"I'll give you credit, you are stronger than you look." the guardian was moving at a casual pace, walking as if this were a casual stroll. Another battle with his brother and whatever lackies were foolish enough to follow him. He had grown more than tired of it, especially since for some god forsaken reason his employees couldn't manage to do them in.

Dream he understood. Ink he understood......

But not Blue.

Blue was mortal. No EXP or LV to his name. He should have been dead on day one. The biggest weak link in the trio and yet he continued to live. So today....Nightmare joined. The star sanses weren't clued into his arrival, though his underlyings were. It was a simple plan, the rest would keep the main two busy then he would finally get rid of Blue.

Easier said than done.

He was a challenge but without support and going against Nightmare of all people? His time was running short, Blue had gotten injured then retreated. Arguably he'd die soon regardless if he didn't get treated but Nightmare would not be so idiotic to rely on that alone. He would kill him. The location he chose to hide in was some type of building, half way destroyed and supposedly abandoned even before his crew came crashing in. Not an unwise move.

Plenty of places to hide. To recover. Though at best it only stalled Nightmare from the task at hand.

"Come out." it was a command, the corrupted guardian twisting his way down the halls. He knew where Blue was, he could sense his fear from here. And he aimed to savor that fear. "You lived more than enough I'm afraid."

Another turn.

"Found you."

Blue barely has time to react, tentacles dart out from the shadows and the shorter skeleton is pinned. A pained cough escaping him as blood pours from his mouth, he'd be trembling if he wasn't currently restrained. His injuries were something fierce and he didn't have much longer. It scared him, but he refused to stay down. Even now pushing and struggling against Nightmare's hold.

Yet, it remained unyielding. Nightmare stalking closer. Grinning. An ethereal glow emitting from his single eye. "Nothing to say?"

"Fuck you." is what he got out, his usually cheerful expression twisted into something sharper. Hateful even. "You're not getting away with this."

"Who's going to stop me? You?" a genuine question, laced with malice and mockery. "The others won't help you."

Not a lie, really it's a matter of they can't rather than won't. But it's all the same. They won't help him. With the main four keeping them busy, none of them can.

Magic charges wildly, it's clear what he intends to do, how this is going to end. How Nightmare intends for it to end. His hand is raised,

"It's been fun~"

Blue tensed, reasoning that this couldn't actually be the end. Thrashing around though stopping as he winced, another pained cough as he's reminded that he's hurt. Badly hurt. Hurt and helpless. Terror further stuns him as he recalls a number of things he needs to do, should have done by now, goodbyes that need to be said, if he had the stomach he might throw up as feelings overwhelm him-

Then it's all interrupted by a single wet "Snikt,".

The sound broke out through the building, cutting through the thick tension in the room. Blue's eye sockets going wide as he looks at the strange sight before him.

Nightmare seemed frozen, stunned as a sharp red tip stuck out from his chest. A pained gasp escaped him. A shudder followed as he looked down. Bewildered and thrown for a loop. Before he could really react the blade was twisted, a louder grunt escaping Nightmare as the injury was further pushed in. The voice that spoke was not Dream, it was not Nightmare, it was not Ink, it was from someone that no one would have expected.

"You think...." it was young, vulnerable, weak sounding. Yet, a voice that Blue would recognize anywhere. "that you can take away...." Chara or "Berry" as Blue affectionately called them. "THE ONLY FAMILY I'VE EVER KNOWN!?"

Berry was a mischievous kid, could even be kinda mean at times but ever since they fell into the underground Blue knew they were a kind soul deep down. Someone that cared and did the right thing. A pacifist who refused to fight and detested the idea of killing.

It made the sight before him all the more shocking.

Berry yanked the blade out only to immediately shove it back in, the speed they moved at didn't even feel human or feasible. In and out, in and out, in and out, in and out, twisting the blade at random moments as rage, grief, and fear oozed out of the young human. Nightmare struggled to keep up and only barely managed to stumble forward from the onslaught, crippling onto his knees and yet-

"No."

He doesn't get a turn. He doesn't get a chance. He doesn't get to run away. He doesn't get to hurt them. He doesn't get to take away their father. He doesn't get mercy.

A near feral scream, red eyes blazing with a power that could only be described as DETERMINATION as Berry threw themselves forward, slamming themselves on top of Nightmare, rage and panic coursed through them as they rose the blade then slammed it down over and over, slashing, stabbing, cutting, black goop flung in every direction as the young child destroyed his mid-section.

Nightmare attempted....tried.....it was hard to keep track- the child shouldn't have moved that fast. He wasn't even sure how they got into the building or when they did so. The first blow was already near fatal and nothing could have compared him to the onslaught of it all. The speed was impressive and it was only rivaled by the brutality of each blow. He was clinging onto his life. His HP was rivaled by none, but the numbers were depleting rapidly. Yet suddenly he noticed he couldn't check them. This didn't feel like a normal battle he....he....

Time slowed, for a moment all he could make out was the human child on top of him. Blade gripped tightly and raised above the young humans hand, about to be brought down into his chest again. Tears ran down their face but no one could mistake the hateful glare that the child was giving him- he paid Berry or Chara (whichever name you chose to call them) no mind. He paid no version of the child across the multiverse any mind.

This was in spite of the fact that his right hand dealt with a particularly fearsome version of Chara. They bore no importance in his life. In his business. At best he thought it was amusing that the human child managed to cause so much misery across several universes, maybe there was some reluctant respect there.....but none of that applied to the Chara in Underswap.

Annoying, headstrong, rude, and in typical fashion for humanity....determined or maybe the better word was stubborn. But nothing notable.

Yet now....he sees it. He does not see Chara, the child who loved chocolates and flowers, he does not see Underswap Chara the lovable rascal causing chaos, he didn't even see a child. He saw a demon. One enacting rightful justice down among his cursed form.

Then suddenly.....he's outside his body. Off to the side, where he can see the human child stabbing him, his body laying there nearly limp, a terrified Blue off to the side......what was happening?

"Interesting...."

A shadow looms, he turns, Reaper is there. The Reaper. God of Death Reaper. He looked, no one seemed to notice either of them. Here they were. Out of body. Ethereal. But that means......but it can't- no. It can't be. This isn't how....he's not dying. Not like this it can't-

"You know I knew today was going to be special.....but can't say I expected this." Reaper moved in a circle, floating through as he analyzed the scene in front of him. Suddenly stopping then turning to look at Nightmare, not the one being stabbed, the one he was sure to take elsewhere. "Karma's a bitch, isn't it?"

"You can't....you can't....you can't be serious." one might think the infamous Nightmare actually sounds scared, frightened. "You can't- I'm needed! I am to be brought down by that...that...thing!" whatever the so called human child was, "Stop this at once!"

"Are you begging for mercy?"

Reaper is all smiles, genuinely delighted and borderline tickled. As if Nightmare told a damn good joke. He does not move. He does not stop the scene unfolding before him. He does not want to.

"How quaint.....but it's really not me you should be asking."

He motions to Chara.

"Suppose you aren't technically dead yet....go on....you have your chance."

Nightmare doesn't get time to respond to that, suddenly snaps back to reality. Pain is the first thing he registers as he's flung back, the onslaught of stabs don't stop. It's like they physically can't stop. The child is clever. If Nightmare lives he'll come back for vengeance. And Nightmare even as he bleeds and the injuries worsen beyond repair.....he knows what Reaper has given him.

It's not a chance to save his rotten life. It's not a chance at all. It's a fools errand. To beg for mercy to someone that would not give it. Or really can't give it, he attempts to speak but they're all choked and garbled. And the irony that the child known for pacifism is the one he can't get to. Can't reason with.

He grows woozy in his last moments.

It wasn't supposed to end like this.

Where was his brother? Where was any of his underlyings when he needed them!? Why was this happening?! Even if Nightmare could gather the words to beg, his pride wouldn't have let him. He wasn't naive, he was playing a dangerous game and death likely would have found him later but not like this....not like.....

Where was his brother?

Is that what he's reduced to now? Crying out for his sibling to come and save him? The one he had hurt so badly? The one he had......no.....this can't happen! He's not ready! Not like this! Not like!-

He sees his health state. The world is growing dark. Cold and dark. There's not even 1 HP left....he can see Reaper's face. He can hear his laughter. No....no.....NO!

WHERE WAS HIS BROTHER!?

He's going to die. He's going to die alone. He's going to die. He's going to die without a good bye. Without a send off. Without anything. And after everything he had done! All he had done! He....he wasn't stupid....he wasn't delusional but it wasn't supposed to happen like this....he knows he deserves it but

Where was his brother?

There's a final scream from Berry, the message clear as they never even looked at the [MERCY] button.

" D I E ! "

All he can register is that pain in his chest, he feels like his gloating and he can hear death itself mocking him as he fades away. His body dissolves as he's rendered to a black pile of mush and maybe a few spare broken bones. Memories fade in and out....of teaching Aliza in his castle, of yelling at his subordinates, evil scheme after evil scheme, endless destruction and pain at his hands......then.....

The village.

The mockery, the beating and.....Dream. His brother who comforted him. His brother who made him laugh. His brother who he played with. His brother who promised to always be there......where was he?

The child kept stabbing, rage filled but but fear was the main factor. Even long after he had passed and the rampant amount of EXP ran through their very soul....they kept stabbing. It slowed eventually, a broken sob rang through the human child as they trembled, unable to recall much for what happened but now had the heavy weight of blood on them and a corpse underneath them.

Blue stood there stunned, all of it went down in a matter of minutes yet the moment itself felt like an eternity. Berry shook and trembled, the knife was dropped. A single word broke through everything....

"....dad...?"

All it took to snap Blue into action, he rushed forward. Pulling the human into a hug, holding them close as they fell apart. Berry had been hanging out with them before the battle began, Blue told them to get somewhere safe....it was like the young human to not listen and now....

He says nothing. No time for lectures. No time to beat himself over the head, though he feels he should have protected them better. They shouldn't have had to do this.

He looks down at what remains of Nightmare with a sinking knowing feeling.....

Nightmare is dead.