18 Chapter 0.5: Another Night in Neverland (6)

Lloyd Ashford was sound asleep.

At least, the man in the black robe made sure he was. That golden dust was enough to knock elephants out of reality. It harbored absolute slumber. But it was not the man in black's doing, rather his accomplice, or the old man behind it all. That old man was nowhere to be seen in reality, as he ventured within the dreams of all after putting the entire town to deep sleep.

The man in black's role in the real world was to make sure that there were no mistakes, such as the one Lloyd Ashford was to be if he hadn't gone to sleep. Despite all that, the man in black was still a mere lackey, he did not understand the purpose behind this under-handed attack. If he knew, he would have suggested a direct approach, that was what he favored after all. But he still followed the old man's orders, he owed him that much at the least.

"Really troublesome, that man…"

He sighed deeply.

"I agree!" A voice suddenly responded to the man in black's thoughts.

When he turned around in a hurry, there was a tall young man in equally dark clothes, standing in front of him with a perky smile on his face. His attire seemed obnoxious as if he had escaped the set of a movie, but what was most obnoxious about his appearance were the shades that he donned, even in the middle of the night.

It was Shogo Kuroiwa.

The man in the black robe wondered why there was another human that wasn't affected by the golden dust in the town. Perhaps the old man was really losing his touch in power, he thought.

"Of course, cleaning up more mess left behind is what I do." He wasn't particularly annoyed since he would get to at least do something other than sitting around like a guard dog. "Hey kid, it's getting late. Why not go to bed or something? You'll thank me when you wake up."

"I'd rather go for some cup noodles." Shogo went along with the conversation, "Just anything but sleep, really. I'm more of the nocturnal type."

Rather than taking on the offensive or being the least bit alarmed, Shogo just stood where he was and smiled at the man in black. It was quite odd for the man in black to see that. That young man seemed more laid back than any human should be in a situation like this. It could have been pure ignorance, he would think. Or perhaps he was fanatic about these kinds of things.

"Dear Lord… Another odd individual. Let's just get this over with."

The man in the black robe was going to use the same technique he had used on Lloyd Ashford earlier. That was his Petrifying Gaze. He had the ability to induce fear into someone to the extent that it would render them immobile, freeze them completely. It was just a simple glare with the intent of malice and fear, and the job was done to him. That was his perk, a perk that belonged to him, and him alone.

But nothing happened.

There was no fear.

Not that he could see Shogo's eyes, but he still felt no fear coming from him. Shogo was completely unaffected by his glare. It was beyond shocking. The man in black could not comprehend what transpired at that moment.

"Oh… Now I know who you are. It took me a while, huh." Shogo realized that the man in black was trying to use his technique on him, but it was fruitless. He came to learn the nature of the technique and thus was able to determine the man in black's identity. "You're uh… Boogiepop, correct?"

"Boogiepop?!!!" The man in black clenched his jaw. Holding back his tense muscles, his blood was slowly boiling due to the fact that he felt the disgrace of his infamy drop down on him like a rock. How dare that boy not know who he was, he would think, how dare he make a mockery of his identity.

"Oooooo looks like I touched a nerve."

The infamy for beings such as the man in black was everything to them. Their power stemmed from the depths of the collective cognition, of the recognition they received from humans and other creatures alike. If the people did not know their name, did not fear them, then what was the purpose of it all? The more acknowledgment they received from others, be it fear, respect, or belief, the more power they attained. It was no better than a chinless wonder feeding off the commoners from their money. They pride themselves on those trivial, yet fundamental matters to their basis. Without it, they were nothing.

Such was the truth of the Strange Men.

"Have to say though…" Shogo rubbed the edge of his chin, "You're not as intimidating as I thought you'd be… Boogeyman."

To be able to say his name without feeling an ounce of fear or hesitation was beyond humiliating for the man in black, the Boogeyman.

But he still held back his anger. It wouldn't suit his image to lash out like a savage.

"Who are you?" He had become cautious of Shogo.

It was clear he was no ordinary human being.

"Oh, I'm just a writer. Shogo Kuroiwa, at your service." Shogo grabbed his pen from his pocket and spun it around his fingers, persistent in being flashy with his presentation. "Now then, I suppose we're done with introductions. Why not get this over with?"

The Boogeyman chuckled audibly, "So it is you. You seem to be very attached to this town in particular of all places."

Shogo tilted his head in confusion.

"Oh for Heaven's sake, you can't be this dense to not have the pieces together." The Boogeyman sighed. "Two attacks on the same town on the same day. An escaped beast from Wonderland, all on its own, with no idea how it came to be. An entire town in slumber, just seconds after midnight has struck, and on Sorrow Midnight Hour of all times, when rarely anyone is outside. Odd, is it not? I thought you would have it all together. It would take a six-year-old to figure out that much. But it seems my judgment was in the wrong place."

The Boogeyman knew of Shogo and his powers. When the incident transpired that morning, he took the time to study all of the writers involved and understand their powers should they interfere later. And true to his thoughts, one of those writers was before him indeed. He felt no threat coming from Shogo, for he knew his capabilities well. The Art of Gen-Kotaba was an old technique past its prime that was way beneath the Boogeyman's mystical powers.

"I see…" Shogo placed both his two fingers in a right angle position on his chin and started thinking. He wasn't as foolish as the Boogeyman made him out to be. In fact, he played the oblivious role to see the words come out of the Boogeyman and confirm whether what he deduced was true or not. "So is that why you two released the little fella this morning?"

"Two…?!" The Boogeyman backed away, feeling threatened all of a sudden, as if he had been physically exposed entirely, despite summarizing his plan earlier.

"What? You expect me to believe you had done this all on your own? Your way of giving me credit is fairly low, huh." Shogo sounded disappointed, "So, what's all this for? Who's helping you?"

"Huh?! You think I'll spell it out for you?!"

"You kinda already did, bud. 'Sides, what are you afraid of? The Sandman won't be that angry?"

The Boogeyman was visibly shocked by Shogo's response. Shogo had it all figured out. But that wasn't what set the Boogeyman off, it was the fact that Shogo was able to utter his and the Sandman's names nonchalantly. It was at that moment that he began to understand what his accomplice was after, what he suddenly became so keen on doing.

The Boogeyman chuckled, yet he could only feel pain from within.

"Our names hold no significance to you, boy. Why is that? I am Boogeyman, the monster crawling under your bed, hiding in your closet, and the fear that you should be feeling at this very moment. And he's the Sandman, the overseer of all dreams. We're the epitome of all the strange men. Yet you disrespect us. Our influence over this world has reduced to nothing but myths. But even then, what happened to the myths of reality? You have no idea what it is to be cast aside, as if your reign has ended, yet you still live with the pain that you are nothing."

"That's all? So this is all "The Strange Men Return" volume, huh? That's what you're thinking?" Shogo snickered, "Quite daring… on the Sorrow's night, I mean."

"The Sorrow's Pale Moon is the source of our power. It was not my idea to utilize it, to start on this night. All it took was scaring a few and striking arrows left and right to put them all to slumber. Tonight, we're myths beyond myths that ceased in Wonderland. Tomorrow, we'll be what stands in front of all imagination. The eras of yore are returning."

"I'd love to hear the rest of the story," Shogo yawned, "But I think it's way past your bedtime as well. Don't worry, You won't feel a thing."

"Do not trifle with me, boy."

"A little late for that don't you think?" Shogo started stretching his arms and legs as if warming up for a long run.

"You dare underestimate my power, boy?"

"No," He looked at Boogeyman, his smile still persisting on his face, and his body still unfazed by the glare. "I overestimated an old fart… Boogiepop."

That was when Boogeyman cracked. His composure broke down. His anger was at its peak. He was not going to tolerate the mockery of his name any longer. Sandman had advised not to engage against the humans actively (rather just use the dust), but he did not care about that now. Being a pacifist wasn't going to get him anywhere. The death of Shogo Kuroiwa was going to be at his hands. That was the decision he made.

"You have sealed your fate!!" His voice was no longer that of the elegant composed man that he was earlier, it had turned absolutely to that of insanity.

That was the true nature of the ghastly Boogeyman.

Behind him was an emanation of a great shadow starting to form, as if he was going to be up in flames at any moment. Seconds later, that shadow changed up to a more objective form, turning into multiple wide strings of cloth that were bound to wrap anyone like a mummy. But these were far from the cloth they resembled in structure, they were as sharp as any blade when it came to the offensive. And that wasn't all. Even from afar, Shogo could tell that the strings were bursting with dark flame.

However, it was still nothing to fret from.

Just merely thinking of tearing Shogo apart made the Boogeyman laugh maniacally. Without a second thought, he dove head-first at Shogo with full force, having the backup of his shadow strings at the ready. Shogo swung his pen to the front to begin writing a counter to this sudden attack.

"No, you will not!" Boogeyman's monstrous voice shouted.

He knew that Shogo was going to write the shield technique that he had used that morning. It might have worked on the dragooun, but it was far too weak to work on someone like the Boogeyman. There was no hope of escape from this attack. He had almost all the surrounding area covered in his shadows, even a shield wouldn't suffice. All of these thoughts had the Boogeyman salivating like a monster who caught its prey.

"(Oh that's right, you guys are just monsters…)" Shogo realized.

The two of them crashed into each other.

*BOOM*

The impact from the blast almost blew away everything that was nearby, even the two unconscious students on the ground. That blast might have been more impactful and destructive than the one that the dragooun caused. Everything went quiet all of a sudden. There was nothing but dust and smoke masking the air left in the blast's wake as if the place had gone up in great flames. The ground beneath shook up greatly from the attack, bricks and stones were flying up in the air from the impact. It would be of no surprise if the blast broke through all of the floors beneath. However, even if it were to stir up commotion, everyone was dead asleep. And the Boogeyman prioritized killing Shogo above all else.

With the smoke still floating in the air, clouding all vision, the Boogeyman started laughing.

"I told you to not trifle with me." He smiled devilishly, "No one can break out of the terror of my Shadowhauls. Just as I stand before your dying corpse, I will wrap them all around your body… for safekeeping. If you went up in flames, then that is a welcome stroke of luck."

There was no response.

The Boogeyman's smile widened.

"So that's your ability?" Shogo's voice echoed.

He was alive.

When the dust cleared, there was nothing to be found but broken tiles on the floor. There was no body, no burnt corpse like he had expected, on the floor. Shogo was nowhere to be seen in the vicinity. The Boogeyman felt an arrow strike his heart. It was shocking, impossible even, for him to fail to take out his target, a target that was right within his line of sight.

"Missed. But you get points for trying." Shogo's voice came from right behind.

The Boogeyman tried to turn to face him, but he couldn't. Shogo was right behind him, he didn't stand in the distance like he should have if he ran away from the blast, he stood with his back adjacent to the Boogeyman's, as if he had switched places with him.

From his shoulder, the Boogeyman could see Shogo leaning on it, almost resting on it, with his head. A smile was still plastered on his face, unscathed by the blast, without a single scratch on his face or body.

"Kinda disappointed. I should have a scratch on me by now." He scratched the side of his cheek.

"H-How… How…?!"

The Boogeyman tried to attack and send him away, but Shogo jumped back to avoid the attack.

Given his writing technique, Shogo should have never been able to dodge the attack, let alone be in a completely different place. The Art of Gen-Kotaba was a basic technique tied to language that would have been easy to read about. The Boogeyman knew all of Shogo's abilities, even the ones that he didn't see this morning.

"Those abilities of mine were just the appetizers." Shogo stretched his arm to the back, "This right here is the main course."

That was true. Unlike the rest on his team, Shogo had mastered not one, but two writing techniques: an innate ability that was the reason why he was chosen as an elite author, and not a writer, for it was an ability that only he could use in the world, and no one else. If it wasn't for his status as a student, Shogo would have been a special grade author by now. For someone like him to be granted such a gift at birth and be able to master it in his teens, Shogo was truly a prodigy.

[Second "Elite" Literary Element: Authority of Skimming]

[Special Literary Technique: Logarithmic Province]

"Logarithmic Province!" Shogo held the pen right in front of his face, "It allows me to switch locations with one or two parties within the frame of one-millionth parts of seconds. Standing still, parties like you and I, are always set to the absolute value of zero. Now let's say, you move and change your value in an attempt to break through my own absolute value. In that case, as long as the ability has been activated, I will automatically switch with either you or any other third party set to zero within the triangular range of fifty meters."

"Eh…" Boogeyman was dumbfounded.

"To put it simply…"

Before he could complete the sentence, he disappeared before the Boogeyman's eyes, or rather it was the Boogeyman who moved ahead.

"I can switch with anyone…" His voice came from behind.

The Boogeyman turned over to see him standing where he once stood.

"At any place…" His voice switched to the right.

The Boogeyman turned once again to find him standing where one of the students was sleeping. And instead, the student was found lying in the place Shogo once stood at.

"At any time…"

Shogo stood at the ledge to the left, switching places with another one of the students. The Boogeyman was getting insane from just tracking wherever Shogo went at this one instance.

"However I want…"

This time, Shogo's voice came from afar. He stood near the sidewalk down at the street that the building overlooked. In his place lying on the ground on the rooftop, was a woman that the Boogeyman had manually put to sleep earlier.

"Whenever I want…"

The Boogeyman wasn't going to wait this time. He summoned forth one of his shadow strings once again and struck right at where Shogo stood. "You waste your time with small talk?"

But Shogo wasn't there in that instant.

"I thought we were exchanging ability stats though?"

Turning back, the Boogeyman found Shogo in his original location. He stood with the woman in his arms. It struck him as odd as how Shogo was able to switch back to that location without returning the woman back to her place, but being in the blinding rage that he was in, he couldn't dwell on it further.

Shogo quietly walked toward where the students were and placed the woman beside them, taking it all at his own leisure. He rubbed his hands together to get rid of any dust he might have caught.

It was all as if the Boogeyman wasn't there, his presence was reduced to nothing. Shogo's demeanor. His movements. His smile. His posture. Everything he did was utter disrespect, it was irritating to the Boogeyman. But all it did was entice his motivation to tear his flesh apart, to let all the darkness within him devour him.

"Now," Shogo turned, "I'll—"

Before Shogo could mouth another word, the Boogeyman summoned his shadow strings once again and stretched them right directly at him at full speed. There was certain merit to his strings that guaranteed his success this time. Once a target was set, the strings would follow them until they are within their grasp. If Shogo switched once again, the strings would simply redirect to his new location. It might be tedious work, but it would eventually end in success.

This time, there was nowhere to run away to.

Lo and behold, he wasn't disappointed this time. The strings wrapped around Shogo's right arm, to prevent him from writing anything. Even with his eyes covered by the shades, there was a visible expression of shock on his face. It was all the more amusing to the Boogeyman.

"Like a rat in a trap. Those who defy me always meet their demise, boy. Your confidence and arrogance are nothing but a facade." The Boogeyman laughed. "Now, burn!"

Snapping his fingers, the Boogeyman lit the strings with even more smoke than usual. It was his ability to induce flames into his strings that were equivalent to that of great flames. The strings started to heat and light up on Shogo's arm, being in contact with skin or a body in general, it would usually go up in flames.

But nothing happened. There were no flames.

"Amazing! — It's just like Ghost Rider!" Shogo was ecstatic.

How come did he not feel anything? The Boogeyman was shocked. There was no end to Shogo's surprises.

His smile still presumed. With new tricks being revealed at every corner, that smile grew dangerously in the Boogeyman's eyes. He couldn't believe himself at that moment. Was he actually afraid? Was he experiencing fear? The very thing that he was the epitome of? It was preposterous in his eyes.

"You can't tell me you actually expected this to work?" Shogo was genuinely dumbfounded by Boogeyman's mentality. "Unfortunately for you, that iced coffee already did a number on me."

[Sub-Technique Activated: Fifth Wall Paralysis]

As for this technique that spun up like all the others, it would negate any effect inflicted on the user, completely numbing their feelings to anything physical. It wasn't as effective as a shield, but that wouldn't disregard its usefulness in a situation like this.

"This insolence. How did you even write that?"

"Just before you attacked me, you made it fairly easy to write as well." Shogo happily explained, "A bit slower than I expected."

The Boogeyman was on the verge of letting his anger get to him once again, but he kept quiet, cleared his throat, and regained his composure. "No matter. You are still caught within my grasp. No more tricks. No more fantasies!"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that."

"What—"

Shogo wasn't a halfwit (relying only on his conventional gifts) and certainly wasn't brain and no brawn. He was well-trained enough to handle himself whenever he was pushed into a corner that would render his abilities useless. If he relied on his techniques at this moment, then the winning card was practically in the Boogeyman's pocket. The only way to get out of this trap was with an old-fashioned brawl.

Using the fact that he was tied to the Boogeyman by the strings to his advantage, Shogo moved his arm backward with full force, pulling the Boogeyman right at him.

Not prepared for such a tactic, of course, the Boogeyman easily fell for it all. Before he realized it, he was already at Shogo's mercy right under his feet.

This was no ordinary child, the Boogeyman thought.

Even with the shades on, he could feel his menacing gaze staring down at him with terrifying madness — the chaotic smile still on his face made it all the worse.

"Brace yourself, Boogie… pop."

A vulgar monster was then unleashed. Shogo didn't give the Boogeyman a chance to get back up on his feet. He swung his leg and kicked him in the face with absolute vigour.

The Boogeyman was in shock after shock. This was beyond humiliating.

Directly after the kick, Shogo hoisted him from the collar with his free hand and then turned his tied hand to a tight grip (which had loosened up slightly due to the Boogeyman's daze). He swung his grip right at his face.

And it was a hit!

A punch…

After punch…

After punch…

A never-ending spiral of merciless punches from Shogo.

The Boogeyman's face was completely squashed; his blood started splattering everywhere. He saw nothing but a blazing red light amidst the darkness he was pulled in, the terrifying light of malevolence emitting from beyond Shogo's shades. An unstoppable monster had him in his grasp. That thought of being overwhelmed by a measly human of all beings, it left the Boogeyman laughing in his thoughts.

There was no choice, he had to let go of Shogo completely, otherwise, he would pass out at this pace. Like a squid, the Boogeyman let out a bout of dark smoke, erasing his strings and pushing the monster away.

Shogo jumped backward before the smoke could affect him. He had no idea what it could so his senses were on full alert. Even when he took things at his own pace and with confidence in his skills, he still wouldn't take his opponents lightly.

"Man, this is exhilarating! I'm having fun."

He was trying to provoke the Boogeyman further so he would launch an attack in a fit of rage, for he predicted that the next step shouldn't be his — for his sake.

True to his conjecture, the Boogeyman was indeed a simpleton who was as angry as a bull, willing to exert beyond his limit to devour his prey, who was well above his average level by miles.

But it all worked in Shogo's favor. He had no sympathy for such a wicked creature. The Boogeyman was just a dastardly concept given human form. He was a creature of fantasy first and foremost; nothing real.

The Boogeyman shouted, his voice distorted and almost accursed than his usual one. "I will carve those eyeballs of yours out till you dare look down on me again, you insignificant child!!"

He dashed headlong at Shogo, but the boy easily dodged it as usual. Shogo had no choice but to lead him on a chase in an effort to tire him out. And so a wild chase began between two monsters: a monster of nature and a monster of justice.

Wherever Shogo went, the strings were right behind him, and beyond the strings was the Boogeyman with an expression full of murderous intent. Shogo leaped from rooftop to rooftop with ease, and the Boogeyman followed with his shadows and strings, leaving destruction in his path like a Tasmanian devil.

It seemed that it was the town's fate to suffer more ruin that day in some shape or form.

"Do you have any idea who I am?" The Boogeyman shouted as he chased behind Shogo, "I have brought death to over a thousand cretins. I am the fear that lingers within the homes of families. To let an insolent child like you ruin all that I have built, all the might that caused warriors to tremble before me. It would be nothing short of a sick joke."

Before they knew it, they were both back on the rooftop where the chase had started. It was all one big loop around the place — and that was completely intentional on Shogo's part.

"You twisted the knob of death's door the moment you decided to fiddle with me." The Boogeyman went on, "Now, I'll show you the true nature of fear, boy—"

"Hey, old man!" Shogo said in a melancholic tone. That same glimmer of light persisted within his eyes. "Enough with the small talk! It's getting weary: the babbling, the prideful attitude. It's seriously ticking me off."

It was the first change in manners for Shogo that time, surprising the Boogeyman that the grin was finally off his face. But it was not more infuriating than hearing a child like him call him, the Boogeyman, the epitome of all fear, an "old man." He couldn't believe he had the audacity to treat him in that disrespectful manner like a lowly beggar.

"You still don't know who I am…"

The shadows behind him grew tremendously, and the strings floated so elegantly as if he was slowly conjuring up energy and preparing for another attack. Shogo predicted it, but he wasn't going to let that happen, he was always one step ahead.

"I. Am. The Boogeyman."

But before he could attack, Shogo initiated his own countermeasure. The definitive move that was going to end this prolonging game.

"Recto-Verso Expansion!" His smile returned.

Light started emitting from certain parts from the other rooftops as if they were center points forming a barrier. And indeed, the sky above slowly started disappearing as a cloud of darkness was painted all over it. It was like ink flowing over the place, encasing both of them within a shell of their own. After seconds, there was nothing but an endless void before Shogo and the Boogeyman. This wasn't an average page expansion of replicating what was in reality, like Lloyd's case. This was a void born solely out of Shogo's imagination, with the benefit for him in mind.

Normally, the Boogeyman would be ecstatic to have a chance meeting with darkness, it was in his nature. But this time, he felt no friendly aura from it, only hostility, for it wasn't his own.

This time, there were no words that could contain Boogeyman's fury. Shogo readied his pen for another move. The Boogeyman gave in completely to his wrathful instincts and attacked once more. But this rage could not have let him predict what happened before him.

Shogo swung his hands in all directions like lightning.

He wrote something.

But it was too fast the Boogeyman didn't have time to react. However, he didn't feel the need to react. Whatever Shogo did, it stopped the Boogeyman right in his tracks, beyond his own control, like he was being held back by an invisible force.

Before he realized it, the Boogeyman's strings completely faded away, and instead, he was wrapped and tied by chains, metal chains that sprung out of nowhere from the abyss, that weren't his own. Shogo was just within his reach, but no matter how hard he tried to move his hand to get a glimpse of a touch of him, he couldn't do anything. It was truly baffling, for a being such as him to fall into this like a rat in a trap.

There were only two symbols before him that led to his demise.

[Reality Shift: Chaos Chains]

"W-Wha?"

"Chaos Chains! It requires me to create a wide boundary circle within a page to trap someone like you within, before capturing you with these chains, an unlimited amount of them. Don't try to fight against them, it will only worsen your state, they tighten with every movement. Any attempts of escaping could lead to your death." Shogo chuckled after being done with the basic explanation. "While you were busy destroying everything in your path as you chased me, I was writing and setting up center points around every rooftop to establish this boundary circle — the folio expansion was just an extra step to ensure success. There is no one here but you and me."

"You ins—" The Boogeyman tried to move again but was shocked in the process. The chain around his right arm twisted even more than before; he could feel his veins about to burst from the pain. It would be of no surprise if these chains were inflicted with poison on their own.

"Listen, bud. We could go on and on until your body gives up — or, you know, you die — or you could make this easier for us, so start talking."

"... I have already told you all there is…"

"Tsk tsk tsk, that's not what I am after."

The Boogeyman stared at Shogo with barely any power left in him. He still bore that smile, that ridiculous, irritating smile. The laid-back posture he maintained, with his hands still in his pocket like he was talking a calm stroll. It was all unnatural for someone like him. Just who was this child? He wondered.

"How do you break off this chant?"

"..."

What Shogo was asking for was something dire. It would put the Boogeyman in even greater danger. Sure, he was the fear of all, but the old man who commanded the dreams was in another league of his own, away from the little fearsome trouble the Boogeyman induced.

And then he thought it about again…

The Boogeyman was prideful to a fault… but he was also a coward, a reasonable coward — if such a thing existed.

Right now, at this exact moment, there was nothing more terrifying and dangerous in his eyes than the wrath of Shogo Kuroiwa if he didn't get the answer he wanted. The Boogeyman, and even the old man, they were both done for. If Shogo managed to corner him like this without breaking a sweat, then what could possibly happen with the old man? It was all over.

"Where is the Sandman?" Shogo's smile widened, the red light covering his eyes lit more than ever.

Their glory days were over.