I guess when I'm really looking forward to writing a chapter, I can do it really quickly, even if battling depression. Welp, see you at the bottom.

Oh, by the way, this is from another character's perspective. Not Light's. Enjoy :)

Chapter 31

Nightmare Unleashed

I opened my eyes. The darkness of the black hole surrounded me. It was by my design that the black hole was there of course. What wasn't my design was being trapped in it.

That image of that…irritating kid above me was burnt into my mind. Trying to hold onto my arm as the platform that was our battleground crumbled around him. His words still scratched at my mind. "I'm trying to save you." It made me sick to my stomach, him thinking I could still be saved…

I sighed as I pinched my forefinger, middle finger and thumb together, swiping from my right to the left. I don't know why I bother checking anymore. Nothing changes. We both are just falling for eternity.

The left screen showed the entities in the world. A few months ago, the screen showed three entities. Myself, Light and another player who had managed to sneak their way into Infinity. The other player had been logged out long before the destruction began. So there was only two left, myself and Light.

Today, the number only showed as one.

"Impossible…" I couldn't help but let out a sigh of bewilderment. Unless Sean had somehow managed to shut down Light's FiveSense, which would mean they found a method or failsafe that I didn't know about to disconnect it. But that was impossible. I made sure when I added the safety features. Any disconnection should rupture the entire nervous system. Which meant…Light was as good as dead. At one point, that would've brought me joy…but…

I'm alone…

"NEW CONNECTION ESTABLISHED."

The automated voice rang throughout the void. I looked up, confused. I quickly began tapping away at the menus. "Today just seems to be full of impossibles…" Deep buried inside the administrator menus, I found that connection. "Seed Nexus…designation: Underworld… What the hell is the Seed Nexus?"

I slowly began to explore this new connection, menus opening all around. A small smile began to creep onto my face. It had been so long since I've done something like this. The one thing that I knew I'd miss when I destroyed Infinity would be this. Using these menus to manipulate the worlds I ruled over.

"So then Underworld, what is your purpose in connecting to my realm?" I spread my arms out, the world opening up in front of me. I could see a white tower at the centre of a flourishing empire. A dark castle at the edge of a rocky wasteland, lying under a blood sky. Humans, goblins, giants, knights…this world was classic medieval fantasy.

This must be where Light escaped to.

"System Command: Log in to Underworld."

"ERROR: INSUFFICENT SOUL TRANSLATOR. FLUCTLIGHT ACCELERATION IN EFFECT."

"Soul Translator? Fluctlight Acceleration?" I frowned. These new terms were confusing, yet exciting. I wanted to dive into this world so badly, if only to escape from my fate of darkness forever. It made me wish I had focused more on completing that gate to another world. "System Command: Search database for Soul Translator."

I want to know everything.

It took almost a full night, but I finally began to understand. The Seed Nexus was a data package spread around the world from Japan. It allowed independent developers to produce Full Dive VR titles, and singlehandedly saved the VR gaming scene in Japan after something called the SAO incident. Turns out I wasn't the only one who trapped people in a game. Some Infinity based games were even developed using the Seed. I sighed inwardly. The creations I missed while I focused on destroying it.

This Underworld was developed using a new type of VR device, that allowed the user to experience time acceleration. It seemed to be focused on developing a new type of AI using a 'Fluctlight Cluster'. This world had managed to live for 300 years in the space of a few months.

After some digging, I managed to discover that there were currently six Soul Translators, and only one was in use. The ID matched Light's, so I assumed they moved his body to the Soul Translator and connected his FiveSense to it, allowing him to dive in and process this time acceleration.

It was almost hilarious how bad their security was from where I was, however. True, no one would expect someone to be inside Infinity, but come on Sean. I've been messing with your creation for two years from inside, and you didn't think to let these people know that I could infiltrate their Underworld? I could access the Fluctlight Cluster and screw with the Fluctlights. I could generate a System Console. I was basically a god over this world.

"I wouldn't if I was you."

The voice came from behind me. He was speaking in Japanese, but thanks to having to deal with journalists from all over the world, I both understood it, and knew it. I slowly turned to see a man. I glanced back at my entity counter, but it remained at one. Which meant this man was here, and at the same time, wasn't. A paradox. "Do what?"

"I've seen what you've done to Infinity. It's in your nature. To destroy it." His face was stoic, but he seemed to have this threatening aura around him.

He was similar to Light. Someone who had fought for their life. And yet…I recognised that face… When I was looking into the SAO incident, his face came up multiple times. "You're…"

"A digital ghost of the man who used to be Kayaba Akihiko."

I smiled a little before I looked away, opening a connection to Light's Soul Translator. I began to look at the options I had to mess with it, to see if I could drag him back.

Kayaba appeared behind the screen. "If you continue, I will have to stop you."

"Listen, I don't want to touch this Underworld." I began tapping away at the screens. "But he doesn't get to escape his fate while I'm doomed to live it too. I'm not letting Sean and my father give him an escape while I can't."

"I can't permit you to manipulate Underworld. I will protect it, because I have to see my dream through to the end."

"Code 871? What's that?" I muttered as I saw the option appear in front of me.

"Garrett, don't continue on this path." Kayaba's voice was dangerously low, but I was beyond caring. I opened up a scan of Light's brain, noticing a small blockade next to the Memory part of the brain.

"Garrett is no longer my name." I grabbed the program for the Code 871 and pulled it towards the scan. "My name is Nightmare." I dropped the Code into the blockade. "Oops."

A force that hit like a ton of bricks erupted from Kayaba. I was sent spinning into the void, pain exploding all over my body. I managed to slow my spin and drew my hand back, letting the energy build in my palm. I unleashed it at where Kayaba stood. The energy passed right through his body, not seeming to harm him in any way.

Guess he wasn't lying about being a ghost. I let out a small sigh, knowing this was a fight I couldn't win.

"I won't stand by and watch you destroy Underworld. I have a dream, and to see it through to the end, I will protect Underworld." Kayaba said simply.

I scoffed. "You all and your need to protect." I spread my arms, gesturing to the void around us. "Look where that got the last person who tried."

Kayaba reached out towards the menus. The screens glitched, before becoming locked. I couldn't help but laugh. Sean had tried to lock me out of Infinity back during The Land Beyond. He failed miserably. Kayaba wouldn't succeed either. He soon vanished into thin air, leaving me with my limited power.

I floated back towards the screens, the only remaining source of light in this all-consuming darkness. Sure enough, I couldn't access the STLs or alter Light's blockade anymore. In fact, the only thing that seemed to be able to do was watch.

But the thing I had most; time. It would overcome any barrier in my way. No one, not even Sean Miamo, the creator of Infinity, could stop me from turning his creation into my own personal plaything. Kayaba Akihiko wouldn't be able to do the same. I smiled under the metal prison that was my armour. "Alright then, let's do some exploring…"

"…it's a Sacred Art. Like that sword technique you were using. Only these are more supportive in nature." The girl with white hair said calmly, ready to hand the blade back.

I smiled a little as I watched this event play out. From the time I had spent studying Light in order to prepare for our final battle, I found he was frequently in the company of two individuals. One who died during the assault on the Gatekeeper. And then a girl with blonde hair, that sat just above her shoulders. She often wore crimson red.

It seemed that the Seed had taken some of the player avatar data from Infinity and used it to create the appearance of some of these AI. And this girl Light was in the company of was the splitting image of her.

"You don't get away from this fate without suffering a little Light…"

Time moved quicker in Underworld than it did in reality, so any changes I made would likely be a year after that meeting. But that was all I needed. The two would likely meet up in the future at the Swordscraft Academy. This is going to be fun…

Kayaba could block me from directly interfering with Underworld, but the Lightcube, he couldn't. It was constantly feeding data too and from Infinity. I pulled up a small window that asked for an ID number. Quickly searching the database, I found the ID for the Fluctlight designated 'Kimiko'.

If I hadn't already thrown away any sense of moral compass when I could've doomed 50,000 people to die, then maybe I'd feel a little bad for this. But thanks to accepting that potential guilt, I was ready to make that decision. "All this…to make you suffer Light… After you made me suffer for so long alone…" My voice was laced with venom that even surprised me.

I added the corrosion virus to Kimiko's Fluctlight.

Overnight, I hadn't bothered to do much. Slightly tweaked a few things, putting suggestions in some of Light's companion's heads. The funniest one was when poked that Myne girl into falling in love with him, with the intention of getting her to break the Taboo Index. But the girl resisted, and yet the Axiom Church still took her away. And then seeing Light's anguish at losing her…that made it all worth it.

Whispering in Diaz's ear, fuelling his anger of Light. Increasing Lilith's feelings of loneliness just to make one day of Light's life difficult. Upsetting the natural order of nobles by trying to get Luna to invite Light into her family. And the slow erosion of Kimiko's memories and watching it eat away at Light. And seeing him, slowly being torn apart…

I almost burst out laughing when his eye exploded…

"What are you Infinity?"

A voice rang out among the void. It was so sudden that it shook me out of my joyous victory. I looked around me for a source, thinking it might be Kayaba, but then I realised it was a woman's voice. A smooth and sweet voice, but hiding a devil behind it, like wine.

"Infinity is gone, reduced to nothingness by my hand." I answered the voice.

A small laugh came from every direction. "Really? Then are you nothing?"

"I guess you could say that." It wasn't a lie. My soul was empty, only finding enjoyment out of slowly grinding my foot on Light's neck.

"If you really are nothing, then you have nothing to offer me. It was a waste of time to seek Infinity."

"Wait!" I called out to the voice desperation leaking into my words. "Who are you? Where are you speaking to me from?"

The voice gave another amused giggle. "I am Administrator, ruler of the Human Empire. I speak to you from the hundredth floor of the Central Cathedral. And who are you, destroyer of Infinity?"

"I am Nightmare." I said, still looking around the void for any sort of clue as to where this woman was.

"Nightmare…" My name on her tongue was strange. She seemed to savour the name for a moment. "I came to Infinity seeking two things. A weapon to match this…Night Shadow Blade. And a gate to the Real World without the help of that slimy rat. Can you give me either?"

I smiled, my eye throbbing a little at the mention of the blade that pierced it. "If I had a gate to the Real World, I would've taken it myself. But that weapon…I can certainly give you a weapon to surpass that sword."

"Then Nightmare…I may have a use for you after all."

It took a few minutes, but eventually, we found a way. Administrator had to leave to deal with a situation before she could test the command. So I waited patiently…staring into the void for a few minutes.

The command was a simple use of the English language to generate a gate to Infinity. It took a bit longer to set up, as I was still sneaking around Kayaba's back. But thanks to Administrator being inside Underworld, we could both work together to side step his surveillance. It also required using Light's…unique status, as he was the only connection present in Underworld that could put Infinity through.

But…that feeling began to overwhelm me…knowing I would finally be out of this realm of nothing. That for the first time in two and a half years, I'd finally see another human that didn't want to kill me. Feel the wind on my face. Watch a sun set. If I couldn't return to the Real World, Underworld would at least be a nice substitute…

Finally…I can be free…

"WARNING. FLUCTLIGHT ACCELERATION REDUCED TO ONE."

The void around me suddenly seemed to be widening, cracking at the seams. I could see light…pure white, beautiful light for the first time in months. I reached out towards the cracks.

I could see him on the other side, clutching a golden sword. One eye a crimson red, staring at the void in horror. Was it out of recognition? Nevertheless, it was finally my turn to escape the prison built for both me and him, joining him in this Underworld.

"Light…"

"Nightmare…"

I was very happy to finally reveal some of the dark secrets of Light's time in Underworld. The Code 871 being implanted on him by Nightmare, Kimiko's memory loss, Diaz's anger at Light suddenly getting overblown. It was all thanks to Nightmare slowly prodding and manipulating events.

But who is Nightmare? Like said in the chapter, he's basically the Kayaba of No Land Beyond, except he was slowly driven mad by the loneliness of being trapped in Infinity. And he blames all of it on Light, as he was the one to trap him in Infinity. He dedicated his time in the void to making Light suffer, but now he has a chance to escape.

Why didn't Kayaba kill him? Or lock all access to the Lightcube? Kayaba's only interest, as I saw it in Alicization, was to protect Underworld, and to protect Kirito. Nightmare was threatening to mess around with Underworld, proving he couldn't resist when he implanted the Code 871. Once he couldn't put Underworld at risk, Kayaba would see anything else as excessive. The Lightcube itself, Nightmare never deleted any Fluctlights themselves. In fact, he decided to slowly corrode a single Fluctlight's memories, which would be a lot harder to spot, especially in a thousand others.

And one final thing; Kimiko's Fluctlight's appearance data is based on Flower, Holly's No Land Beyond avatar. She just has white hair instead of blonde.

Reviews:

blackbutterfly1313: Light's desire to protect has always overshadowed his desire to kill. In fact, his want to kill was born from his failure to protect, so if he still has something to protect, he always will overcome his killing instinct. I'm glad I can keep surprising you, and that you were so shocked to see Nightmare. I hope this was good too 3

kazukimirato: It's only going to get darker from here on. Thank you for your kind words, but I'm just happy that the people who have found it are enjoying it so much :)

I've rambled for long enough. I hope you enjoyed this little look into Nightmare. And that you'll look back at past events with a little more insight. I'm maybe 2 chapters away from the end, and next chapter...it's going to be a long one. Until then, Stay Cool.