CHAPTER 235

Draul didn't know what else to do. His [Null] was the same as Oblivion's [End] and so they canceled each other out.

In a way, how simple something is called or explained is a giveaway to how strong or deep they really are. 

Words like Death, Infinity, Null, End, Life, Truth, Life etc. These are all things that though simple to explain, were one of the strongest forces in any universe or multiverse. 

The only ones apart from Draul who had such a thing in his family were the two sisters, Natasha and Yelena. Yelena's 'Speed' and Natasha's 'Authority' were the most broad abilities in the house. 

In the same vein, Draul's Null as it is simply explained, was to negate everything, even aspects depending on the user. On the other hand, Oblivion's End was to end all things, regardless of their impossibility. While they were very similar to the other, it was the small distinctions that told the differences. 

While they both could be used in virtually the same way, 'negate' in a way was very personal whereas 'end' was more external. 

'Negate' worked best when something was working against the caster while 'end' affected everything around the caster. 

Oblivion was trying to end every aspect of Draul's existence just so he could fish out what he called a Dreamspark. Meanwhile Draul tried to negate all what end was doing to him, having little success due to his abrupt disconnection with his prime domain that was the amalgamation of everything he had. 

Hell, multiple universes, destruction, darkness, Aspects of the universal creation, Null, and every other thing in between were all brought to form his very own realm, and Oblivion had managed to sever it. 

His mind glanced at Steve screaming as Chthon's powerful magic struck in intangible form. Bucky tried to attack but was brought down as Chthon's shadow emerged and started drowning the Winter Soldier in darkness. 

Yelena had lost an arm but she was still struggling, although it was becoming futile. Only Ororo and Natasha had some semblance of fight in them, and even that was dwindling down by the second. 

His delirious mind wandered through every possibility that he could exact to save them. He had long since broken his puppet chains but that alone didn't earn him the right to victory in all situations. 

What a nightmare. 

That was what this had to be. 

That was the only explanation for what he seeing because he more than anyone knew how much he feared this exact scene, seeing them dying before him while he could do nothing. 

'This must be the shittiest dream I've ever had, haha.' He looked at Oblivion's expectant face and all he could think of was giving the bastard the biggest uno reverse he could pull. 

Why not just wake up? 

'We both know this is not a dream.'

Do we? Reality can often be deceiving, you know? 

'True. But I control reality. Dreams are different. We live reality, but dreams are something we can only speculate and fantasize about.'

Hmm, you're right… But dreams are attainable right? 

'Ambitions are attainable. Dreams no. We can't be everything we are when we sleep.'

But you control reality right? I think it's pretty much attainable to you. 

'You stress a good point… but yet you're still wrong.'

How so? 

'This…isn't a dream… 

… It's a nightmare. A real lucid nightmare.'

Then isn't what you're supposed to do simple? 

'…'

What happens when you dream? 

'You just flow through the sequences before you… You are a stranger to your own dream.'

What happens when you lucid dream? 

'You're no longer the stranger, you're now a participant. You gain a semblance of control, but none of them are real. Still you continue walking through your dream.'

…

..

.

Then what happens when you're in a nightmare? What is the first action you take? 

What is the first thought that permeates your mind? 

What is the sole action that happens in every nightmare? 

'… You wake up.'

…

…

'..You wake up.'

It's that simple isn't it, all you have to do is wish to wake up… and viola, the nightmare goes away. 

… 

Nyarlatothep could almost feel it, so much excited for obtaining his prize that he almost forced his last presence to break through the void and barrage inside Above All's multiverse, but he held back. Doing so would inadvertently draw Yog-Sothoth and Shub-Niggurath to him and he didn't need that. Not when he was this close. 

He could almost feel it brush against his extensions before it… ended? 

"Huh?"

Genuine confusion painted his dark visage as he looked at his bonds that were binding nothing. No. It wasn't that they were binding nothing, it was just that they were binding something that they shouldn't… him. 

"I'm not amused." A voice sounded behind him and he turned his neck to look at the man named Draul, showing him an utterly pissed off look. 

"What sort of stupidity is this? A dream? Now I won't be able to distinguish between what's real and what's not anymore. Great, now I'm officially crazy." He didn't sound as if he was making a joke which made Oblivion all the more dumbfounded. 

"How?" Was the only thing he could say. 

"How what?"

"How did you escape?"

"Oh that? I didn't. You are currently binding me."

"But it's having no effect."

"That's because I didn't want that. You could say I rejected it… It was a nightmare, you know."

That seemed to set off alarms of different kinds inside Oblivion's head as his mind raced through all possible and impossibilities until he arrived at one, one he dreaded with his entire being. 

"You didn't."

A self-deprecating smile formed on Draul's lips as he kept quiet, answering Oblivion's questions. 

Everything stilled as they both stared at each other, not minding of the ongoing battle that was rapidly changing tides. 

"I see. How unfortunate. How truly unfortunate."

..

.

"I'll just have to end everything… like always."

"You can't end me, Nyarlatothep."

"Actually I can, but that'll cause some… unsavory repercussions since the Dreamspark is gone.. But I can end them." He directed his gaze to Ororo slamming down Chthon with a white blazing fist. "They'll never exist across the myriad multiverse, no mirror for you to gaze at the past."

Draul looked at his family who were finally putting up quite the fight against Chthon and the depreciating smile on his face turned genuine. 

"You could, and I'll never see them again. But that's a nightmare I never want to dream about. Do you think you can create such a nightmare?" Draul asked without turning to his opponent, watching Yelena taking over the speed around Chthon, leaving the Elder God to angrily push his attacks forcefully just for them to move. She was quite the menace. "Yes, that'll be the most vicious nightmare."

He turned to look at the person in front of him that was indistinguishable from Nyarlatothep true form, his meaning clear. 

"I'll be back in a moment." He said to no one in particular and the next moment, he and Nyarlatothep were gone. 

… 

They fought each other through the chaos, ripping apart every extension the other protruded. 

SMACK! 

A backhand smacked over Nyarlatothep's face, further enraging the Crawling Chaos as he bit down on Draul's body. 

Not minding the wound on him, two of Draul's hands entered into his body and ripped it into two halves but that meant nothing or very little to them. 

Timestreams and dimensions disintegrated as they battled with everything they had through the entirety of the multiverse, laying waste to universes uncountable. 

Their forms were ever changing but that mattered little as Draul chomped on Nyarlatothep's head, another extension of him going towards his target's back and blasting it open with an energy beam that could wipe out everything in existence. 

Nyarlatothep fired off his chaos and darkness but that did little as he found out that he was slowly losing his vessel known as Oblivion the more Draul got closer to the edge of the multiverse. 

With a punch, Draul shattered the multiversal barrier and drowned both of them in chaos which turned out to be a bad idea, not that he cared, as Oblivion's body exploded in dark matter that writhed and formed an abomination that stood above multiverses with just his height. 

Nyarlatothep's true emergence. 

Above All's restrictions didn't bother Nyarlatothep anymore and he was free to do as he pleased and that was what he did the moment they entered the Outer. 

"You made a mistake, Ominous One. You should have stayed within the world of your greatness nightmare. Now that you've stepped inside the Chaos, I'll make sure to take as much as I can from you."

His voice boomed through the endless nothingness as he swatted Draul away with one of his tentacles. 

Draul wasn't fazed a bit and rushed at the Unknown God, growing to match him in size, his form taking a thin all-black frame with eerie eyes and sharpened teeth and claws, a Nightmare that would forever haunt the dreams of those who sleep. 

Not caring of his form, Nyarlatothep rushed at him and he did the same, clashing together against each other with the intent of ending the others existence with all their being. Nyarlatothep because Draul took the Dreamspark, Draul because Nyarlatothep was something he hated with all his being. 

The latter let out an unholy screech as Draul's attack truly hurt him, but he was not one to be put down by such things. He was still stronger than the little dreamer. 

Holding Draul by the throat, the chaos around them intensified as he drowned Draul in it, earning him a pained grunt that pleased him so much. 

Feeling himself drowning and the crushing feeling that weighed on his existence, Draul roared in a shrill voice that lacked his usual intensity as the Nightmare took control of the dark. 

How could you forget? Darkness makes the nightmare more terrifying. 

… 

No one knew how long they fought; days, months, years, eons, through a cosmos shift, no one had any idea. 

The two of them never once let the other go for a second without attacking. 

Meanwhile with the others who were figuring Chthon, things weren't looking good for the Elder God. 

He had been toying with them when Draul was occupied with Oblivion but suddenly everything changed. It felt as if he no longer had the same might he had during the start of the fight. 

He tried all he could but he could feel it… this place was closing in on him. Suppressing him to the point that all their attacks had hurt him. 

This wasn't what was supposed to happen. Oblivion was supposed to end Draul while he ended his remaining sisters but none of that had happened. 

He had even prepared the stage for when Gaea and Oshtur would show up only to have it overturned. His eons-long fantasy suddenly turned into a nightmare that he couldn't even wake up from. 

With his attacks no longer having their desired effects, he abandoned his pride and settled for defense since he couldn't even withdraw to his own realm! 

The little girl grabbed his head and brought it to the ground with a speed he couldn't react with, only for a strong impact to assault his spine. 

A lightning cladded fist poured down on his face that made him bleed even more. 

He was close, so close to having his existence killed that even the Darkhold had been sealed by the red head woman. 

He couldn't even curse at Set and Oblivion for being dead and lost. 

He routed the last vestiges of his powers to stake a last stand, finally being aware of something else fighting his existence. Draul and Oblivion were gone, so there was no need for him to be that cautious.

At the very least, he'll drown them all to Death's embrace while he meets his End.

The Darkhold caught aflame, burning red, and started flaking out.

He was consuming his own domain, using its power to push against the restrictions he knew he was facing from Draul.

"To death is mercy. Accept my magnanimous offering."