The Trickster’s Hat

Trick's face was contorted in unbridled rage as he clenched his fist into a tight squeeze. His body shivered shakily, causing his arms to follow suit.

He clenched his fist even tighter on his right, while using his left to weather the raging storm's malevolent aura that came billowing in his way.

He knew he couldn't do anything to a void beast as powerful as the one before him, the calamity that befell this realm was already reason enough, but watching the ground quake under Oneiros' fury left him gritting his teeth in frustration…

Frustration for his own helplessness.

As the sinistrous aura of the being that brought desolation to this realm spiraled ferociously, in the raging storm Trick lowered his arms, tilting his head towards the ground…

In defeat?

"Hmph." An audible sound of satisfaction escaped from the lips of Oneiros as he looked at the already defeated child.

'That's it, know your own helplessness.' Oneiros' face stretched out into a melancholic smirk.

'Let your mind beckon unto your burning heart its own powerlessness, and render the flames of your determination destitute.' The void beast mused in satisfaction watching as Trick clenched his fist and trembled fearfully.

'Because right now, against someone as mighty as I—'

'You are like a speck against the floods of the ocean.' Oneiros finished with a wide grin, watching Trick's face lowered, observing his body tremble violently and seeing the child's spirit break before his very eyes…

Or so he thought.

Yes, Trick was frightened, yes he was overcome with fear, yes he was trembling out of the chilling fright that gripped his heart—

BUT…

His clenched fist was not an insignia of him accepting that fear…

It was a weapon he used as a means to combat it. Because for someone like Trick, in this daunting situation—

Even if he were exiled to the deepest depths of the abyss where fear and fright seeped into the innards of his being, even if the very mountains threatened to stomp him to obscurity—

He would sooner die than let someone threaten… 

HIS BELOVED MASTER

In an instant, Trick rose his head, piercing the void beast with a defiant gaze, as his eyes radiated with a burning crimson glow.

"I won't let you hurt my master!"

Oneiros' mood dampened, his violent aura lowering once more, instilling an odd silence in the air.

His face remained emotionless as he stared into the red eyes of a fuming Trick.

Oneiros' face then contorted in a displeased manner, his eyes creased with a bitter look.

'Those eyes…' Oneiros mused while staring into Trick's eyes which brimmed with determination.

'They're the ones I hate the most.' He continued, the bitter look on his face morphing into a more spiteful one.

'The eyes that feign boldness.'

'Those that try to mask their chilling fear.' Oneiros pierced Trick with a threatening scowl, yet the child's eyes burned with obstinate defiance even more.

'Eyes that reflect a struggle against fright, yet—'

'GLINT WITH RESOLVE.'

'However, this child's eyes do not gleam in a mundane fashion.' Oneiros held onto his chin in thought.

'Even I who has been in the surrounding of void beasts, and combated humans for centuries without end.'

'This is my first seeing eyes that burn this way.' The void beast's face was smeared with a perplexed look, one that reflected his desperate attempt to unravel a great mystery.

And that was when it hit him.

'Red eyes?' Oneiros jolted in realization.

'How can a human possess eyes that sparkle in a crimson glow?'

'Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on—'

"HOLD ON ONE DARN SECOND!" Oneiros yelled into the air, a gust of energy following his yells and causing Trick to flinch backwards.

'Could it be?' Oneiros mused, his eyes radiating with an ecstatic glow.

"A stray cursed to wander for eternity, until the void of his soul be eroded off?" Oneiros proclaimed at Trick who stared in utter confusion.

He let out an elated mumble.

"If that's the case, then…"

'I'd have even more of a reason to kill you.' Oneiros wondered within his mind, questioning the feasibility of his mysterious deduction.

Instantly, a menacing gust of energy filled the realm once more, however this one was different. 

Though it pulled the very ground from its root like before, though it overturned the winds to rage violently like before, and though it made the skies cry out with a scarlet radiance once more…

There was a stark difference Trick could feel within the depths of his soul.

The aura emanating from Oneiros right now was one laced in—

A GREAT FEELING OF BLOODLUST!

"You wished to stop me from hurting your little master didn't you child?!' Oneiros questioned aloud, the ground being overturned by a grave earthquake.

'But how exactly could you do that, given how you quivered pathetically within your own nightmare?'

'Nightmare?' Trick voiced out within the confines of his thought as his mind raced through his experiences before the arrival of Oneiros. 

'That's right, i'd had that dream numerous times before now, this realm, the scarlet skies, the bleeding moon, the ominous lullabies and the—'

'Strange woman.'

'I'd dreamt of them all before.' Trick wondered, shielding his face from the heavy winds with both his hands, before being interrupted by an intimidating voice.

"Now taboo, are you ready to die?" Oneiros asked, a melancholic smirk stretching across his face.

'DIE?.' Trick yelled out in thought, his brain racing through a multitude of thoughts aimed at his survival.

'Master wasn't kidding about these void creatures…'

'He really wants to kill me!' Trick mused in deep thought, thinking of a way to buy some more time, a way to stall and a way to put a very irking puzzle together. That puzzle was—

How exactly he would survive this calamitous situation.

Swimming in an ocean of ceaseless thoughts whose currents swayed for survival, Trick had finally gotten something of a plan.

He'd have to bet on a very risky trick.

Trick stood motionlessly, staring at Oneiros who still had a wicked grin etched on his face, his eyes gazed at Oneiros almost emotionlessly as a momentary silence ruled both sides.

Oneiros looked in confusion, the formerly trembling child had locked his eyes into his, staring at him with an odd spaced out look.

WHOOSH

In an instant, Trick whistled out of Oneiros' vicinity, speeding off into the shattering realm and leaving Oneiros to grit his teeth in irritation.

"Taboo? that's really a rough insult. But then again, I can't believe my trick worked. 5th step, endless staring!" Trick yelled into the air, racing through the currently shattering world to conjure a more effective plan.

"Do you wish to delay your impending doom child?" Oneiros walked slowly across the realm, piercing Trick with a chilling stare.

Trick ran through the desecrated realm which was quickly breaking apart. He stepped his feet on the ground but as soon as he did a slight cracking sound made its way to his ears.

In a flash, Trick sped across it. The ground he formerly stepped on breaking to leave a depthless crater to the abyss behind.

He quickly increased his speed, jumping and dodging large rocks that flew from the raging gusts of Oneiros' vicious aura.

'Hmph. He sure doesn't understand.' Trick mused, evading both the cracking ground and the levitating rocks that obstructed him.

"I just need to buy enough time to piece something together."

"Besides…" Trick's face stretched with a smile as he slid between two large rocks that quickly came crashing together just as soon as Trick slid past them.

"No one is faster than me." Trick mumbled, a large smile spreading across his face, before being overhauled by one of bewildered displeasure.

BLAST!

"You said no one was faster than you?" In a burst of energy, Oneiros was right in front of Trick.

"Geese!" Trick staggered, almost falling over, before quickly changed his route and running in the opposite direction.

"What the heck?" Trick muttered loudly as he ran relentlessly away from the baleful figure.

"That guy really is fast!" Trick voiced out before slapping the sides of his face with both his hands.

"THINK!"

"Before Mr horns appeared, I'd already experienced this world in my nightmares every night before. So if that's the case then it's my…"

"Dream world right?" Trick stopped his running, sliding a few feet before maintaining his balance.

"I grow tired of your feeble death struggle taboo." Oneiros voiced out, emerging from the ground right behind Trick.

"Honestly, that same insult again?" Trick questioned softly, turning to face the dreadful figure.

"You're in luck cause I'm done running." Trick answered with a gleeful smirk. Causing Oneiros to stare at him with a little bit of confusion.

"Because I have everything in this world under my control." Trick's eyes glinted in unbridled excitement.

"Including you Mr Zyakoria's champion" At that statement, Oneiros' face contorted in both stupefaction and annoyance at the rambling child.

With his hands spread wide in the air, Trick struck a dynamic pose, etching an elated grin across his face while confidently continuing his wordings.

"Because this—"

"IS MY DREAM REALM."