The sharp metallic sound was like a death knell. Nancy felt her limbs go weak, her entire body was unable to muster even a trace of strength.
Now it wasn't just her leg that was bleeding anymore—it felt as though she had been subjected to a thousand cuts, blood flowing from head to toe.
If this were the real world, Nancy should have sensed that something was wrong. She had only been bitten on the leg—how could her entire body be covered in wounds?
But this was the dream world, the source where all possibilities and impossibilities converged. Here, rationality wasn't required. If you believed something was so, then it was. If you believed it wasn't, it still was…
A freak wearing a brown-black fedora and a tattered sweater emerged from the darkness. A sharp iron claw was fitted to his right hand. He hummed a nursery rhyme, his body and face covered in scars from severe burns.
"Nancy, my dear… old friend Freddy has come to see you. Where's my Nancy? Have you seen my—"
Before Freddy could finish speaking, a huge hand suddenly appeared beside him. The arm was packed with muscle, and its owner stood a full two and a half meters tall, bare-chested, wielding a two-meter-long great blade. Most striking of all was his head—encased in a massive, fully metal, triangular helmet.
Who are you? Are you also something from my dream? We're both dream creatures—so why do you look so terrifying?!
Intimidated before the fight even began, Freddy was filled with shock. He only wanted to ask Pyramid Head one thing: which part of the dream were you from?
Pyramid Head himself was a monster manifested from Alessa's dreams and subconscious. Dealing with nightmares was far more his specialty than dealing with great white sharks. His palm, as large as a fan, clamped down on Freddy's head. Cold malice radiated from his body as he dragged the 1.7-meter-tall Freddy away like a dead dog.
Nancy was stunned. What was that thing that just walked past? This had to be Freddy's trick, right?
"Ah—" Bella covered her mouth and yawned. She'd been a little worried earlier, but after entering this dream world, she found there was really nothing frightening about it.
Freddy had been weak in life, and he was weak in death. He looked vicious and sinister, but in truth, his heart was full of fear.
Targeting that façade of strength and inner cowardice, Bella had sent out the embodiment of brute force—Pyramid Head.
The results were far better than expected. Freddy lost his nerve before the fight even started. Originally, he might have been able to exchange a few blows with Pyramid Head, but his fear made him surrender outright.
It didn't take long before Pyramid Head grabbed Freddy by the head and casually tossed him in front of Bella.
"Who are you? Why are you in my world?" Just the fact that Bella could command Pyramid Head told Freddy he was in serious trouble.
Still, he had a final trump card.
"My world?" Bella said mockingly. "You know nothing about power. Don't say something so laughable again. Finish him."
Pyramid Head was silent as stone, resolute as steel. Compared to him, Freddy was as insignificant as a maggot.
Pyramid Head raised his great blade with both hands, swung his arms in a wide arc, and chopped straight for Freddy's neck.
Will this actually kill me? In the past, Freddy wouldn't have feared such a thing—he believed himself immortal. But now? He wasn't so sure. Pyramid Head's blade was simply too intimidating, and the souls it had claimed were far too many.
The overwhelming killing intent forced Freddy to temporarily regain some mobility.
Fight this towering enemy? He didn't dare. But he could run—he had to run!
He activated a contingency he had prepared in advance. His body dissolved into a pale white mist and vanished.
Pyramid Head's blade cut through empty air. He didn't show the slightest irritation, only turning to look at Bella.
"Heh! This pervert who only knows how to bully kids wants to play hide-and-seek with us? That's fucking childish. Fine, let's indulge him. Come on—we'll chase him down. He didn't get far."
Bella glanced toward a corner of the dream world and stepped forward. Pyramid Head followed closely behind, and the two disappeared into thin air.
…
They didn't follow me, right?
Freddy released a portion of Nancy's mental essence, using the opportunity to flee into the poor girl's home—the version that existed in the dream.
He hid inside a closet, peering out through the crack to observe everything outside.
In the past, many victims had hidden in closets, only to be discovered and tortured to death by him. Now the tables had turned. Hiding there himself felt completely different.
Thump. Thump.
Accompanied by heavy footsteps, Pyramid Head appeared outside the house. He lowered his head and began searching room by room. The room Freddy was hiding in was clearly a priority. Pyramid Head held the great blade in one hand, scanning left and right.
Terrified, Freddy clamped a hand over his mouth. Afraid the iron claw on his right hand might make noise, he used his left.
Pyramid Head's back was fully exposed in his line of sight. But looking at that door-like physique and those bulging muscles, the bully-the-weak-and-fear-the-strong Freddy absolutely didn't dare leap out and attack.
"I found you!"
A cheerful voice suddenly sounded beside his ear. Freddy realized Bella was standing right next to him.
Before he could react, Pyramid Head's arm suddenly punched through the closet, seized him by the neck, and dragged him out.
Bella pointed a finger, unleashing a mental shockwave that scrambled Freddy's consciousness. Immediately after, Pyramid Head swept his blade horizontally. Freddy's grotesque head flew into the air, foul-smelling blood spraying everywhere.
"What a weakling. Looks like our teamwork isn't bad at all." Bella said happily.
Pyramid Head remained silent.
"Alright, let's head back. It's nothing but trouble all day long."
With Freddy dealt with, Bella returned to the real world. After her psionic abilities had advanced, she was now able to seal memories on her own. She sealed away all memories of Freddy in Nancy's mind.
As long as those memories were never recalled, even if Freddy couldn't be completely destroyed, it would be extremely difficult for him to ever return to Elm Street.
…
Nancy had a wealthy father, good looks, and remarkable luck. Meeting Bella meant she had gotten her life back.
Others weren't so fortunate.
Amanda was one of them.
Killed by Freddy, her soul had been tainted with a trace of demonic energy. After death, it was drawn into Hell.
A demon with purple skin, bulging muscles, sharp teeth, and a long tail selected over a dozen human female souls, including Amanda.
"Rejoice, you ants! I—Sym—am your master from this day forth! And my master is the great Lord of Limbo, Belasco! Today, you will be reborn!"
His massive palm struck the heads of the dozen women one by one. Everything that could be called humanity was shattered, and the aura unique to Hell flooded into their souls.
They were forcibly transformed into demons.
"Forget everything from your past lives! From now on, you are soldiers of Limbo!"
Amanda's pupils were pitch black. She nodded numbly and received her new name from Sym—Ruby.