Carter attacked, and Ron barely managed to block the strike. Carter's eyes—white pupils with black sclera—were completely devoid of reason. He summoned his sword, dark and jagged, and charged again.
Ron conjured a blade of his own using Dr. Thomas's power. Sparks flew as their swords clashed. Carter's strength clearly outmatched his—Ron could block, but every strike forced him backward. He glanced toward Sami.
"How do we cure him?" Ron called out as Carter lunged again, forcing another desperate deflection.
Suddenly, a message appeared in the sky:
"SCENARIO BOSS HAS APPEARED"
"THE PUNISHER"
"Punisher? Wasn't that the monster I fought in the first door?" Ron asked sharply.
Sami shook his head. "No. That was just one of his servants—or a copy."
Ron nodded. "Then I'll hold off Carter. You deal with the boss."
Without hesitation, Sami sprinted toward the looming threat.
Ron turned his attention back to Carter. "Come on, Carter, fight back! You're not the kind of guy who gets controlled this easily!"
He deliberately avoided using his full power, hoping Carter was doing the same. Between sword clashes, Ron landed a punch here and there, trying to break the control. Then, he heard it—the voice speaking inside Carter's mind.
"You should die here. If you do, I'll give you another life. A fresh start. One where you can finally be happy."
Ron's fury flared. He slammed his fist into Carter's jaw.
"Damn you! You think another life will fix everything? What about your family? Your friends? You'll just abandon them too?"
Carter grabbed Ron by the throat. Ron kicked him away and gasped for breath.
"What does he know?" the voice continued. "He spent years in slumber. He forgot his loved ones. He's the root of all your pain. Abandon him."
Ron clenched his teeth, rage and confusion swirling. Who is speaking to him… and how do they know things I don't?
Meanwhile, Sami hurled a massive fireball at the Punisher—but the beast moved with lightning speed and drove its claws straight through him.
Only… it wasn't the real Sami.
The image exploded in flames, scorching the Punisher.
Roaring in fury, the Punisher split into multiple copies, each carrying a fragment of its power. Sami responded in kind, summoning after-images of himself.
The battlefield became a storm of illusions—one real Sami hidden among countless decoys. The Punisher, realizing the trick, detonated all of his copies at once. The blast shattered the illusions and injured the real Sami, who barely managed to raise a barrier in time.
As the smoke cleared and Sami lowered his shield, the real Punisher appeared behind him—claws poised to strike.
But then it froze.
Sami smirked.
Fire erupted from his body, blazing like a god of destruction.
"You'll learn today why the strongest don't fight me."
He swept his hand downward. Flames surged outward, circling the battlefield. He extended two fingers toward the Punisher.
Dozens of blazing fire-axes materialized in the air, striking from every direction. The Punisher screamed as its flesh and bones were incinerated, reduced to nothing but ash.
A system message appeared:
"THE SCENARIO BOSS HAS BEEN DEFEATED"
BY: 'Sami Xzangel'
Back with Ron, he summoned purple ghost-wolves using Dr. Thomas's power. They leapt toward Carter. Carter dodged all of them—except one. A single wolf struck him from behind and exploded.
The entire dimension shattered like glass.
They crashed back into the hallway where it had all begun. Carter lay unconscious on the floor.
Sami walked over. "Let's head back."
Ron shook his head. "I want to see this through. I want to finish these Scenarios."
Sami thumped him lightly on the head. "Idiot. This is dangerous. We're not even in our universe anymore."
Ron blinked. "What?"
Sami folded his arms. "When you clear a Scenario, the exit doesn't take you home—it throws you into a new universe. Think about it. When you returned, didn't you see new doors?"
Ron hesitated. "…Yeah. Two new ones appeared out of nowhere."
"Exactly. Each universe has two to four active doors. When you complete a Scenario, you and the old doors are moved to the next universe. It just looks like the same place."
Ron felt his head spin. "Then who owns this house? What's really going on here?"
Sami's expression grew serious. "This house only exists in our universe. The one you're seeing now is a projection tied to a cosmic fracture called the Crack of Scenarios. Someone built it and split it across infinite timelines and realities."
Ron stared at him, stunned. "Who created it? And why?"
Sami looked away. "I don't know who the creator is… or why it was made. I don't even know who owns this house."
Before Ron could respond, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.
"Ron… please… help me."
It was Dream.