Back in Hell, within Zane's palace, the atmosphere was heavy enough to crush the soul. Towering black pillars stretched into darkness as four figures stood below Zane, his presence no longer restrained. Unlike the human world, where his power had been suppressed, here it pressed directly against their minds.
Zane looked down at them coldly.
"You've all arrived. I hope you don't think it will be easy."
Yugo scoffed nervously, glancing around the palace.
"Scary… where was all this presence back in the human world?"
Zane's eyes narrowed.
"For humans like you, this will be pure mental torture. You hear me?"
Mikasa stiffened.
"Wait… mental torture?"
Zane crossed his arms.
"I'm not going to train you with brute strength, nor spirit energy control. I'm going to train you mentally."
Maya swallowed hard.
"I really don't want to find out what kind of torture he has in store…"
Zane turned slightly.
"Merlin. You can send them to their mental rooms now."
Footsteps echoed as a man of medium height descended the stairs. His white spiked hair contrasted sharply with his long flowing beard, and his ancient eyes held a calm yet unsettling intelligence.
Merlin sighed.
"I will, but it makes me sad you don't find the time to introduce me to your—may I say—students."
Zane gestured toward the four.
"You four, meet one of my two sword spirits. Merlin."
Mikasa, Maya, Yugo, and Yuki spoke at the same time.
"Hey there, Merlin."
In a flash of distorted light, the world folded in on itself.
The four found themselves inside a massive cube-shaped space. A glowing circle occupied the center, where Zane and Merlin stood, while each of the four trainees was sealed into a separate chamber within the cube.
Zane's voice echoed through the structure.
"Now, you should all try to relax."
Without warning, four arrows formed from pure spiritual energy. They shot forward instantly, striking each of them in the head. Their bodies went limp as consciousness was torn away.
Merlin frowned.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?"
Zane didn't hesitate.
"If they cannot control their emotions and their state of mind, then in the future it will cause their death."
Merlin sighed softly.
"I just want to make sure you're doing the right thing."
Yugo awoke.
"I'm awake… where am I?"
A familiar voice answered him.
"Yugo, why are you lying around in this place?"
He slowly turned his head, eyes widening in shock.
"Mother… is that you?"
Sakura smiled warmly.
"Of course it's me. Who else would it be, my child?"
Another voice chimed in excitedly.
"Big brother! There you are!"
Three young children—no older than eight or nine—ran toward him.
"Zuko… Mia… Jaden… it's you…"
Sakura raised her voice gently.
"Please stop running, you three. You'll hurt yourselves."
Yugo's breathing grew uneven.
"What's going on here…? They died. I saw it myself."
A voice spoke from behind him.
"You missed our training session, son."
Yugo froze.
"Father… you're alive as well?"
The man laughed.
"Alive? What, in your dream I died or something?"
Yugo shook his head.
"No… it's nothing."
Ryuke placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, son. Let's go. You're going to train until sundown."
Yugo hesitated before answering.
"Oh… right. Let's go."
Sakura called out to them.
"Hey, you two. Are you coming or not?"
Ryuke smiled.
"Yeah, we're coming."
As they walked, Yugo glanced around uneasily.
"Did the village always have these giant walls?"
Ryuke frowned slightly.
"Of course. Are you okay? Did you lose your memories or something?"
Before Yugo could answer, a villager burst from between the houses, screaming.
"The village is under attack!"
An arrow pierced straight through the man's skull. Blood sprayed as his body collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
Yugo recoiled.
"What's going on?!"
Ryuke turned sharply.
"Yugo, go into the village and help! I'll set up a barrier around your mom and the kids, then I'll catch up to you!"
Yugo nodded immediately.
"Right. I heard you."
He sprinted into the village.
Houses burned violently, flames consuming everything. Blood coated the ground, and dead villagers lay scattered everywhere. Limbs were torn apart, bodies mutilated—but the attackers were nowhere to be seen.
A dying villager grabbed at Yugo weakly.
"Hey… where are the attackers?"
"They left… from the top of the walls…"
Yugo's eyes widened in terror.
"If they left at the same time I entered the village… then they'll attack them. They won't leave any witnesses."
He ran.
When he reached his family, the world shattered.
Their bodies lay destroyed. Limbs severed. Organs spilled out onto the ground. Blood soaked everything.
Yugo collapsed to his knees.
"I'm too late… again…"
He screamed.
"Nooooooooooo!"
Dark energy erupted from his body, consuming the land itself. The ground cracked, the sky split, and everything collapsed into ruin.
Pain followed.
Yugo jolted awake inside the cube, his body shaking, his mind screaming from the shock.
Zane stood before him.
"Ahhh… so you're the first to wake."
Yugo glared at him, trembling.
"What was that, you bastard?!"
Zane remained calm.
"That was the ability of my sword spirit—Nightmare. It recreates your most painful memory. If you get consumed by anger, you awaken and receive a mental shock."
Yugo clenched his fists.
"How dare you!"
Zane's gaze hardened.
"If you want to grow stronger, you must learn how to control your emotions and your state of mind."
Yugo shook his head violently.
"I'm not going through that again!"
Zane raised a finger.
"Too late. You'll be sent back in twenty seconds."
Yugo's eyes widened.
"The hell do you mean?!"
"The moment I use Nightmare, I cannot deactivate it. Only the one it's used on can break the ability—by controlling their emotions and not letting them take over."
Before Yugo could respond, his consciousness faded once more.
Darkness reclaimed him.
The nightmare resumed.
Mikasa woke up on a bed that looked painfully familiar.
The blanket felt warm, the room quiet. Sunlight filtered softly through the window, illuminating wooden walls that resembled the house she once lived in back in her village.
She blinked, confused.
"Huh… where am I?"
She pushed the blankets aside and froze. She wasn't wearing her training clothes. Instead, she was dressed in casual garments she hadn't worn in years.
"I thought I was in Hell…"
She slowly approached the window and peered outside. Children were running through the streets, laughing as they played. Their voices echoed with innocence.
Her chest tightened.
"Was it all just a dream?"
A voice suddenly called out from downstairs, gentle but firm.
"Mikasa, you better wake up or your food will get cold!"
Her body stiffened.
"Wait… was that—?"
She rushed out of her room, feet pounding down the stairs. When she reached the kitchen, she stopped dead in her tracks.
Her aunt stood there.
"Aunt Chichi… it's really you…"
Tears streamed down Mikasa's face uncontrollably. Chichi quickly set the wet plate down and rushed forward, pulling her into a warm embrace.
"Oh, Mikasa… why are you crying?"
Mikasa's voice trembled.
"I saw you… Uncle… and Big Sis… dead when… coming back… for… spring break…"
Chichi stroked her hair gently.
"Oh… you must have had a terrible dream, honey. Here, sit down."
Mikasa sat heavily in the chair, hands shaking.
"Aunt… can you promise me you won't die?"
Chichi smiled softly.
"I won't die, dear. Please drink some water and calm down."
Mikasa took the cup with trembling hands and drank slowly.
The front door opened.
"Aunt, I'm back!"
Mikasa's breath caught.
Nami walked in, removing her shoes, then headed toward the kitchen.
"Is Mikasa still sleeping at this time—?"
She stopped when she saw her.
"Why are you crying, Mikasa? This is the first time I've ever seen you cry."
Mikasa stood abruptly.
"Elder sister… you're alive as well!"
Nami's expression hardened instantly.
"Of course I'm alive! Why wouldn't I be, huh?!"
Mikasa wiped her tears angrily and glared at her.
"I was shedding tears thinking you died. The least you could've said to cheer me up was, 'At least it's nice to know you care about me.'"
Nami scoffed.
"Oh, and why should I, huh?"
As they argued, Chichi watched quietly. Then she burst out laughing.
Mikasa and Nami stopped and stared at her—then both started laughing as well.
"You two always know how to lighten up the mood," Chichi said.
"What were we even fighting about?" Nami asked.
"I have no idea," Mikasa replied.
Footsteps echoed from below.
"What's going on here?"
Uncle Ben emerged from the basement.
"Oh, hi honey," Chichi said. "Are you finished with your project?"
"No… I'm gonna finish it tomorrow. But you still haven't told me what's going on."
"Oh, Uncle," Nami said, waving it off. "We'll tell you later."
"Well, you'll tell me on the road," Ben replied. "We're going to the carnival."
"Carnival?" Mikasa repeated.
"Yeah. The Saragaki and Sukishima families are also going."
"So Yugo and Yuki will be there?" Mikasa asked.
"Yeah," Ben said. "That's what their parents told me."
They all left together, boarding a carriage. After thirty minutes, bright lights and distant music filled the air.
"Oh look, we've finally arrived," Nami said.
"I can't believe how big this year's carnival is," Chichi added.
"That's because it's said the Lord of Japan will be hosting this year's sword tournament," Ben explained.
"Wait, really?" Mikasa asked.
"Yep. It was confirmed by Mister Sukishima himself."
The carriage stopped.
As they stepped down, a familiar voice called out.
"Hey, Chichi! I'm glad you could make it!"
"It's Sakura and her family!" Chichi exclaimed.
Ryuke stood with Yugo and Yuki beside him.
"So you came here first, huh?" Chichi said.
"Well, to be honest, we thought we'd arrive late," Ryuke replied.
"I see," Ben said. "Where's the rest of the Saragaki family? It's only their daughter here."
"That's why Ryuke thought we'd be late," Sakura said.
"Unfortunately, the Saragaki family is busy today," Ryuke added. "But they asked us to take their daughter, Yuki."
"That's good," Ben nodded.
"Hey, Yuki! Yugo!" Mikasa called. "You wanna go check out some games?"
"Sure, let's go," Yugo replied.
"We're gonna go play some games, okay?" Mikasa said.
"These children…" Ryuke muttered.
"They're fifteen," Ben replied. "There's not much we can do."
The day passed quickly.
They laughed, played games, and eventually sat together eating candy.
"Well, that was exhausting," Mikasa said.
"Tell me about it," Yuki replied.
A voice echoed through the Spiritual Mind Web.
"Everyone, the sword tournament is about to begin!"
"Oh, we should go," Yugo said.
"I've gotta use the restroom first," Mikasa replied.
"Well hurry up," Yuki said. "We'll wait for you."
Mikasa rushed inside.
Standing alone, unease crept back into her chest.
"Why do I still feel like this is a dream…?"
Screams erupted outside.
Mikasa quickly dressed and ran out.
Flames engulfed the carnival.
"What's going on here?!"
"Mikasa, you're done?" Yugo called.
"What caused this?" she asked.
"Look for yourself," Yuki said.
Mikasa's vision focused.
Giants towered over the land—some made entirely of flesh, others nothing but exposed skeletons. One wore patches of white armor fused to its skin. And towering above them all stood a massive figure over one hundred meters tall, its face hidden beyond sight.
"What are those things?!" Mikasa shouted.
"No clue," Yuki answered.
Their parents ran toward them.
"Yugo! Yuki! Mikasa! Are you okay?!" Ryuke yelled.
Before they could reach them, one giant grabbed Nami, Chichi, and Sakura.
"No—!" Mikasa screamed.
The creature crushed them between its teeth, chewing violently as blood and limbs fell to the ground.
"Mom! No!" Yugo cried.
"Aunty… Big Sis Nami…!" Mikasa screamed.
Another giant seized Ryuke and Ben, lifting them helplessly before devouring them.
"Father!!" Yugo shouted.
Yugo rushed forward—
A massive boulder struck him midair.
Mikasa ran to him—
Behind her, another giant crushed Yuki beneath its foot.
"No… why is this happening?!" Mikasa screamed.
She unleashed a scream filled with rage and despair.
"You monsteeeeeerrrrrrssss!!"
Pain exploded through her body.
She jolted awake, screaming, as spiritual energy tore through her mind. The shock lasted ten seconds before abruptly stopping.
"What was that… a nightmare?"
"That is correct," Zane's voice replied.
"Captain Zane, what did you do?!" Mikasa demanded.
"It's not what I did," Zane answered calmly. "It's what you didn't do."
"What do you mean, huh?!"
"You let your anger take over."
"That's not an explanation!"
"In order to pass my test and end this suffering, you must not let your anger take hold of you."
A scream echoed from the chamber beside hers.
It was Yugo.
"Oh," Zane said. "You're already done with your fifth nightmare."
"Why, you bastard?! Why must this be our test?!" Yugo yelled.
"If you want to know why," Zane replied, "then pass."
"But that's just cruel!" Mikasa shouted.
"It's not," Zane said coldly. "And one more thing—your break time decreases with every nightmare. You started with three minutes. With each nightmare, it decreases by twenty seconds until there is no time left to adjust."
"But—"
Before she could finish, darkness swallowed both Mikasa and Yugo once more.
"It might be torture," Zane said quietly, "but to grow stronger, they must either overcome their anger… or lose their emotions."
A voice echoed from another chamber.
"Um… Captain Zane? Am I done with my trial?"
Zane stiffened.
"No way… I didn't even see the punishment activate on her side."
"You didn't struggle with this test?" Zane asked.
"No," Yuki replied. "I guess you could say I was prepared."
"Which sector are you from again?"
"Sector Five. But why?"
"So that's why… you're her lieutenant."
Another voice followed.
"Sir, I think I'm done."
Zane exhaled slowly.
"These girls are monsters. Merlin."
"Right away," Merlin answered.
Maya and Yuki were teleported to the center chamber.
"Merlin, take them to the Hibernation Spring."
"Right away."
"Hey, wait! I was still—" Yuki protested.
They vanished.
Zane looked down at Mikasa and Yugo's chambers.
"Your friends have finished and passed their trials," he said. "So what will you two do?"
His eyes narrowed.
"Are you going to let them surpass you?"
THE HIBERNATION SPRING
The Hibernation Spring was calm.
Soft mist drifted across the surface of the glowing water, filling the cavern with a faint, soothing light. The air itself carried a tranquil pressure, one that eased the strain on both body and mind. This place existed to heal—to suspend exhaustion and accelerate recovery.
Merlin stood at the water's edge, his long beard swaying slightly as he gestured toward the spring.
"This is the Hibernation Spring. Just remove your clothes and enter. I'll come check up on you in an hour, okay?"
Yuki nodded without hesitation.
"Okay, Mister Merlin."
Merlin turned away, space warping around him as he vanished from the cavern and reappeared back in the central chamber of the cube.
Below them, the cube continued to pulse faintly—each chamber still sealed, each nightmare ongoing.
Merlin glanced down toward Mikasa's and Yugo's sections.
"Are they still struggling down there?"
Zane stood with his arms crossed, eyes fixed on the chambers below.
"Oh, you're back. At this rate, it might delay their next training sessions."
Merlin let out a slow breath.
"That is true."
The cube hummed quietly, indifferent to the suffering inside.
And within it, two minds continued to fight against their own darkness.