Satou used everything he'd learned. Shadow tendrils to block projectiles. Mental attacks to disrupt their coordination. Phase resistance to avoid some damage. Damage reflection to punish physical strikes. Life drain to stay in the fight despite accumulating wounds.

He cut down the illusionist first—eliminating their tactical advantage. Then the teleporter, whose unpredictable movements were most dangerous. The ground manipulator fell next, followed by two of the ranged attackers.

The final two tried to flee, but Satou's shadow tendrils caught them. Void Fang ended their existence, and he devoured them along with all the others.

The rush of power from consuming seven powerful demons simultaneously was intense. Multiple notifications flooded his mind:

[Fear Resistance upgraded to (Moderate)] [Mental Fortitude upgraded to (Moderate)] [Nightmare Resistance upgraded to (Moderate)] [Shadow Manipulation (Dream-Type)] acquired [Spatial Awareness (Enhanced)] acquired [Combat Instinct (Dream-Type)] acquired

But most importantly, he felt his overall power in this realm increase dramatically

Satou approached the door, his new Spatial Awareness detecting no more demons nearby. Whatever waited on the other side of this door was the final challenge.

He pushed it open.

The space beyond the door was different from the foggy nightmare realm. It was a circular chamber with walls that seemed to be made of solidified darkness. The floor was perfectly smooth black stone, and the ceiling was invisible, stretching up into infinite darkness.

In the center of the chamber stood a figure.

They were humanoid but indistinct—features constantly shifting, never settling into one recognizable form. Sometimes male, sometimes female, sometimes neither. Sometimes young, sometimes ancient. The only constant was the aura of lethal professionalism that surrounded them like a cloak.

"Congratulations," the figure said, their voice carrying the same shifting quality as their appearance. "You made it through the nightmare gauntlet. Most targets don't. They break down screaming or their hearts give out from fear long before reaching this chamber. You're remarkably resilient."

"Thanks," Satou replied dryly, raising Void Fang defensively. "Though I have to admit, being complimented by someone trying to kill me is a bit weird."

"Nothing personal," the assassin said with a shrug. "It's just business. Someone paid me to kill you in your dreams, and I take my contracts seriously. Though I have to say, watching you adapt to the nightmare realm was fascinating. Consuming the demons, gaining their abilities, turning the environment against itself—that's not how dream assassination usually goes."

"Yeah, well, I'm not a usual target," Satou replied. "So who hired you? Who wants me dead badly enough to hire a dream assassin?"

"Client confidentiality," the assassin said. "I never reveal who pays me. That's basic professional ethics. But I can tell you this—they see you as a significant threat. Not what you are now, but what you might become. They want you eliminated before you can grow into your full potential."

"And you're okay with that? Killing someone just because they might become dangerous?"

"I've killed plenty of people for less compelling reasons," the assassin admitted. "At least this target actually deserves concern. You wounded The Reaper. Made him bleed. That's something that hasn't been done in over a century. Anyone who can do that is legitimately dangerous."

Satou's mind was racing. The assassin was talking, stalling, which suggested they were either supremely confident or preparing something. He needed information. "You're Merc Assault, aren't you? The legendary dream assassin from the Great War."

The figure paused, then laughed. "Someone's done their homework. Yes, that's the title I earned. Though I prefer to think I've retired from the legend business. These days I just take the occasional contract to keep my skills sharp. Speaking of which..."

The assassin's form solidified slightly, and Satou felt a presence touch the edge of his consciousness. Not an attack, but a probe. Someone else was trying to enter the dream realm.

"Well, well," Merc Assault said, their tone becoming more interested. "You've got help coming. Someone's trying to project their consciousness in here again to assist you. That's... unexpected. And quite dangerous for them, honestly. If I wanted to, I could trap them here too."

Satou tensed, ready to attack if the assassin made a move toward the intrusion. But Merc Assault just watched with apparent amusement as a new presence manifested in the chamber.

It was faint—barely visible, like a ghost of a ghost. But Satou could see the outline of a woman in dark robes, and he could feel her consciousness touching his.

Then he heard a voice, distant and echoing but clear: "Satou. Can you hear me? This is Morgana, I can see you're already fighting Merc Assault . Keep fighting. Don't let him win."

"Thank you," Satou said, not sure if Morgana could hear him but hoping she could. "Tell Lyra and Jessica I'm okay. Tell them I'm going to win this and wake up."

Merc Assault was watching this exchange with fascination. "Morgana... now that's a name I recognize. One of Loki's inner circle. He really does care about you, doesn't he? Enough to send one of his best people to help. That's touching, really. Makes me almost feel bad about what I'm about to do."

"Which is?" Satou asked, shifting his stance.

"Kill you, obviously," Merc Assault replied. "I've let you get this far because watching you was entertaining, and I wanted to understand how you were adapting so well. But the contract says you die in this dream, and I always fulfill my contracts. Now that you know this is a dream, you're more dangerous. So no more playing around."

The assassin's form solidified completely, taking on a definite shape for the first time—a tall figure in dark armor with a sword that seemed to be made of condensed nightmare. Their face was still indistinct, but their presence had become heavy, oppressive, powerful.

"I should mention," Merc Assault added casually, "that while you've been adapting to the dream realm, I've been here for decades. This is my domain. I know every trick, every technique, every way to manipulate dream logic to my advantage. You might have consumed some demons and somehow gained their abilities, but I created those demons. They're part of me, extensions of my power. Fighting me is fighting the entire nightmare realm itself."

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