"True Freedom?"

Cain took a sudden step back; his other half's statement was just too unbelievable. But the Dream Realm was a place where anything was possible.

The Shade Cain's demeanor changed; his emotions began to boil. But he didn't feel them. To be in full control was to also be out of reach, and to reach his goal, he had to be free from all influence.

Nevertheless, explained, "Freedom was something created by those who know they are chained. But the fact of the matter is that people never realized that we all have always lacked freedom, never to be free. It was destined since our existence began.

"Freedom is something we think we have.....because we only think we do, because... it is a lie."

"Cain's" words were like a rupture in the hearts of those who heard him. He was preaching that no one was free, and everyone continued to listen.

"Freedom cannot exist because we bind ourselves all the time, to ideals, morals, and dreams. They all inhibit the concept of freedom we created, things conscious creatures like us cannot remove, for they are part us, a part of our subconscious."

Indeed, Cain was right. Humans were their own inhibitors. Of course, "freedom" did exist just not the "True Freedom" Cain was advocating.

People were free to choose what decisions to make, and so on, but their choices were quickly locked by things such as beliefs and feelings, and even more so by external factors like the almighty system and the elusive Law of Fate.

But Cain was more focused on explaining the mannerisms the consciousness doesn't notice, the things that build up and inhibit a truly neutral and free mind.

People were free to choose their beliefs, but most of the time their elders would choose such things for them. Everyone is born free, and so they are also manipulated by those free that have already grown.

Such things are burned into the subconscious and play a role. Everything in an environment can affect and lock away choice and restrain freedom.

Freedom is a poison and a cure, yet in the hands of people, it only acts to cloud the minds of those around them.

This wouldn't do, not for Cain who wished to be free from everything, even himself, in a sense.

"Freedom isn't real? Are you daft?" Cessair laughed, but the Shade didn't care, he felt nothing in the face of ridicule. He didn't think them fools or idiots, they were simply chained like the rest, not him though, at least not yet.

Studying the reactions of the audience, he only coldly calculated which words to use next.

'He is truly mad. Just how crazy did he go after mulling over everything? He just couldn't accept it....'

Looking at his other self, Cain could only feel pity. Unlike him, the Shade Cain wasn't able to get over the fact they were never going to be outside the influence of something. Although his other half was strong, it seems he wasn't so strong in the mind department.

At least those were his initial thoughts. However as his comrades made fun of him one way or another, the Shade's expression never changed.

'Did he....did he really do something to escape all influence?'

Cain's thoughts gave birth to goosebumps throughout his entire body. His demented counterpart didn't seem so mental if what he said was true.

There were outside factors, there always were and will be. He was right when he spoke about true freedom not existing, but freedom did exist. But....but what if the true freedom he was hunting did exist?

Rex realized this as well, his wariness grew all the more when he couldn't decipher the Shade's expression.

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"So is that what the veil around you is powering? A field that disrupts the natural and unnatural interferences of things such as luck...and fate?"

Keeping up with his act, Cain exaggerated his movements as he walked around the group.

"Now you're understanding it. I must say this is straining, but it is both efficient and useful in so many ways! It's not perfect, but I am indeed free from multiple different things including my own emotions and biases. The problem only lies in me needing to be conscious to do it!"

Rex paused for a moment before finally speaking the words the Shade was waiting for.

His face was locked behind the strange organic helm, but his tone always gave way to his emotions, cracking slightly and seemingly astonished.

"Fine, we won't attack you. Do what you wish."

Evette screamed, "Captain!"

"Evette no, he's speaking the truth. We have no reason to attack him. If we make him an enemy now, we'll die here. Only with his help can we survive."

"But-"

"Enough! Ready yourselves, the horde of shades is upon us!"

Their Captain's words were final, survival came first and to do that they had to make a deal with their natural enemy.

Creating a line, the hunting group defended the Shade Cain as he neared the heart encased in giant amber. Cain looked back at his Nightmarish self; he felt strange, he accepted this outcome but it still didn't make him feel right.

'There's no time'

Turning back to the front, the army was already in front of him. Cessair and Cain mustered up their strength as the army of Nightmares bashed against them.

The liquid metal surrounding Cain rapidly grew, encasing him in reflective armor that grew spikes. Cessair's shield grew to the length of a great wall as he imagined funny-looking wheels on the bottom to grant him mobility.

With the two in place, a large number of Shades were disrupted, attacking Cain only to be pierced or trying to reach Cessair, only to be stuck behind a strange wall that seemed to be alive.

Behind them, Rex created many strange ligaments and began "building" soldiers to fight. He was unable to create living beings, but he could create "toy" soldiers, ones that could fight and kill. Meanwhile, Vera, Dalax, and Evette were supporting.

Evette cut and dismembered any shades that got close while Vera would fire strange arrows that would change into different objects or create strange effects. The ground would turn cold and slippery, the air would grow hot, and sparks would dance and ignite the abominations; those struck would melt or turn to wax, some even turning into cheese wheels.

Dalax was the only one not doing much; his logistics weren't useful when it they were under a full frontal assault.

There was no reason to inform unless a Shade used some trickery, otherwise, his teammates could already see their targets in front of them. What he could do was slowly build up his imagination to create a massive artillery strike.

He had done so many times before, creating a tiny futuristic plane holding a condensed bomb the size of a battery.

The hard part was condensing such a large amount of energy that could fit in the small plane. From there he could strategically bomb the battle from above, acting as artillery.

Together, Cain and Cessair acted as commanders leading an army of imaginative punching bags in the front while Vera and Evette defended the 'toymaker' and artillery in the back. With such a group working together, the swarm was held off for a time.

Continuing in the fight, Cain's spiky armor receded as it bulked up, and his silver-bone sword grew in size.

'Kill!'

As if back in a field of blood, Cain swept through the haze of black sand and cut one shade after another. His blade seemed to burn hot and bright as its length grew with each kill, a property Cain had just imagined.

It became instinct, Cain rushed from one patch of shades to another. Flashes of memory would prop up of him slicing the throats of soldiers from the Salazar Empire and Alex's Federation.

They were Nightmares he would rather forget and this battlefield was happy to help...as long as he paid in his blood and sweat.

Over time, everyone's movements slowly became sluggish and rough. More and more shades got through to the point where Rex had to stop creating soldiers and took on the form of a giant, exhausting more of his energy to wreak havoc.

His body grew over 6 meters tall and had 6 strange arms wielding even stranger wooden sticks carved with strange runes and symbols.

He looked like the avatar of a savage god.

...

Away from the scene, a single shade was slowly making his way through the dark amber, beside him was a man who was up to his neck covered in black.

"You are close! Just a little more and you can take my accumulated energy! You will destroy the Nightmare and delay my advancement!"

Cain wasn't as enthusiastic, his face was apathetic and emotionless.

"Yeah yeah, just shut it. I need peace and quiet to focus."

'But it's even harder with all this extra noise! I should have also made the veil protect against physical forces....but then the expenses would be too much....'

The battle was especially loud now that Rex transformed, using his real strength to beat back the endless army.

Suddenly, "Cain's" back turned incorporeal, and a ghost created from red mist stepped out; it was holding a spear made from every moving blood, boiling and turning like the gears of war.

"Go and make the noise quiet. Take some of the others with you."

The apparition only nodded and headed off. In its body were more than 70 different faces all trying to break out.

They too were raring for war.