"I don't believe this! Even with my buffs, I still can't beat you? You're just a fantasy version of me, Barry!"
Freddy was back again. The body that had been smashed into paste reformed as if nothing had happened, looking like a normal man once more.
"Hehehe… kids, I'm back."
That burned, ugly face grinned under a cowboy hat. Freddy, in his red-and-green striped sweater, pulled his metal claw tight on his hand and smiled wickedly.
Then—he lunged forward.
His movement was fast yet eerily calm, like a predator closing in.
Left hand leading, body turned to the side, right hand raised high—he slashed downward with all his strength.
Maria screamed.
Barry stepped in front of her, unflinching before Freddy's killing blow.
"Die, little punk."
Freddy grinned, using his momentum to carve through the air. The claws flashed in a deadly arc, leaving three deep gashes across Barry's chest.
"H-how… how is this happening?! Where's my incredible power? No way! Come on—power, get back here!"
Barry was clearly panicking now. That overwhelming energy he had before was gone without a trace. He'd completely misjudged the situation and took the hit head-on.
By all logic, Freddy shouldn't have been able to hurt his supposedly invincible body at all!
"Heh! Feeling lost without your power, kid? Uncle Freddy's not pulling any punches!"
Freddy swung again.
His five razor-sharp claws sliced through the air with a shriek, aiming straight for Barry's face.
Maria was right behind him—there was nowhere to dodge.
Barry had to raise his arms to block.
Another brutal hit.
Flesh tore under metal. White bone showed through.
Barry's body was barely holding together.
"Boring, boring! Guess this little girl's 'combat skill' is just that lousy!" Freddy sneered, flicking bits of torn flesh off his claws.
Once the surreal fantasy had been altered, the cracks began to show. The "fantasy Barry" wasn't real, just a construct of Maria's dream. His fake power vanished, and even his combat instincts had dropped to Maria's level.
In truth, this "fantasy Barry" was nothing more than a projection of Maria's subconscious.
His strength mirrored hers almost exactly—maybe a tiny bit stronger, but not enough to matter.
Freddy kept pressing forward, his attacks relentless.
Barry stumbled backward again and again, barely holding on.
Maria could only run farther away, trying not to drag him down.
After a few exchanges, Barry's clothes were shredded and his body covered in blood.
"So weak. This is just bullying at this point. You're not him after all. Whatever—next hit, I'll take your head. Hehehe, this'll be fun."
Freddy kicked Barry to the ground and loomed over him, raising his claws for the final strike.
"Say goodbye to your head, idiot!"
Clang!
The claws stopped mid-swing—blocked!
Freddy froze, staring in disbelief at the crossed white blades before him.
They weren't weapons—bone blades had sprouted from Barry's forearms, gleaming like a beast's natural claws.
"What the hell?! This is supposed to be a melee match! I've got claws—you've got fists! You can't just spawn weapons! That's cheating! I'm reporting you!"
Freddy crouched, straining to push the claws closer to Barry's neck.
Just a few more inches—
Almost there—
"Are you done playing around?"
The cold, irritated voice froze Freddy in place.
In the next instant, a massive force slammed into him, throwing him backward across the ice.
"You… when did you get here?" Freddy realized the "fantasy Barry" had vanished. What stood before him now was real—alive, and terrifyingly aware.
"You're smart. Why don't you guess? Guess when I showed up. Get it right, you get a reward. Get it wrong… there's punishment."
Under the setting sun, the white bone blades gleamed. The wounds on Barry's body closed up before Freddy's eyes as he slowly walked toward him.
"H-hey, we can talk this out, right?" Freddy said, eyes darting between his short metal claws and Barry's long, deadly bone blades. His tone turned sheepish.
If this turned back into reality rules, he didn't stand a chance.
And if it went back to Maria's imagination… Barry could humiliate him with ease.
Actually, even now, he could.
"At this point, are you seriously joking? You dared invade my domain—now you die for it."
Barry's cold gaze was enough to chill the air. He hadn't even struck yet, but the killing intent was suffocating.
"Die!"
He slashed his bone blades in a crisscross motion, pure white arcs tearing through Freddy's guard like paper.
The claws—and Freddy's entire arm—were severed in an instant.
But that wasn't enough.
Barry kept swinging, cutting deeper, piercing through Freddy until holes opened clean through his chest—you could see the icy landscape behind him.
Blood poured across the smooth ice, fragments of limbs scattered silently.
With one final strike, Freddy was split clean in two—literally "Fred–dy."
His head hit the ice, and Barry stomped it down. It shattered and sank beneath the frozen surface, swallowed by the abyss below.
The still-twitching remains were chopped into hundreds of pieces.
Even if it was just Maria's dream, Barry wouldn't tolerate being humiliated.
He'd repay it tenfold—a hundredfold if he had to.
He slashed open a round hole in the ice and tossed the mangled remains into the dark water below—no need to let them stain Maria's beautiful dream.
As he finished, Barry felt something soft press against his back.
"Barry… I'm so glad you're okay," Maria said, voice trembling. "I thought you were—"
"I wasn't. No matter what happens, I'm always the one who wins in the end."
Barry cut her off gently.
He turned, patting her head with a confident smile. "I was just toying with him. You think that clown could actually hurt me? I just wanted to see you worry about me a little."
Let his strength remain in her dream world a bit longer.
"You're awful," Maria whispered with a shy smile, stepping closer. She rose on her tiptoes, leaning in.
The next second, Barry felt something warm and wet brush his cheek.
Then she hugged him tightly, resting her head against his chest.
As her "good friend," Barry could only offer his solid chest for her to lean on.
A moment later, he felt a sharp, jealous gaze.
Looking over, he spotted Ailan lying on the ground, finally pulling the shards out of her body.
"Ailan… when did you get here?" Barry asked, as if only just noticing her.
Ailan gave a cold laugh.
"Heh… men."