua, who acknowledged his pain was an illusion, had revived.

The wound on Gon's forehead from hitting himself to wake up from his sleep was real, but all the wounds on his hands while trying to rescue Karna and Killua had disappeared, not even leaving a trace of blood.

It is hard to say if it was because of Illumi's Needle, but Killua, who was controlled by the "first come, first served" control system, was actually completely unable to be controlled even by Merlin's level control system, so Karna pointed out. A Suggestion of pain.

For better or worse, the obedient Gon saw that Killua was safe and sound and understood that it was an illusion.

"... You have a nice personality. Of course, I mainly use Illusion, but you know I can manipulate real plants, so I can't say it's an illusion."

Merlin, who had been kicked away by Karna, slowly got up and said with dissatisfaction.

Just as Merlin said, his Manipulation ability was mainly used for Illusion, but he could also normally manipulate real plants.

Actually, the plants binding Karna and being sucked by the Magic Aura were real. He probably used the real ones because he knew he could see through the Illusion on Karna.

Karna's words seemed to be a high-stakes gamble.

However, when Merlin pointed it out, Karna did not appear embarrassed, but appeared a bit strange, and replied.

"Even if you can manipulate real things, you won't use them, right?

Walking to this point, Merlin's expression twisted slightly, feeling disgusted by this remark that completely trusted Merlin.

Rather than saying he disliked being thought of this way, or that he felt uncomfortable about it, it was more that when it was pointed out that Karna's words were correct, his expression seemed to be that he himself was unhappy.

"... That's right... 'I' cannot kill you."

Confirming Karna's words.

Nevertheless, Merlin did not give up on the choices and future he had made.

"However, at least I can escape from here..."

He threw away the staff broken by Karna, wrote letters in the air with his fingertips, and spoke again.

"Star's Inner Sea... Stand Uthaina..."

"!?" Still!?"

"Are you trying to force me to sleep with a twisted line!?"

Gon and Killua shouted again to build "Avalon," a paradise that deprives sinners, including themselves, of freedom, but the figures drawn by Merlin's fingertips further strengthened the effect. Or, even if the Spell had not yet been completed, the two were struck by an irresistible sleepiness and fell to their knees on the spot.

Karna finally managed to stand up, but even so, he could not resist this sleepiness without harming Sora's body.

"Explosion!!"

Sora's weapons are jewels.

They are very simple to use, so Karna knows them and can handle them quickly.

Basically, it is just a matter of issuing an activation keyword, so unless Sora adjusts them for others to use, no one but Sora can use them; however, even Karna's persona is created by the body and the body's Mana belongs to Sora.

Especially Karna, who possesses the 【Mana Burst (Flame)】 skill, has great compatibility with jewels infused with fire-type Magic.

However, just as Merlin, a martial arts fan, was at a disadvantage in close-quarters combat against the true martial arts fan Karna, this time Karna was also at a disadvantage.

"Let me tell you from the edge of paradise, blessings abound here."

Merlin continued to chant while waving his hands, flower petals dancing and layering over the jewels Karna threw.

He grabbed and threw them without considering the type, so those jewels without the "Explosion" keyword activation and the bluffing imitations couldn't hit Merlin at all, and because they were wrapped many times by the petals, they fell to the ground like small rose flowers.

The jewels that reacted to Karna's activation keyword exploded according to Karna's command, but the petals that wrapped them had the same effect as those that absorbed Karna's Mana, and the power of the explosion was at the level of a temper tantrum ball on the ground.

I was able to get rid of Gon and Killua's drowsiness with my voice, but that was all. At that point, they still couldn't move.

Karna also had no choice but to strike him directly to interfere with Merlin's chanting, but this was impossible because he had rescued Killua and Gon from the Illusion City.

However... however, their eyes still did not hold despair.

The light of a strong will to never give up shone on the two children, struggling to force themselves to stand up as they fell to the ground.

Even though their final struggle was ruthlessly reduced to nothing, Karna was still smiling.

Smiling, he said:

"As expected, Master is a bestower."

"... Only the innocent—!?"

As Karna said this, Merlin's mouth was covered from behind.

An elegant and delicate hand reached out from behind, the right hand wrapping around Merlin's mouth, and the left arm forcibly blocking his arms. Moreover, three fingers were placed inside his mouth, making it impossible to chant in his palm.

The feeling of being hugged from behind was soft enough to be attractive in other circumstances. From the feel and slenderness of her hands and fingers, it was clear that a woman was leaning on his back, covering his mouth.

A blonde, straight-haired beauty with drooping eyes, smiling with a typical business smile. While hugging and restraining Merlin with incredible strength from her graceful and sexy body.

Although Merlin was a female opponent, he bit the finger stuck in his mouth to keep him from chanting, but his smile did not waver. On the contrary, you didn't even taste the blood in your mouth, which exposed the true nature of this woman.

There were no direct acquaintances. But Merlin, who possesses Clairvoyance and has almost no concept of privacy, knew. Who she was.

Even though he knew, it was more unexpected than the existence of the sea. Because her "usage" was not like this. I wouldn't use it to do something like this, I should have let it sleep so it wouldn't bother me in the first place...

"... Hmm... you did it... Biscuit... just like that... don't let him go!!"

The master of the "human materialized by Nen Ability" who was supposed to be asleep, who was restraining him, intermittently ordered her own Nen Ability.

Were the intermittent words the result of sleepiness, or the result of biting her own tongue to resist sleepiness until it tore?

Regardless, Biscuit collapsed as if buried in a flower bed, her eyelids already more than half closed, yet she still glared at Merlin through the empty gap, laughing out loud.

I don't know when she woke up; she probably bit her tongue just as she was about to fall asleep at the beginning, waiting for an opportunity, sorry for Gon and Killua.

Instead of using herself, who was attacked by sleepiness and could not be dispelled no matter how much pain was applied, she used the Nen Ability that should usually be used for her own beauty and the recovery of others. Magical Esthetician, but there was actually no great need to embody it as a human figure. The memorial doll aesthetician used "Cookie-chan" to launch a surprise attack.

He thought he had made Biscuit sleep and drove her out of the unit, and he knew that Biscuit's unique Nen Ability was not originally meant for fighting. Someone approaching him in the "Shadow" was completely outside his assumptions.

Biscuit, a Transmuter with good compatibility with Conjuration, used all the Aura that would normally be converted into massage oil for beauty and fatigue recovery to strengthen Cookie-chan herself, and continued to restrain Merlin.

Even Merlin, who possesses an Aura incomparable to humans, had used a large amount of illusions in a short period of time to create a wide range of different spaces, and his Aura had been consumed quite a bit. In a fragmented state, he could not easily break free from Cookie-chan, who had been strengthened to the same level as Biscuit's true body.

(I was hit! Was that jewel a bluff!!)

From Karna's smile and words, Merlin realized that he knew Biscuit's intentions and the existence of Biscuit, and while looking at Karna, he struggled to break free from the restraints.

So he was still wrong. I know my expectations were too naive.

"... Merlin."

This place is not a closed paradise. You can go anywhere, it's not over yet, happiness hasn't come, the world outside knows what it is.

Karna announced that he would not run away, said "I can go anywhere," and then threw something high into the sky.

It was a red jewel. Probably Sora's jewel, filled with Fire Magic.

Seeing Karna raise his arm and inject more Mana into the jewel he threw, Merlin understood what Karna was going to do. This time, he bit off Biscuit's finger, strengthened his muscles with his own Aura, and began to tear Biscuit off.

But Karna gave instructions before Merlin completely got rid of her.

"Biscuit! Release the ability!! And the three of you, focus on protecting yourselves!"

"! What will you do!?"

Killua rushed in at Karna's uneasy instruction, pressed down on the head of Gon, who was frightened by the excessive momentum, lay down on the spot, and amplified his own Aura.

Biscuit raised her voice in confusion, "Ah!?" and turned around.

Merlin, the only one who could guess what Karna was going to do, tried to escape this place, but even though he possessed space-moving abilities that did not match his unique abilities or systems, this was still his specialty. The ability without power would not activate in the blink of an eye. This was even more true in a chaotic mind.

"Watch your head, I want to break it."

If heard from the side, it could only be called an insult, but from his perspective, he didn't even want to hurt the enemy excessively, so he issued a sincere warning and lowered his raised hand with force.

As if following the movement of that hand, "it" fell from the clear fake blue sky, burning that blue sky into the paradise Merlin had created.

It was a jewel that originally contained a fire-attribute effect, added with his own skill, and replicated in a fake way.

Whether it could reach 1/100, let alone 1/10 of its original power, is doubtful, but in fact, this space where Merlin's heart was on the verge of collapse was enough to shatter Avalon.

"Curse yourself... Brahma, Curse Me Brahmastra!!"

It is a manifestation of one of Karna's Noble Phantasms.

He added his own fire attribute to the archery secret "Brahmastra" he was granted by the Brahmin Parashurama.

Sora was exhausted, and to save as much Mana Aura as possible, I used a jewel filled with Mana, and to destroy Merlin and the surrounding space itself, I used this jewel with a wide attack range. In this case, you can only see the beam from your eyes. How to use Brahma, Covering Brahma? I didn't read the atmosphere.

In any case, this decision was correct, whether effective or artistic.

That jewel, the size of a small fingernail, turned into a fireball the size of the Aura ball shot by Razor, and like a meteorite, it burned down paradise itself and fell toward Merlin.

"Pah!!"

Merlin chose to protect himself with his own specialty rather than being scorched in time to perform a spatial shift, which was his weak area; he caused the surrounding plants to grow rapidly to prevent a direct hit from the hellfire, but he barely maintained his form. The wall was destroyed in one blow, and Merlin, whose line of sight had been blocked by the wall, was blown away by a ball of Aura that had absolutely no power.

"Haha!"

A bloody cough sprayed from your mouth. Listening to the sound of several ribs being crushed rather than the sound of being hit directly in the abdomen, I was deeply moved by the attack for a moment without hesitation, even though from his perspective it was a very chaotic situation. But at the same time, seeing the fact that Razor was so hated, Merlin looked at Razor with a wry smile.

Initially, when isolated in a space outside Avalon, it acted as a GM-specific information-sharing camera. The Spell was cast; thus, having grasped the situation and ready to take the best action at any time, Merlin used Avalon in a fit of rage. The Spell was also cut off.

Even though it was my own mutual cooperation and alliance that made my Kata ability ineffective, I learned that no matter how many people were needed, or how many years it took, in the end, I was no match for the monster.

Nevertheless, the GM did not give up.

Because they did not abandon that world, they headed there according to their own will; because they knew they had encountered that monster, Razor would cooperate with other GMs again. He gained more confidence, power, and worked hard to defeat Avalon.

Unlike the first Avalon, the space where the Aura ball would not yield no matter how many times it was hit continued to be struck clumsily, over and over again.

After all, Merlin was not serious about defeating the first Avalon. Although I knew this was something bordering on kindness, I still did not give up.

Avalon, which should have been stronger than it appeared, was destroyed from the inside by Karna.

But this is no reason to abandon the results of what you have done so far, because your process is not meaningless.

On the contrary, because he did not want to deny his own process, Razor, although shaken by the sudden defeat of Avalon, still took action.

In order not to let it escape again, I threw it in; honestly, the resentment I have held until now.

Even knowing that he harbored resentment, there was not a hint of dark pleasure hidden in Razor's long, narrow eyes.

His eyes seemed to be always smiling, squinting with a sincere smile. I did not deliberately dodge the attack on Merlin, but I took a real, direct hit. He was laughing.

In that bright smile, Merlin saw the shadow of "someone" he did not want to see again.

(... Ah, I cannot stay here anymore.)

I knew it from the beginning, but that smile was the final blow, and Merlin ran away.

From Razor, from Gon, Killua, Biscuit, from here, from Karna's words, I am escaping the fact that everything has not ended yet, but I will not go anywhere; as long as I close my eyes and plug my ears, he ran away to stop everything.

It possesses its own body, and even though it knows it, it has never touched it.

But soon, his eyes opened.

"—Don't let me escape."

In response to the declaration of the voice that both the girl and the boy could hear.

"Here...?"

Hai pointed, and Kurapika stared at the place where Sora should have been stabbed with a knife, between the neck and the chest, below the collarbone, muttering with a squeezed voice.

At the same time, although he learned that Sora was trapped in the Dream World, his hatred for the culprit grew, because the Dream World was too kind, and the culprit could not help but feel his own negative emotions.

This was such a despicable hiding place that all my previous good feelings vanished.

"... That child's 'Deadmind' is only for the body. Of course, in this Dream World, there are lines and points that would kill the child, but those 'points' are absolutely fake; I will not."

... This is logically possible, but the Nightmare there is clear; there is no reason to be straightforward. Actually, the position where I just stabbed the knife is not exactly a 'point', is it?"

After Kurapika muttered and froze, Hai continued to ask Sora indifferently.

Sora was still confused because he still did not understand the current situation, but Kurapika wanted to ask: "Is it really okay to insert a knife 'there'?" Perhaps because of his playful expression, but he answered with his usual brilliant smile.

"Ah, yes. Kurapika, don't worry, if this is a real 'point', it would be fine. It is not being stabbed. I did this because I thought it wouldn't work."

However, when I heard myself smiling and admitting to doing a terrible thing to eliminate Kurapika's worries, I could not help but feel anxiety, hatred, and anger toward Muma. Is this okay!?

"Gian!"

"!? Sora!? Hai! What!?"

"Do you want to know, this silly sister, how many times she has done the same thing since being shown dreaming by the Nightmare, failing, unable to bear the pain, fainting in the dream, and having the dream reset from the beginning?"

Do you want to know how many times I have watched this child cut his own neck to see if I could pull the Nightmare out without piercing the point? This child did not want to die even when cutting hard, so he avoided the carotid artery at all costs, hesitating and leaving his neck full of scars. Do you want me to tell you how many times I watched until you fell asleep?"

"... Sorry. Please continue."

"Hey Kurapika!! Don't give me permission! I am not doing this because I like it!!"

Kurapika raised his voice to protest to his sister, and his sister suddenly jumped over him, blowing on his sister's head with a chirp, but Hai's brow furrowed deeper than before, calling Kurapika. Speaking of hell, Kurapika instinctively sympathized with Hai using all his strength, letting him continue the eighth attack, and then being pushed into Sora.

"Noisy, if it's not because you like it, then hurry up and spit out that Parasite along with the fake Deadmind."

"Oh my, oh, oh! Far from reality!! Saying things like that, you should do something!!"

However, Hai ignored Sora's attack and protest, biting the iron claw on the head he kicked away, struggling to tear off his sister's hand, shouting and protesting.

Kurapika said to the sisters who were still arguing, "Do as you please," leaving behind the feeling of wanting to let their weak bodies take over and fall asleep. Reignite the energy you lost.

As Hai said, if he regained most of the initiative in the dream, he should be able to wipe away the Deadmind with his fingertips without a knife.

Originally, he should have been able to regain full control of his Dream World from Muma, but Sora could not.

Just as Sora said to his sister, it was impossible because she already knew it was a dream.

Lucid dreaming, where you realize you are dreaming, is something impossible in reality, such as flying in the sky, because you are aware of it. It seems that some people are the love-at-first-sight type when they realize it is a dream, even if they are in the middle of flying.

I don't know which one Sora usually is, but when it comes to this dream, this "Deadmind", it is definitely the latter.

Even if she tried to convince herself that it was a dream, it seemed that the black "point" piercing her chest was not "death" itself, but it was strange to her, and most importantly, she did not want to see it. A familiar thing that cannot be escaped.

It will not disappear; even if Sora's brain does not want to understand, if he pierces it, he will die; he cannot forget it.

So even in a dream, even a lucid dream where one can change the world according to one's own will, this point will not disappear, and Sora cannot make up his mind to stick with it.

This point is in Sora's body, so even if Sora's spirit pierces him in the dream, it is not a problem, just as Hai said.

If it were Sora's eyes, I believe he would know if this was a fake "point" manifested by Muma. Kurapika speculated that because he already knew that the "point" of his body and the "point" of his mind were not connected, he asserted that Hai was "fake".

However, it cannot be said that there is 100% no problem.

Even if there is no doubt that it is fake, a dream is a world of the spirit, so belief is formed in this way, and the stronger the belief, the more it invades reality.

If you tell a blind person that a simple iron rod is a hot fire skewer and touch their skin, they will be burned; even if they are just dripping water, they will be told they are bleeding. There is no guarantee that the "death" in the dream will not come true, just like being scared to death.

This is why Sora can cut his neck, but he cannot penetrate the most important "point" where the Nightmare lurks.

The earlier the treatment, the better; even if my neck was cut, I could not pierce that "point" that decides when it is too late. You cannot erase it like wiping it away. Sora's understanding that it is not something that disappears is too deep; no matter the control of the Nightmare, it will not be free.

Not even the sea can. The sea cannot do it, because it is real.

The death of a Direct Death is meaningless, unless the person who perceives "death" with their own eyes intervenes in it by touching "death."

Even if someone else stabs the part Sora points to as "there is a point here," it will only cause physical damage; if it is not a fatal wound, it is of course impossible to cause death in one blow.

This is why you should use the sea's hand to stab that "point."

Even if that "point" is real, if it were someone else, not Sora, and they were pierced by the sea, Sora should know there would be no problem, so the thought of death would not invade reality. It should be.

This is the fastest and best way, and I know I don't have to see that scene, even if I don't have to repeat suicide attempts to prevent my sister from dying over and over again in my dreams. I have, but she cannot.

Because she has lost her physical body and exists only as a spirit, this world... her "dream" is her reality.

Fearing most that one day she would use her sister as "Material," she felt at ease, and ended her own life before that... In a world where she can only live as a "normal sister," she saved her sister; even for this, she could not kill her sister.

Mom said Merlin forgot the sea. Although she didn't pay attention, the result was that she escaped the sea even more tragically than Sora.

However, Retsu, who was struggling and desperate not to give up on two dreams, could not give up, because her sister's repeated suicides broke her heart.

Instead, every time the Dream World reset, the hatred for Muma increased, because no matter what, he tried his best to destroy this prison, so he had his sister's Mana supply and plundered his own Mana. I brought Kurapika through the barrier even though it was big and thin.

"I brought you here to solve this problem. Much appreciated."

Saying this, Retsu slammed her sister's head, which she had been clutching tightly, heavily onto the ground, then turned to face Kurapika, her expression equally grave, elegant, and expressionless.

As Kurapika, go to the ground! He couldn't help but worry about Sora being hit on the head, making a nice sound, motionless, but the culprit sister ignored the miserable state of her sister behind her and said to Kurapika.

"So, Kurapika. Hurry up and kill this stupid sister.

It is your fault that the Parasite lives here, so take responsibility."

"... I don't know how to say it, it's like you've already killed him... well, you're right."

Kurapika was not surprised or overwhelmed by Sora's suicide remarks, but rushed in with a tone and expression of surprise that seemed to say "this guy is really different," and then agreed.

Admit that this is your fault.

"! What are you talking about, stupid sister!! It's not Kurapika's fault!!"

"Shut up, you insensitive person."

"... Sora.

Hit by the force of being bounced to the ground, Sora, who was about to faint in the dream, stood up to respond to Kurapika's agreement, but the sister ordered him to shut up without looking back. Kurapika also denied Sora's denial.

No matter how many times Sora said "it's different," Kurapika was not at fault or responsible as Sora said, but Kurapika thought he was definitely the cause of the nightmare lurking in the vast wilderness.

This is a fact.

Kurapika didn't know who was between the dreams, nor did he know how different Merlin was, but at least he didn't think he possessed the same "Instant Death Evil Eye" as Sora.

Then, how did this nightmare know where Sora's "Death Point" was? This question was the beginning of Kurapika's self-reproach.

If you don't know where the "death" point of Sora, which only Sora can see, is located, then you cannot create a fake "Death Point" in a dream.

If it wasn't for Sora planting it in the same place as the "Death Point" on his body that he never wanted to see, the moment he saw that "point," he could have pierced it without hesitation. That was fake.

Although she knew that the "point" she saw on her chest was fake, she knew the real thing was in the same position, so she couldn't penetrate it. If it weren't for this, this woman who was too bold would definitely have been able to penetrate it.

Kurapika didn't know how to know the "real" location because he didn't know that Merlin had an impossible eye called "Clairvoyance," which was on the same level as Sora's Demon Eye, but he knew when and how he discovered the field.

"Your death is mine."

The nightmare lurking in this "point" was hiding here because he somehow knew about that "promise"... because he knew what Kurapika got after giving up the right to kill him that day.

"Sora. Both go die and live."

Because he kept his promise for that agreement, he was finally found out by Muma.

If Muma used that promise to trap her in this gentle but comforting dream until she fell into nothingness... no matter what Sora said, this was Kurapika's fault.

So Kurapika picked up the fruit knife he had thrown away, approached Sora, and squatted down.

"Also, even if it's not my fault... this is my duty, right?"

Saying with a smile.

Smiling and pointing at the knife.

Slightly higher than where Sora was to be stabbed. That day, I just poked her lightly with my fingertip and touched it, but it was definitely pierced.

However, the tip of the knife he stabbed toward himself was trembling more and was more dangerous than when Sora was about to stab his own chest.

The body honestly complained: "I don't want to do this."

Even in a dream, although knowing this was the way to save Sora, my heart was shouting like the sea: "I don't want to."

So Sora grabbed Kurapika's hand to stop him.

"Kurapika... it's okay, you don't have to. I will prepare well! It's okay! Because I don't want to die, I can't die with a placebo."

"Don't make me."

I don't want to kill, I don't want to hurt, my heart and body are honestly attracting people.

But more importantly, there are some things I don't want to see or do.

"Don't make up your mind, you will survive. I want you to live, live, live, so that day I... carried your death on my shoulders."

If she couldn't escape no matter how afraid she was, at least she carried the heavy burden of death on her shoulders.

Because this is a promise we exchanged, in order not to lose hope for things other than death.

So I will never let you die.

The will to never let Sora die by his own hands overwhelmed the faint voice of "I don't want to do this."

The knife pierced Sora's chest again, exactly at the "point" that should have been pierced that day.

This time there was no confusion or fearful trembling. Kurapika said to Sora, ensuring he could always pierce it straight.

Instead of being afraid of being pierced, he said to Kurapika: "Are you sure you're okay?"

In order not to let him regret it, he looked back and urged him.

"Not to mention me, since we can meet, do you have anything to say?"

Although they cared about each other, the existence of the "Magician" made everything about the two so twisted that if there was something beloved, their past would become incomparably painful.

However, this has no connection to becoming a "Magician."

That is why I think we might have something to say to each other.

"... Meddlesome."

Compared to Kurapika's worry, Sora is confused by his self-satisfaction, as the incident with Omokage a month ago left a bad aftertaste.

Sora says to his older sister, "Don't speak ill of Kurapika!"

A moment later, Sora's eyes drift as if lost, then, as if having made up his mind, he looks straight at his younger sister and speaks.

"... Ah, you know, Umi! Perhaps the sea is also..."

"This is a dream. A dream created by a nightmare to trap you; a dream you see will be released from the nightmare."

However, Umi interrupts her older sister and begins to speak.

"... That is why I am as you wish. That is how I am."

"............ No, I really like it, though?"

The question Sora wants to ask is, "Isn't Umi just as 'authentic' as Kurapika?"

Kurapika's denial is within his expectations, but he is surprised because, due to the domestic violence triggered by that love, his statement cannot pass.

However, Umi ignores her younger sister's strike and ignores Kurapika's surprise, moving closer to Sora.

He approaches and strokes Sora's head with a child's hand; it is a pure, gentle affection.

Seeing this action, Sora widens his eyes and looks up at his younger sister, and Umi smiles.

She looks a lot like her older sister, yet not like her. Like her older sister, her older sister's smile is very similar to my name.

While speaking, she strokes her older sister's head with the calm of the sea and a brilliant smile.

"Do you still have questions?"

"... Ah. That's right... This is... a dream."

Sora answers his younger sister's demeanor and smile with a slightly sad smile.

For Sora, being gently patted on the head by his older sister is impossible unless it is a dream, even though his older sister is already dead.

The same is true for the sea. In fact, this is never possible, so Umi does this to make her denial more persuasive.

Umi speaks, persuading her older brother that she is not "real."

"So? Is there anything you want to ask me in the dream?"

Persuading him that this is not real, that it is something Sora fabricated, then asking what Sora wants to know.

I can tell you now.

Answering "Why?" that day.

However, Sora————

"... No."

She never asks for an answer.

I do not know how much I believe in Umi's words. But whether you believe it or not, the answer is the same.

The regrets of that day, the scars, the feeling of "not wanting to forget"—that is where these ghosts belong.

I believe Sora will not regret this dream.

That is why, ever since I sold the battle to the Wizard, I have stuck to the same answer.

"Goodbye, Umi. Goodbye."

If you are having this dream because you did not face your older sister, unable to answer because you have not forgotten her, and you have always hoped to see her again...

That is why Sora says goodbye without asking anything... and says he hopes to meet again in a faint, happy dream, even if one day it cannot return to reality.

With a brilliant smile worthy of her name.

Seeing that smile, Umi looks down blankly for a moment, just like Sora who was being stroked, and then answers.

"... Yeah. Goodbye, Sora... Someday, goodbye."

Having the same dream and seeing the same dream, the older sister responds and disappears.

Like a heat haze, like a mirage, leaving no evidence of her presence, she leaves the stage after completing her role with the utmost grace.

"... Now."

Sora stares at the space where his older sister should have been for a while with a look of regret, then shifts his gaze back to Kurapika opposite him and speaks.

"Then, it is time to wake up... Kurapika. Please."

Grabbing the hand of your killer and guiding him.

To his own death.

There is no hesitation there.

There should be no confusion.

People, the world, as long as one is awake, one is happy.

This is the reason Kurapika does not hesitate.

"Yes. Leave it to me."

To the extent that I can say it with a smile, I no longer hesitate or fear.

＊＊＊

The "dream" of escaping is shattered.

Just before escaping into Sora's Dream World, the "dead point" where Sora's Hidden body was, was pierced.

Merlin gives a bitter smile to the person who pierced him; he was in Sora's dream before being pierced.

A real thing that should not exist.

Sora and Umi's Magic Aura, because I have obtained a lot on different occasions, I think the path for the Magic Aura is complete.

Of course, compared to the true master-servant path, it is too thin, but it is definitely related to Sora.

So she led me here along that narrow path.

A partner who can do what I cannot.

To save my beloved sister, I brought someone who could kill me.

She used the person Merlin once used to lock Sora in the Dream World prison; she hoped she could also be used.

The reason they were not crushed like bugs was likely because of their "promise" to Merlin, rather than his kindness.

To kill Sora, he gave up the right to commit suicide; to bear the death of Sora for one person, he swore not to kill anyone.

Thus, after the "Dream" was reborn, Merlin, who was like a powerless bug, was not crushed like a bug, but sent back to reality.

Merlin mocked his own failure, underestimating humans, underestimating bonds.

In the end, not one of my wishes came true.

You can get the answer.

You can also regret, throwing away the past that cannot be regretted.

If you cannot regret, you can use it to end your life.

In fact, I did not consider anything about Sora or humans. Merlin smiled and told her, and she realized her selfish wish would not be fulfilled by her own power.

"I'm sorry, Sora."

"Don't easily"

This apology was sincere, but I knew, yet I was immediately told that apologies were meaningless.

The beauty of the firmament, further than Merlin's eyes, connected to the distance.

Azure eyes, a childlike voice before the metamorphosis.

Karna is already gone.

... If I wanted to escape, I could escape into Karna's Dream World.

But I will not do that.

After all, if I escaped there, I believe I would eventually get trapped in that dream.

Forgetting my own name and existence, even if I didn't get such a painful reward... I know I would continue to possess the beautiful dream I fought for.

I don't want to have that dream, because I think I definitely want to keep seeing it.

I want to end it because I am exhausted by the existence of "Merlin," but I don't want that name to disappear while I am still alive.

It was nothing but selfishness, but he did think he had done something terrible to Sora.

I had nothing else I wanted to do, so I had nothing else I wanted to do, so at least it was a sincerity that only a person could exert, but Merlin did not run anymore.

Instead of running away, I chose to face the awakened Sora.

"Don't easily"

Sora confessed to Merlin once again.

When Sora woke up, Gon, Killua, and Biscuit shouted "Sora!"

"Go! Observe and learn carefully!! You will hit Jin!!"

"... Hmm?"

"............ Eh?"

Gon suddenly called his own name and said: "Look carefully, learn a little." It came out.

Only Razor, who was surprised by the changes in the voices, eye colors, and atmosphere of Galali and Karna, was confused because he didn't know what happened, but the subsequent development made him even more confused.

"! Wait a minute! You can't do that kind of execution technique!!"

"Wait wait wait wait Sora! Please wait!"

"You, what are you doing waking up!?"

"Sora! Please wait a moment! If you do that now, the air will explode!"

Merlin's elegant, unresisting attitude of trying to accept what Sora had just done collapsed all at once; seeing him desperately trying to stop Sora was still gratifying, but for some reason, even Gon and the others were furious at Merlin. Razor was inadvertently terrified by that Sword curtain.

Moreover, Gon, who had a good impression of Merlin, was unwilling, and Killua, who hated Merlin, was also a mystery for seriously wanting to stop Sora.

However, this mystery was soon solved.

"I don't know!! I don't know how serious you and everyone are! I only remember you sexually harassing me!!

Collapse! Rest!! Die! Further! See!! This refreshing and open lewd Succubus yarrow!!"

Of course, the persuasion from the surroundings did not reach Sora, but was a ruthless persuasion directed at Merlin and Aier.

Sora's male serious finishing move, with an instant death effect, Gyokutenkaku.

Also known as the Polygamy Castration Fist, the final rider kick was perfectly decided, and there were Gon and Killua, the laser and the card Spell, and it is said that another male G. M. watching the show also had his inner thighs turned inward.