Rudger quietly looked at the dead Lucid.
Lucid, whose life had ended, slowly turned into golden sand and scattered.
It was sand summoned by Nirva.
The golden sand rode the wind and flew far away, disappearing from sight.
Born by Nirva, it must have returned to him.
"Teacher! Are you alright?"
Sedina approached and checked Rudger's physical condition.
Considering that Rudger usually carried magic recovery potions with him, the power he just showed was clearly excessive to anyone watching.
"I'm fine."
But despite such an intense fight, Rudger was perfectly fine.
No headache, and breathing normal. If anything was off, it was just a strange sense of disconnect, like there was a slight fog in his head.
This phenonon occurred because he wasn't used to deploying all his abilities with such clear imagination.
Even this would get better after a little rest.
"Um, to think things really happen exactly as you imagine."
"Didn't you see Seridan make dynamite?"
"Still... what you showed was on a completely different level, teacher."
Rudger stroked his chin.
Co to think of it, that was true.
"You don't need to worry. Rather, in this kind of environnt, I can draw upon my original abilities without much side effects. That's fortunate, if anything."
"B-but what about the others?"
Lucid had introduced herself as one of the five vassals.
That ant there were still four more powerful beings like Lucid remaining.
Since they said they ca following powerful energy, fights were likely breaking out in other places too.
While Rudger fought well, could others do the sa?
"What if the senior Owens mbers get hurt...?"
"That's needless worry. Those guys won't go down so easily."
"But this is Dreamland."
"That's exactly why I'm saying this."
Rudger's eyes didn't waver, there was genuine belief that his comrades wouldn't be defeated.
Seeing Sedina's expression, Rudger smiled slightly.
"Seems you find it hard to understand."
"W-well..."
"If we had recruited people purely based on talent and ability, Owens would have many more mbers than now."
"You an there were other reasons for selection?"
"Yes."
Sedina's eyes widened at those words.
Now that she had beco a mber of Owens herself, she beca curious about what criteria Rudger had used to choose people.
"Eyes."
"Eyes?"
Perhaps because it was such an unexpected answer, Sedina unconsciously brushed her eyelids with her hand.
"You can tell by looking at their eyes. Whether this person only has power and talent. Or if they possess sothing more beyond that."
"What is that sothing more?"
"I don't know either."
"Eh."
At this sowhat deflating answer, Sedina completely dropped her shoulders.
"Disappointed?"
"N-no? That's not it..."
"I won't ask you to understand. What I see is sothing dwelling in those eyes. What that sothing is, others can't dare define it. After all, deciding that is ultimately up to the individual."
'However,' Rudger continued, breaking the flow.
"Most people who have such eyes tend to possess stronger willpower than anyone else."
"Then, is that why you chose too, teacher?"
"What do you think?"
When Rudger turned and asked, Sedina unconsciously averted her gaze.
She felt like if she stared at Rudger directly now, her face would turn bright red from embarrassnt.
"Sedina. Have you found your reason for what you want to do, what you will do from now on?"
"That..."
Sedina thought for a mont and then nodded.
"Yes."
"Are you prepared to do whatever it takes for that?"
"...Yes!"
Strength filled Sedina's voice.
At that answer, Rudger nodded with a faint smile.
"That's all that matters."
"Ah, then...does that an we don't need to worry about the seniors?"
"That's right."
"But what about the others? The fact that you ca here ans all the Theon students are involved too...and other people might be in danger too."
"That might be true."
Even if the Nirva's vassals went after Owens mbers, there were still three vassals remaining.
"If the Dream Walkers of the Dream School entered, one of the vassals probably went there."
"What about the other two?"
"One would have gone to where the Principal is."
"Ah."
Lexer-grade Archmage, Elisa Willow.
Given her skills, it wouldn't be strange for a dream vassal to seek her out.
"Will the Principal be alright?"
"She's a Lexer-grade magician. It's not a level you can reach simply by having lots of magic power and being smart."
A magician can purely grow stronger in output up to the 5th rank.
From the 6th rank Lexer grade, one needs to seriously cultivate their inner self.
It's commonly called enlightennt, and even with severely insufficient mana, one could use 6th rank magic if they had this enlightennt.
In fact, that's how Rudger was.
Thinking about Elisa Willow as he had seen her so far, her strength didn't lie in simple magical ability.
"And there's another reason not to worry."
"What's that?"
"The other teachers are with her."
Principal Elisa would be moving together with other teachers.
The teachers shouldn't be taken lightly.
Even though they teach students, they are teachers of Theon.
People whose abilities would be recognized anywhere.
Soone who usually didn't stand out might actually show their true worth properly in Dreamland.
After all, human potential cannot be asured by simple standards.
"Th-then what about the last one?"
"That..."
After thinking for a mont, Rudger gave his answer.
"It probably went where Julia is."
"What?! J-Julia ca too?!"
Sedina was startled when Julia's na ca up.
"She ca all the way here to save you."
"Th-then isn't that dangerous? No matter how strong Julia is, she might have trouble facing a dream vassal like the one from earlier!"
Rudger agreed with that.
Fighting Lucid made him realize that the vassals were very tricky opponents.
They had the power to handle dreams, and each had their own characteristics.
The power of 'awareness' that Lucid showed, the others must have characteristics comparable to that.
"We need to hurry and save Julia...!"
"No need to be so hasty. There's a reliable person by Julia's side."
"A reliable person?"
Rudger thought of Selina.
As a guide in Dreamland, Julia Plumhart was indeed the most excellent.
But in actual combat, without a doubt, Selina would be the one who could exert the greatest power there.
How can a spirit summoner be the strongest when spirits can't be summoned in Dreamland?
'Well, that's because she has sothing that's not a spirit by her side.'
They don’t have a contractual relationship bound by the laws of nature but an inseparable bond ford from the most fundantal soul.
As long as that being exists, even in Dreamland, there was no being that could touch Selina, except perhaps Nirva.
* * *
[...What is this?]
Red light shot up like an inverted figure eight in Mirage's face, which was full of darkness.
His gaze wouldn't leave the black mass that appeared beside Selina.
[A spirit? A being of nature coming to Dreamland?]
No. Was that even a spirit to begin with?
Mirage couldn't help but think so.
After all, that black one had voraciously devoured all the 'dream threads' he had created.
The red chains binding Selina no longer existed.
That was because the spirit of darkness, Esralda, had eaten them all.
[This is quite difficult to comprehend.]
It was the sa even now.
Esralda scattered darkness in all directions and ate up all the red chains that were binding the students.
"Th-this is..."
Julia, who had barely broken free from her bonds, trailed off at the sight of Esralda's darkness.
It was already amazing to summon a spirit in Dreamland, but the power being shown was far beyond imagination.
[Hmm.]
Mirage, narrowing his eyes, snapped his fingers.
Then red energy rose behind him, and large-bodied figures were created.
Unlike Mirage, they had broad shoulders and bulk, and wore red-tinted suits.
Their faces were more alien as they didn't exist at all, like mannequins.
[Let's test this out.]
When Mirage wiggled his finger, the red suits moved.
Moving swiftly despite their bulk, the red suits surrounded Selina from all directions and charged in simultaneously.
At that mont, Esralda moved.
──!!!
Like ink spreading on paper, darkness spread in all directions.
The spread darkness writhed like tentacles and spun like a top in place.
The red suits charging at Selina collapsed as soon as they touched those tentacles.
So barely managed to dodge, but wherever the tentacles brushed was carved out in chunks as if torn by sothing sharp.
Like so invisible giant beast taking a big bite.
Though the red suits retreated in a dying state, Esralda had no intention of letting them go.
The darkness tentacles persistently pursued and devoured all the red suits.
"E-Esralda?"
Selina was shocked by Esralda's power.
She already knew it was beyond an ordinary spirit since it appeared alone unlike other spirits that wouldn't co when called.
But she never imagined its power would be to this extent.
Even more surprising was the change in Esralda after devouring the red suits.
Esralda, who had been just a black cotton ball, gradually grew larger.
Like silk neatly folded suddenly flowing down, darkness poured like a waterfall and hung in the air like curtains.
As the black curtain parted left and right, sothing erged.
It was a human face.
More precisely, a mask molded after a face.
As a woman with straight black hair reaching her waist erged from the curtain, her black dress fluttered lightly.
[This is surprising. Did you grow stronger by eating my dream threads?]
Esralda didn't answer Mirage's question.
Instead, she only turned her head to check if her master Selina was safe.
"Is it really you, Esralda?"
Selina couldn't believe that the small and cute spirit of darkness had changed like this.
But that appearance wasn't unfamiliar.
How should she put it - if she had an older sister, she would feel like this.
At the familiarity resonating from deep in her soul, Selina unknowingly shed tears.
"Eh, huh?"
Selina herself didn't know why she was crying.
She was just surprised that tears could suddenly co like this.
Esralda approached Selina and wiped her tears with her fingertips.
The darkness that absorbed everything erased even Selina's tears.
From that gentle touch, Selina could feel Esralda's emotions.
─No matter what happens, I will protect you.
Esralda, wearing a pitch-black mask with no patterns or holes, stared at Mirage.
At the sa ti, her hair made of darkness began to ripple.
Seeing this sight, Mirage snapped his fingers as red dream threads writhed and were created.
The dream threads, expanding instantly like building blocks, transford into giant beasts.
Countless beasts over 10 ters in size bared their teeth at Esralda.
[Forget capture, I won't feel at ease unless I kill everyone here.]
When Mirage pointed his finger, the beasts charged as if they had been waiting.
Compared to the montum of the beasts charging from all directions, Esralda's presence was too faint.
However, Esralda stood still as if nailed to the spot, quietly watching the approaching beasts.
Just before the giant tiger at the lead reached her body Esralda extended her hand and the darkness devoured the beast.
The red tiger, which truly deserved to be called house-sized, couldn't even put up a proper resistance against the darkness.
Nothing remained where the darkness had brushed past.
Even after seeing this sight, the beasts didn't stop their attack.
They thought if it didn't work from one direction, they would just overwhelm her from all directions at once.
A giant red hawk aid its sharp claws at the back of Esralda's head.
Esralda didn't look back. Instead, her hair rippled as if eting the wind and expanded in all directions.
The darkness dwelling in it devoured all the red beasts it touched.
The beasts created by Mirage couldn't even touch a hair on Esralda.
Before they could, they all disappeared, eaten by her darkness.
Esralda pointed her finger at Mirage.
Under the hem of her flowing dress, darkness spread widely like a pool.
That darkness writhed and moved, then eventually spat out the beasts it had just devoured in pitch black forms rather than red.
[Oh my.]
Seeing this, Mirage showed signs of trouble for the first ti.
[I thought Lucid was careless for being defeated, but it was I who chose an opponent beyond my level.]
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