The instant Bereshith's fist shattered the smiling creature's face—
The creature smiled even wider.
Its broken jaw twisted unnaturally.
"Hehehe..."
"So you can hit."
"But can you survive?"
Before Bereshith could recover his stance—
BOOM!!
A fist of pure black sand crashed into his stomach.
"...Ghh!"
His eyes widened.
The force lifted him completely off the ground.
He shot backward like an arrow before smashing through shattered stone.
CRAAASH!!
The earth split beneath him.
Dust filled the air.
Bereshith rolled several times before digging both feet into the cracked ground.
"...That..."
Blood escaped the corner of his mouth.
"...hurt."
The smiling figure slowly walked forward.
Every footstep caused black sand to pour endlessly from beneath its feet.
It spread across the ground like a living sea.
"Hehehe..."
"You've trained your body."
"But..."
Its countless voices echoed together.
"Can your body endure despair?"
The black sand suddenly erupted.
Hundreds of blades shot upward.
Bereshith's instincts screamed.
He immediately moved.
Lucas' countless years of training became muscle memory.
Left.
Right.
Twist.
Duck.
Step.
His body flowed naturally between the deadly weapons.
A spear grazed his shoulder.
A sword barely missed his neck.
A blade sliced across his ribs.
Blood scattered into the darkness.
He never stopped moving.
His breathing remained controlled.
"Don't stop moving."
Lucas' voice echoed inside his mind.
"If you stop...
You die."
Bereshith pushed forward.
The smiling creature stretched out one arm.
The sea of black sand answered.
Dozens of spears launched toward him.
Bereshith grabbed one with both hands.
He twisted his waist.
The spear spun.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
It knocked several incoming spears away.
He threw it immediately.
The weapon pierced directly toward the smiling creature.
The creature merely smiled.
A wall of black sand rose instantly.
BOOM!
The spear shattered against it.
"Hehehe..."
"You fight well."
"But..."
"I have endless weapons."
The wall dissolved.
Immediately—
Hundreds.
Thousands.
Of swords floated behind the smiling figure.
The nightmare itself looked like a black sky filled with blades.
Bereshith narrowed his eyes.
"...Come."
The smiling creature lowered one finger.
The rain began.
Every sword descended at once.
Bereshith sprinted.
He weaved.
Jumped.
Rolled.
Parried fallen swords using abandoned blades lying across the battlefield.
Every movement came naturally.
Every dodge was measured.
Every block cost him strength.
A sword pierced his left shoulder.
"...Argh!"
He broke it off immediately.
Another blade slashed across his thigh.
Blood soaked his trousers.
A spear tore through his side.
He gritted his teeth.
He kept moving.
—
Far away...
Inside the manor...
Princess Inoha still slept peacefully.
But beside her—
Bereshith's real body suddenly trembled.
A thin cut appeared across his shoulder.
Blood slowly soaked through his sleeping clothes.
Then another.
Across his ribs.
His thigh.
His side.
Fresh blood appeared without any visible weapon touching him.
Outside the room—
Lucas suddenly stopped walking.
"..."
He frowned.
His instincts stirred.
"...Something feels wrong."
But the sensation disappeared before he could understand it.
—
Back inside the nightmare—
Bereshith breathed heavily.
"...This isn't enough."
The smiling creature laughed.
"You understand now?"
"I cannot die."
Black sand flowed endlessly around its feet.
Every destroyed weapon rebuilt itself.
Every broken wall restored.
Every spear returned.
Every sword reformed.
Infinite.
Endless.
Hopeless.
"Hehehe..."
"Despair."
"That is what awaits everyone."
Bereshith wiped blood from his mouth.
"...Then..."
He lowered his center of gravity.
"...I'll simply overcome it."
The smiling creature laughed louder.
"Interesting."
The sea of black sand exploded again.
This time—
Not weapons.
Hands.
Hundreds of black hands burst from the ground.
They grabbed.
Pulled.
Clawed.
Bereshith leapt into the air.
A hand caught his ankle.
He twisted.
Another seized his wrist.
A third wrapped around his waist.
The nightmare tried to drag him beneath the black sand.
"Ghh...!"
His muscles strained.
Veins bulged across his arms.
He remembered every morning Lucas forced him to lift stones.
Every afternoon wrestling armored soldiers.
Every evening sparring until collapse.
With one violent pull—
BOOM!!
He ripped himself free.
The black hands exploded.
Without wasting a heartbeat—
He dashed forward.
The smiling creature answered instantly.
A massive shield formed.
Bereshith struck.
The shield cracked.
Another appeared.
He struck again.
A third.
Fourth.
Fifth.
Each impact echoed louder than the last.
The smiling creature finally frowned.
"...You're persistent."
Bereshith said nothing.
He kept advancing.
Shield after shield shattered beneath his fists.
His knuckles split open.
Blood poured freely.
Yet he refused to stop.
The smiling creature finally retaliated.
A gigantic war hammer formed overhead.
It descended like a mountain.
Bereshith crossed both forearms.
BOOOOOOM!!
The impact shattered the ground.
The earth collapsed beneath his feet.
His knees buckled.
His arms screamed in agony.
Cracks spread across the leather gauntlets Lucas had once crafted for him.
Blood streamed from both of Bereshith's forearms.
His vision blurred.
—
Inside the manor—
A loud gasp escaped Princess Inoha's lips.
Beside her—
Blood now trickled from Bereshith's wrists.
His breathing became ragged.
His sleeping body trembled violently.
Yet neither of them awakened.
—
Back inside the nightmare—
The smiling creature stared.
"...Still standing?"
Bereshith slowly lowered his bruised arms.
His entire body shook.
Blood dripped steadily onto the black earth.
His clothes were torn.
His breathing was heavy.
His vision blurred.
Yet...
His eyes remained unwavering.
The same calm determination Lucas had spent years forging remained within them.
Bereshith smiled despite the blood covering his face.
"...Father always said..."
He inhaled slowly.
"...A knight doesn't win because he's stronger."
He took one step forward.
"...He wins because he stands..."
Another step.
"...One more time..."
Another.
"...Than the enemy expects."
For the first time since the battle began—
The smiling creature's endless grin twitched.
Not from pain.
Not from anger.
But from something unfamiliar.
Curiosity.
"...You..."
It tilted its head.
"...Why won't you break?"
Bereshith tightened his bleeding fists.
His exhausted body trembled, yet his stance remained firm.
He answered with quiet conviction.
"Because hope..."
He took another step toward the endless sea of black sand.
"...is stronger than despair."
The black mist around them began to churn violently once more.
The true battle had only just begun.
The nightmare did not end.
It only grew darker.
The black sands continued to drift across the endless wasteland like an ocean without waves. Every grain carried whispers of countless screams, each one belonging to someone who had long abandoned hope.
Bereshith knelt upon the broken ground.
His body was covered in wounds.
Cuts.
Bruises.
Broken fingers.
His breathing had become ragged.
His right arm refused to answer him.
His left leg trembled so violently it could no longer support his weight.
Blood flowed from dozens of wounds.
And somewhere...
Far away...
Upon the bed inside the manor—
The real Bereshith's body bled from the very same injuries.
Thin crimson lines appeared across his arms.
Fresh bruises formed beneath his sleeping clothes.
Even Princess Inoha, still embracing him unconsciously in reality, had begun to cry harder in her sleep.
The Smiling Man slowly approached.
His footsteps made no sound.
Behind him floated countless weapons forged from black sand.
Hundreds...
No...
Thousands.
Swords.
Spears.
Axes.
Chains.
Daggers.
Every weapon pointed toward Bereshith.
The creature tilted its head.
Its endless grin widened.
"How pitiful..."
Its voice echoed with the voices of countless people.
"You fought well."
"But you were never meant to win."
It raised one finger.
Instantly—
Every weapon shot forward.
Bereshith clenched his teeth.
His body refused to move.
The blades stopped only inches before his face.
Not because he had blocked them...
But because the Smiling Man wanted him to see them.
Wanted him to despair.
"You understand now?"
The creature spread both arms.
"This dream..."
The darkness expanded endlessly.
"The sky."
"The earth."
"The mist."
"The weapons."
"The fear."
"It all belongs to me."
Its grin stretched impossibly wider.
"This dream world... you're inside my world."
Everything shook violently.
"I am the King of this place."
Silence followed.
Bereshith lowered his head.
For several seconds...
He said nothing.
The Smiling Man laughed.
"So..."
"Have you accepted despair?"
"..."
Then—
Bereshith smiled.
Not arrogantly.
Not mockingly.
Just...
Peacefully.
He slowly raised his eyes.
"...You're right."
The Smiling Man stopped laughing.
"This is a dream."
Bereshith nodded weakly.
"Yes..."
"This is a dream."
He coughed blood.
"But..."
He looked around at the endless darkness.
"...you forgot one thing."
The creature frowned for the first time.
"What?"
Bereshith smiled wider.
"I am inside..."
"...someone else's dream."
The Smiling Man's grin froze.
Bereshith continued.
"So this..."
He looked around once more.
"...isn't your domain."
He turned toward the endless darkness.
"It belongs to someone."
He inhaled deeply.
Every muscle screamed in agony.
His lungs burned.
His ribs felt shattered.
But he gathered every remaining ounce of strength.
Then shouted—
At the top of his lungs.
"PRINCESS INOHA!!"
His voice thundered across the nightmare.
The darkness trembled.
The black mist rippled.
The endless cries suddenly paused.
Again—
Even louder.
"WAKE UP!!!!!"
The world cracked.
The Smiling Man's smile faltered.
"No..."
Bereshith roared once more.
With every fragment of strength left inside him.
"PRINCESS!!!"
His voice echoed endlessly.
"THE FOOD IS READY!!!!"
The absurd words exploded across the nightmare.
The darkness cracked like shattered glass.
The black sky trembled violently.
The Smiling Man's expression changed completely.
"...Impossible."
Far away...
A young woman slowly opened her eyes.
Princess Inoha blinked.
She found herself sitting upon the cold ground.
"...Huh...?"
She looked around.
Confused.
Then—
Her eyes widened.
Not far away—
Bereshith was lying in a pool of blood.
His body was covered in wounds.
His breathing was weak.
"Sir Bereshith!"
She immediately ran toward him.
"No!"
She dropped to her knees beside him.
"You're hurt!"
Her trembling hands tried desperately to stop the bleeding.
"I'm sorry..."
"I'm sorry..."
Her tears fell onto his clothes.
"I couldn't wake up..."
"I'm sorry..."
Bereshith smiled weakly.
"...You're awake."
Princess Inoha nodded repeatedly while crying.
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
"I'm here!"
"I'll help you!"
"I'll save you!"
She reached for his shoulder—
Then...
Everything became silent.
An unnatural silence.
Bereshith's expression changed instantly.
His eyes slowly lifted.
Princess Inoha noticed it.
"...Sir Bereshith?"
He stared past her.
His voice became quiet.
"...Princess."
"...Don't move."
She froze.
"...What?"
Bereshith whispered,
"...He's behind you."
Princess Inoha's entire body stiffened.
Her breathing stopped.
Slowly...
Very slowly...
She turned around.
Standing only a few steps away—
Was the Smiling Man.
Completely motionless.
Its towering six-foot figure blended into the surrounding darkness.
Its impossible smile had never disappeared.
But now...
It was smiling directly at her.
The countless voices spoke together.
Softly.
Almost gently.
"So..."
"The dreamer..."
"...has finally awakened."
Princess Inoha's face turned completely pale.
Her pupils shrank.
Her body refused to move.
The terror she had suffered every night for three months returned all at once.
Her lips trembled uncontrollably.
"N..."
"No..."
The creature took one slow step forward.
Another.
Its smile widened.
Princess Inoha let out a scream that echoed across the entire nightmare.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!"
Princess Inoha's scream echoed through the endless nightmare.
Her legs gave out beneath her.
Every ounce of courage she had gathered vanished the instant she saw the Smiling Man.
"N-No..."
She crawled backward, her trembling hands searching desperately for something—anything—to hold onto.
Instead...
Her fingers found Bereshith's left arm.
It was limp.
Bruised.
Covered in blood.
Yet she clung to it as though it were the only solid thing left in a collapsing world.
"Please..."
Her voice cracked.
"Don't let him come near..."
The Smiling Man chuckled.
Its countless voices merged into one dreadful laugh.
"There is nowhere to run."
"There is nowhere to hide."
It stretched out one long arm toward the frightened princess.
"Come."
"Join the others."
Just as its fingertips were about to reach her—
A single grain of golden sand drifted between them.
...
The Smiling Man stopped.
Another grain appeared.
Then another.
And another.
Dozens of tiny golden particles floated gently through the darkness like fireflies.
None of them were larger than a grain of rice.
Yet...
They formed a tiny wall between the monster and the princess.
The Smiling Man's hand refused to move forward.
It was as though an invisible mountain stood before it.
"..."
Its smile twitched.
"What...?"
Bereshith watched the scene and smiled despite the blood running down his face.
"So..."
"What do we have here..."
He looked toward Princess Inoha.
"Princess..."
"You have a personal guard."
Princess Inoha stared blankly.
"...What?"
Bereshith nodded toward the floating sand.
"It's Sandman."
Princess Inoha blinked.
To her...
She saw nothing except a handful of glowing golden grains floating quietly in the air.
"This is..."
She whispered in disbelief.
"Sandy..."
"I thought it was only a legend..."
Bereshith tilted his head.
"...Legend?"
Princess Inoha nodded slowly.
"My grandmother used to tell me..."
"When children have beautiful dreams..."
"When nightmares cannot enter..."
"It is because Sandy watches over them."
Her eyes remained fixed upon the tiny golden grains.
"I thought it was only a bedtime story..."
Bereshith smiled.
"...Looks like your grandmother wasn't lying."
But Bereshith saw far more than Princess Inoha ever could.
Standing before them...
Was an old man no taller than a child.
His entire body was formed from shimmering golden sand.
His robe flowed like countless grains drifting endlessly in a warm breeze.
His beard reached nearly to the ground.
His hands looked ancient.
Wrinkled.
Gentle.
His eyes remained closed.
Always closed.
As though he had no need to see.
Peace itself surrounded him.
The nightmare grew quieter simply because he had appeared.
The Smiling Man snarled.
"You..."
Its countless voices became distorted with hatred.
"Sandy..."
"Why..."
"...are you always getting in my way?!"
The old man said nothing.
Not a single word.
Instead...
He slowly raised one weathered hand.
Golden sand poured gently from his fingertips.
Unlike the Smiling Man...
He created no swords.
No spears.
No shields.
The sand drifted upward.
Softly.
Gracefully.
Like children blowing dandelion seeds into the wind.
The golden grains gathered high above the nightmare.
They became clouds.
White.
Pure.
Warm.
Then...
A radiant sun bloomed between those clouds.
Not a burning star.
But a gentle morning sun.
Its light carried warmth instead of fire.
The cries of the suffering became quieter.
The wounded children stopped crying.
Flowers suddenly blossomed beneath the sunlight.
Butterflies appeared.
Birds sang.
The darkness itself seemed to hesitate.
The Smiling Man hissed.
"No!"
The peaceful light spread farther.
Children who had once been trembling began laughing.
Parents embraced their families.
Gentle breezes carried the scent of fresh bread and blooming flowers.
It was not a battlefield.
It was the memory of every peaceful dream a child had ever wished for.
The Smiling Man roared.
"I SAID NO!!"
Black sand exploded upward.
An enormous vortex formed above its head.
The swirling darkness consumed everything around it.
The sky twisted.
The clouds shattered.
Then...
The nightmare condensed into a colossal sphere of absolute darkness.
It resembled a black hole.
Endless.
Hungry.
It rushed upward.
The gentle sun descended.
Light met darkness.
The collision shook the entire dream.
The peaceful clouds dissolved into golden rain.
The black hole devoured the light.
Yet...
Every ray it swallowed caused cracks to spread across its surface.
The Smiling Man growled.
"Disappear!"
More black sand poured into the vortex.
The golden sun answered with greater warmth.
The flowers below bloomed brighter.
Children laughed louder.
A mother tucked her child into bed.
A father carried his sleeping daughter home.
Friends played beneath summer skies.
Grandparents smiled beside fireplaces.
Dreams of comfort.
Dreams of hope.
Dreams of belonging.
None carried weapons.
None sought revenge.
Each memory strengthened the golden light.
Bereshith watched in amazement.
"...He isn't fighting."
Princess Inoha looked toward him.
"...What?"
Bereshith smiled faintly.
"He isn't defeating nightmares with violence."
"He is reminding them..."
"...what peaceful dreams feel like."
For the first time—
The endless grin upon the Smiling Man faltered.
Its smile trembled.
Its black hole began to fracture under the weight of countless innocent dreams.
The golden old man remained perfectly still.
His eyes never opened.
His expression never changed.
He simply stood with quiet dignity, letting warmth, kindness, laughter, and hope answer hatred.
And for the first time since Bereshith had entered the nightmare...
The darkness began to retreat.