pepper looked at Kutsuyon, who held his heart in her hand. "Wait, this is only a dream. I was worried for a second." pepper said, with a sigh of relief.
"Oh, it may be a dream, but the pain and anything that happens to your body is absolutely real." Kutsuyon said, beginning to squeeze pepper's heart, slightly.
"Gaaahhhh!" pepper screamed, gripping his chest and falling to his knees. "How the hell does that even work? Wouldn't my heart be outside of my body in the real world?" pepper said, looking up at Kutsuyon.
"No, because I didn't damage your chest to get it out, I made it appear in my hand. Think of it more as a duplicate. And you're still receiving blood too." Kutsuyon said, explaining why pepper's heart is still in his chest.
pepper got back on his feet. "Alright, I'm beginning to get annoyed..." pepper said, tighting his fist. "You aren't a female pepper, right? So I have no issue hurting you." pepper said, looking at Kutsuyon intensely.
"If you hurt me, she dies!" Kutsuyon said, holding Kutsuyo with a knife to her throat.
"What the... Kutsuyo?!" pepper yelled, in surprise.
"Hahaha!" Kutsuyon laughed.
"Wait... You can't kill her." pepper said, beginning to realize something. Kutsuyon looked worried as she realized what pepper's thinking. "If she dies you die, but if you die, she won't... Isn't that right, Kutsuyon?" pepper said, dramatically pointing at her.
"No, that's wrong!" Kutsuyon said, in an attempt to trick pepper.
pepper ran towards Kutsuyon, his spider legs out and ready. "Allow me to cut through those words!" pepper said, unironically. pepper's spider leg stuck straight through Kutsuyon's body, and then she fell over as blood poured from it.
"Sh-She's..." Kutsuyo said, not feeling any relief.
"That was a little too easy..." pepper said, expecting more from Kutsuyon. Suddenly, the area started to change. "Oh? We must be waking up!" pepper said, getting excited.
"No..." Kutsuyo said, softly, though pepper didn't hear her.
"Wait? A forest? And... that rock..." pepper said, looking around.
"Hahahaha! You think I can just die here? That was just a fake, dumbass!" Kutsuyon shouted, appearing infront of pepper.
"Damn..." pepper said, realizing he was an idiot for thinking that was all it took. A beautiful singing voice could be heard, it caught pepper's attention rather quickly. "Kumetsu?!" pepper said, looking through the trees, and at the rock. "I don't see her..." pepper said, talking to himself.
"There..." Kutsuyo said, pointing into the forest.
"Kumetsu..." pepper said, enjoying her singing.
"You don't need to be here, Kutsuyo, your screams don't satisfy me anymore, just sit back and watch." Kutsuyon said, teleporting Kutsuyo closer to her on the sidelines.
"Why are you showing me a fake Kumetsu?" pepper asked, growing tired of reminiscing.
"I'm showing you your regrets and fears, all just to toy with you." Kutsuyon said, smiling mercilessly.
"I see." pepper said, as he noticed something move behind Kutsuyon. 'What the...? Who the hell?' pepper thought, not knowing the person. 'I can tell who that is... they're too blocked by the grass.' peoper thought, trying to figure who's there.
"What's wrong?" Kutsuyon said, turning around to notice a person behind her.
"Who is that?" pepper asked, wondering if Kutsuyon knew.
"I have no idea, but he's apart of your memory, even if you didn't notice him, your eyes still saw him." Kutsuyon said, brushing off the topic.
"Alright then..." pepper said, letting it be, for now. pepper turned back and saw Godita standing infront of him, this caught pepper in surprise. 'Shit, I can't sense these dream people!' pepper thought, unsure of what to do.
Godita grabbed pepper's face. "Stay away from Kumetsu... She's mine." Godita said, gripping tighter. pepper tried using Itsy Bitsy's spider legs to cut off Godita's arm, but he couldn't feel them.
'What?' pepper thought, desperately trying to use them.
"You rely on your little spider legs way too much, they give you a huge advantage, so they're over here with your heart." Kutsuyon said, holding small versions of Itsy Bitsy's legs.
"Ora!" pepper shouted, as he punched Godita's face, it busted and blood spewed out as Godita flew back and hit the rock.
"Oh my, I know you've been told you're strong, but I thought everyone was exaggerating your strength, though they could still be." Kutsuyon said, finding this interesting.
"Kutsuyo, I know it's scary, and I know it's hard, and I'm sorry that I can't help you. But right now, you're the only way that we can get out of this, it's all up to you." pepper said, looking at Kutsuyo's eyes.
"Shut up." Kutsuyon said, as pepper got pushed to the ground.
"Damn, not this." pepper said, watching the ground crack open infront of him.
'I... have to try...' Kutsuyo thought, realizing she finally has a reason to fight against Kutsuyon.
'The water's starting to come out!' pepper thought, trying to do something to get up.
"I won't..." Kutsuyo said, looking at Kutsuyon.
"Huh?" Kutsuyon said, getting annoyed.
"...I won't let you do whatever you want anymore!" Kutsuyo said, talking normally, but to her she shouted.
"Aww, isn't that cute? What are you gonna do?" Kutsuyon said, booping Kutsuyo's nose.
"Umm... I'm g-gonna..." Kutsuyo said, pausing, and looking at pepper, who's starting to be surrounded by water.
"You're gonna...?" Kutsuyon said, waiting for Kutsuyo to finish her sentence. Kutsuyo began to strain her mind, trying to control the dream.
"Kutsuyo, you're doing great! Just a little more, please!" pepper shouted, trying to give her as much motivation as he can.
'I've got this... If I can't save him... then he'll never be able to save me...' Kutsuyo thought, trying her best.
Kutsuyon grabbed Kutsuyo's shoulders and looked into her eyes. "I know exactly what scares you the most! You hate being alone!" Kutsuyon said, as Kutsuyo could see nothing but black.
'Where... am I...?' Kutsuyo thought, trying to talk. 'Hello? Anyone...?' Kutsuyo kept thinking, calling for help. 'I'm scared...' Kutsuyo thought, feeling like she's walking around, feeling and seeing nothing.
"Kutsuyo..." Kutsuyo heard pepper's voice.
'Where... is he? I feel safe... around him...' Kutsuyo thought, trying to follow his voice.
"Focus, Kutsuyo. You need to defeat the Demon infront if you, and you'll be free, you must undream this nightmare." Kutsuyo heard pepper again.
'...Undream?' Kutsuyo thought, thinking she understands. Kutsuyo's eyes opened, and she could see again.
"You little bitch!" Kutsuyon aaid, getting annoyed.
"I'm not scared if you, not anymore..." Kutsuyo said, trying to stay calm.
"You never even thought if defying me, what changed?" Kutsuyon said, not understanding why Kutsuyo is suddenly acting so different.
"Now... I have a reason to defy you... I finally have something that I want." Kutsuyo said, looking at Kutsuyon without any fear. Kutsuyon looked at Kutsuyo in fear. "Now, go away..." Kutsuyo said, softly, as she waved her hand infront of Kutsuyon.
Kutsuyon began to disappear, quickly. "Noooo!" Kutsuyon shouted, with an ugly face, as she vanished. Kutsuyo sighed heavily in relief, then she turned to look at pepper, he was completely covered in water, his eyes were wide, and his mouth was wide open. "Oh no!" Kutsuyo said, as loud as she possibly could, which wasn't loud at all.
"Hmph! Hmph!" Kutsuyo muttered, as she pressed down pepper's chest, trying to get the water out. 'Wait, I'm the owner of the dream now...' Kutsuyo thought, realizing she's wasting time. pepper tooo a deep breathe as soon as he could, and he snapped back into himself. "A-Are you okay... Mister?" Kutsuyo said, hoping he isn't injured.
"I think so." pepper said, coughing a little.
"Here's your heart back." Kutsuyo said, softly, talking a lot more than she used to.
"Ah, thanks." pepper said, as he watched her place it back into his chest.
"Well... I guess the dream should end now..." Kutsuyo said, about to end the dream.
"Wait! Where are you in the real world?" pepper asked, talking quickly.
"Um... a place with old bricks... other than that... I don't know..." Kutsuyo said, feeling bad that she can't answer more.
'It's fading... she can't hear me.' pepper thought, as everything turned white.
"Mmnn..." pepper mumbled, as his eyes opened. "I was... asleep?" pepper said, as he got up off the floor. "Oh right!" pepper shouted, as he remembered the dream. "Kutsuyo!" pepper yelled as he continued down the hall he had fallen asleep in.
'Damn... This hall is long.' pepper thought, as he kept walking. 'Wait, there's a door!' pepper thought, becoming excited. pepper rushed to the door, and he tried to twist the old knob, but it wouldn't turn. "What the hell?" pepper said, trying to open the door again. 'It's locked.' pepper thought, as he backed a couple steps away from the door, and stared at it for moment before making it explode using Itsy Bitsy's spider legs. 'No longer locked.' pepper thought, as he walked into the room, through a cloud of dust. pepper saw Kutsuyo sitting in an uncomfortable looking bed. "Kutsuyo! There you are!" pepper said, as he ran up to her and hugged her tightly. Kutsuyo started to cry. "I'm sorry, did I hug you too hard?" pepper said, as he began to pull his arms away, but Kutsuyo pulled him arms back.
"No, don't stop..." Kutsuyo said, quietly. "It's just... been so long since I've seen someone... or even hugged someone..." Kutsuyo continued, crying in pepper's arms.
"I see, well it's okay now, if you ever want a hug, I'm always here." pepper said, smiling as her looked at Kutsuyo cry in joy.
"Oh my!" The old lady jumped in surprise.
"Hey, old lady, thank you!" pepper said, smiling at the old lady. Kutsuyo clung to his sleeve tightly.
"That's the Demon Child?" The old lady said, not believing her eyes.
"You... remind me of someone..." Kutsuyo said, trying to remember.
"That makes sense, dear. After all, I am a descendent of the man who took care of, all those years ago." The old lady said, smiling at Kutsuyo.
"You aren't... scared of me?" Kutsuyo asked, worried that she scares the old lady.
"Of course not, all of my ancestors trusted you, I do too." The old lady said, still smiling at Kutsuyo.
"I-I see..." Kutsuyo said, not sure how to respond.
"So, young man, I assume you broke her curse?" The old lady asked, wondering what exactly happened.
"No, not exactly." pepper said, looking at Kutsuyo, who's still gripping tightly to his sleeve. "She did it by herself, I guess she just needed a little help, not that I did much." pepper said, genuinely believing he had nothing to do with it.
"Oh, I see." The old lady said, trusting pepper.
"She's strong, stronger than me, she's taken all those years of pain, it makes me wonder about the other girls too, especially Utsu." pepper said, not realizing that he's still talking to the old lady.
"Utsu?" The old lady said, not realizing that's a name.
"Ah, don't worry about it." pepper said, as he started walking away. "Thanks again!" pepper continued, as he held Kutsuyo's hand and walked through the trees.
"You know, Kutsuyo?" pepper asked, waiting for her response to continue.
"Y-Yes?" Kutsuyo asked, wondering what he'll say.
"I have no idea where the hell we are." pepper said, smiling as they continue walking away.