Nightmare Mythos

Screech—!

As if the ritual for taking over the cohort has been interrupted, the rest of the squad has been dropped down from the air, the shadows shrouding them expelled.

"Nicotara!"

Cesar shouted the name of the Nightmare once more, trying to keep it as disoriented as he swiftly approached the group.

Just as he was about to group Quentin who was near him, a puppet shadow tried to crawl its way out. But before it could fully emerge its head, Cesar didn't wait and pounded his foot into the emerging shadow.

It failed to crawl upwards.

But it wasn't the same for other puppets as dozens or so shadows emerged from the ground and targeted Cesar.

"Nicotara!"

Sensing that the Nightmare had almost managed to wake up from the effects of its name, Cesar gave yet another taste of one disadvantage it wielded and used it against the monster by shouting.
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Whoosh—!

Recollecting his breath in an instant, Cesar had to evade an attack coming from his head by merely slanting on the side

Consequently in that position, Cesar grabbed both of his already-dull-knife and used it to cut the monster's head.

Slash—!

The shadow puppet's head rolled over the floor but Cesar had to put his attention on his surroundings immediately as four of the shadows already closed their distance and started attacking him.

One of the shadows extended a black root towards Cesar and tried to wrap him around to corner him but Cesar cut them very cleanly.

While the root approached him, one of the shadows suddenly grew big and swiftly went behind Cesar to give him a huge blow by connecting to its palm together and knocking him from above.

Swoosh—!

Cutting yet another root that extended him for an instant, Cesar twisted his body while forced to aim at the shadow's eyes by throwing his dagger to disorient the attack.

And he was successful with the draw.

However, two more of the shadows almost hit his head while using black blades on their hands with the ability to slightly predict his movement.

Swoosh—!

Avoiding those shadow blades, Cesar bent down on the floor before splitting and rotating in one quick manner that hit the legs of the two shadows that went for his blind spot.

Forcing them to fall, Cesar dashed forward and shouted, "Nicotara!"

"Screech!"

As if it was too annoyed to even deal with the pesky cockroach that continued to say its name, the two bloodshot eyes of the Nightmare slightly glanced at Cesar and shouted in a more manner that he could understand.

"Kill…! Bastard…!"

Whoosh—!

The shadows were in haste as they swiftly made their way to eliminate Cesar, an order received from the Nightmare itself.

Cesar glanced at the unconscious group for a brief moment before he got pounced by the shadow puppets altogether.

"Tsk…"

Being covered with nothing but the shadow puppets, the area went silent for a moment… not until a few seconds later, Cesar emerged from one of the holes he made for himself to avoid being ganged up inside the dozens of shadow puppets.

Even so, he didn't get out unscathed.

His arms, legs, body, and back were full of injuries but he didn't appear fazed at all.

He had his whole attention to tilt the situation to his advantage.

'I've almost been had…! That can't happen again!'

Afraid that being ganged up together again would not produce the same result where he escaped, Cesar took a distance as he controlled his breathing.

'Round 2!'

Whoosh—!

One of the shadow puppets emerged from the ground and tried to reach his legs to trip his legs but Cesar merely avoided it with a hop. However, the shadow wasn't done yet as it made a shadow dome of a net appear that expanded a small area and slowly closed in.

Not letting him escape, the other shadow that was able to keep up their pace, dashed towards him while not letting the chance slip by.

Whoosh—!

One of the shadows extended its shadowy hand and transformed it into sharp blades that targeted Cesar while the other was throwing tiny needles made out of shadow that excreted a stench of black poison.

Both the projectiles went toward him and most of it was avoided by Cesar with disciplined footwork.

"Nicotaraaa!"

However, just as Cesar continued playing around with the shadow puppets, every play time would eventually end. Not only is he learning to his opponents making his every attack steadier, tougher, and deadlier, but the shadow puppets began to study his mannerisms and movements.

"Nicotaraa—"

Just as he was about to scream its name once more, Cesar felt a sneaky hand make its way toward his mouth, covering any kind of voice from leaking out.

Clink—!

Cesar, since he was missing a dagger after throwing it from the puppet earlier, was wielding the revolver on the other and immediately adjusted it to point shadow that managed to grab his lips.

Pak—!

However, even though he managed to pull the trigger, the hand's grip suddenly became tight and slightly missed the target.

'Oh no! The Nightmare!'

With nothing to distract it, the Nightmare started to assemble itself and get out from the constant nagging of Cesar of its name being called.

'Damn it!'

Bang—!

Cesar pushed all the bullets left of his revolver and tried to take down the puppet holding his mouth.

Thud—!

Briefly, he was free from all the constraints he received as the hands covering his mouth loosened, not until he was hit in his foot.

Slash—!

A spike erupted right in the middle of his left foot, opening out into multiple lines like a flower unfurling. Then it struck the ground, locking Cesar in place and preventing him from moving.

"Ni—!"

Cesar struggled to remove his feet from the spike before a shadow puppet lunged towards him and slapped him with a shadow object that finally covered his mouth without any puppets stopping him from doing it.

Swoosh—!

Those shadow puppets, right after seeing that the cornered Cesar was all fatigued and out of chance, all jumped at him once again, this time not letting the chance slip for him to escape.

"Mmmh!"

Cursing as only death awaited once he was squished with the shadow puppets, Cesar's gaze ignored them as it shifted past them to the front, and realized that one of the squad's bodies had vanished.

Swoosh—!

And right in the timing and bought a lot of time, the shadow puppets that almost covered Cesar were sliced apart with a single stroke of a spear.

Just in the right timing and buying some precious moments, the shadow puppets that had nearly enclosed Cesar were sliced apart with a single stroke of a spear, demonstrating a display of experience when it comes to his weapon.

'Yes!'

Him being an annoying cockroach has been paid off.

But will it be enough?