In his life, Rudger had only broken the seal three times.
He had been frequently swayed by the god's voice before, but that was before he learned about sealing through Grandel.
After creating the sealing technique, he didn't even think about touching it unless absolutely necessary.
But for Rudger, there were times when he had no choice but to temporarily release the seal.
The first time was when he was wandering the world with his master and met Pantos.
At that time, the seal had only been created recently, and it would be more accurate to say that a small amount of divine power leaked out while fighting intensely.
But since he didn't try to control it, he couldn't say there was no intent.
That's why it was the first time.
The second time was in the Kingdom of Durman.
When he was active as Abraham Van Helsing, there was a historic incident where cryptids abnormally multiplied and the entire city of Gevaudan was covered in nightmares.Rudger fought fiercely against the Beast of Gevaudan at that time.
But the Beast of Gevaudan, which multiplied countless cryptids and had terrifyingly excellent regenerative abilities, did not die easily.
So Rudger had no choice but to partially open the divine power.
To prevent regeneration and sweep everything away with tremendous power in one go.
That was the second time he opened the seal.
And the third time was when he released it to deal with the mafia organization of Leathervelk.
But he could say with certainty that he had never fully released the seal technique he had created.
He had only released the most basic first seal.
Even if he released the second seal, Rudger believed that the third seal should never be touched.
That was true now and would be in the future.
'I definitely thought that way.'
Rudger stared ahead.
A massive goddess, whose size was difficult to estimate despite being at a considerable distance, was visible.
The form of a woman as if molded from black mud.
In the place where the face should be, only faintly flowing white eye-light, presumably eyes, was all there was.
She was still unable to move, with her heart pierced by an obelisk.
Despite just that, the appearance Noxana showed was transcendental, befitting the name of a "god."
Could he really confront that with half-hearted power?
'If I need to release the seal, I should release all of it up to the third seal right away.'
But if that happens...
Rudger realized that even in this situation, he still had hesitation left within him.
'If I completely release the seal, there will be no turning back.'
Being able to handle divine power didn't mean one was chosen.
The existence of gods was too much of a poison for humans.
No matter how much they cherished and loved humans, even that love was difficult for humans to endure.
Although Rudger's spirituality was vastly different from that of ordinary humans, it only meant he could endure excessive divine attention a little longer.
That day, he was able to safely use the god' power because he offered humans as a gift to him.
Asking to borrow power to enter a fight was an entirely different matter.
From the moment he used the power, Rudger's fate would begin to be more strongly bound by the god.
'Yes. That would be better.'
The bigger problem was another being, the God of Radiance, Lumensis.
The usurper of the cage who created this world, controlled it, even tried to use him as a puppet as a means of control.
'The moment I open my power, Lumensis will notice my existence. Everything about where I am and what I'm doing.'
If that happens, even the method of escaping by changing identities would be useless.
Once Lumensis starts recognizing him, he will persistently target him, and his followers will chase after him with burning eyes.
'All the preparations I've been making so far will be for nothing.'
The final piece is now in the depths of this dreamland.
He came to find it, but the situation was only getting worse.
Just one step, if he could cross this boundary, he could use everything he had prepared from then on, but unfortunately, that last step was missing.
'Damn it.'
If he doesn't release the seal, he can't stop Noxana from overturning the world, and if he releases the seal, he will catch Lumensis' eye.
No, even if he releases the seal, can he guarantee victory against the goddess before him?
Rudger's gaze turned to the people who had collapsed behind him.
Among them were unfamiliar faces, but there were also many familiar ones.
Fellow teachers he had become close to, colleagues he had gathered himself, and even students he taught.
If he retreats here, what will happen to their futures?
'I must do it.'
Here, it is not anyone else, but I, who is standing here intact, who must fight that goddess.
To do that, releasing the divine power right here and now is...
"I don't know what you're trying to do, but stop it."
Rudger turned around with surprise at the restraining voice from behind.
Clara Cowen, whom he thought had fainted, was staggering to her feet.
"You're fine."
"If this looks fine to you, then you must be flying around in perfect health."
Clara approached Rudger slowly, leaning on her staff, with a bitter smile.
"I'll say it again. Stop it."
"Do you know what I'm going to do?"
"I don't. But one thing is certain, you're trying to protect everyone by throwing away everything you have. Am I right?"
It was a spot-on statement, but Rudger responded with a sneer.
"You seem to think too highly of me."
"I can't help but see the good in you. After all, it's all thanks to you that we've held out against the demon Nirva until now."
Clara looked at Rudger as if she found him admirable.
"I don't know how someone so young has such power, but I don't think a young man like you should easily sacrifice his life."
"Why do you think that?"
"Because once is enough for such a thing."
"..."
No, the Great Demon Surna.
He must have told Franz about Noxana.
'Why? Wasn't Franz's goal to kill Nirva? The fact that he was told about Noxana, it's as if he anticipated this would happen.'
Rudger thought that perhaps Zero Order had been hoping for this.
If so, this situation itself might be what he intended or hoped for.
"Is that important right now?"
At Franz's words, Rudger stared at him for a moment before turning his gaze away.
"The problem is how the three of us can destroy that thing."
"Why limit it to three people?"
Clara gently clicked her tongue and chided Rudger.
"Are there more people who have regained consciousness besides us three?"
"No. That's why we need more. Look at those people over there."
Clara pointed her staff at the collapsed people.
"They're all asleep. Just that. You just need to wake up sleeping people."
"They've fallen asleep due to the goddess' divine artifact. It won't be easy to wake them up with ordinary methods."
"That's right. Even if I and Franz help, the limit would be waking up one or two people at a time. It would take a long time to wake up all the necessary people, and in the meantime, the goddess would break the seal and escape."
Wake them all at once.
At those words, Rudger's eyebrow twitched.
"Do you think it's possible?"
"Are you now weighing the possibilities?"
"..."
At the pointed remark, Rudger chuckled and nodded.
Right. Who has clung to impossible things more than himself?
"Let's try. I'll connect the mana path."
"I'll take the role of waking them. It's easy for me to guide those who have fallen asleep."
"Then I'll take the supporting role between the two of you."
Roles were quickly assigned.
Clara looked at Franz with a warm gaze.
Franz deliberately avoided Clara's gaze and began working.
-Whooosh.
Rudger created a bundle of mana threads on his palm.
The blue glowing mana threads rotated fiercely and then spread out in all directions like a sea urchin's spines.
The mana threads connected to the heads of the unconscious people.
After confirming the entire process, Franz bestowed his dream energy onto Rudger's mana.
"Dream Synchronization initiated."
The mana threads shot by Rudger were dyed light green.
Clara completed the finale.
She brought the tip of her staff to the center of the mana web created by Rudger.
"Wake up. You sleepyheads."
Through the mana threads connected to the sleeping people's heads, Clara's will was transmitted with a strange wave.
* * *
“This is the worst.”
Alex looked at the woman crying in front of him.
More painful than the burning sensation on his cheek was the sight of her crying helplessly as she looked at him, which made his heart feel as if it was being squeezed.
"Enya."
“Stop. Don't call my name with that mouth anymore.”
The shy and innocent gaze with which she usually looked at him was gone.
With eyes stained with sadness, pain, and anger, Alex's lips trembled.
No. Actually, I, more than anyone else...
Even an excuse would be fine. He wanted to make an excuse right away and correct all these misunderstandings but he couldn't because for him, a mere commoner, a meeting with her was not permitted.
So Alex spoke more harshly.
"Are you done being angry? Is that enough now?"
“What?”
"If it's not enough, I can take a few more hits."
“How can you say that now...!”
Enya, whose lips were trembling, soon drooped her shoulders.
“I see. I was a fool. What on earth, what on earth did I trust about you?”
He couldn't stop Enya as she turned her back and left.
This was better. After all, his true feelings would only be a burden to her.
It was presumptuous from the start for a lowly commoner to try to get close to her, a noble.
So it was better to remain the bad guy.
"Haa. Life really sucks."
After Enya left, Alex barely managed to resist collapsing on the spot.
At that moment, a group of men approached Alex.
What formed on their lips was a sneer.
Their gaze toward Alex was full of disgust and glee.
“Right. Seems like your brain is working. How dare a commoner try to be with a noble?”
“Exactly. How much better would it have been if you had just bowed your head from the beginning?”
“From now on, just live your life bowing your head before nobles forever.”
At those words, Alex burst into laughter.
"Puhehe! Hahahahaha!"
The noble cadets who saw Alex covering his eyes and laughing like a madman frowned.
“Is this guy crazy? Why are you suddenly laughing? Have you lost your mind?”
"Lost my mind? Yeah. I wish I had lost my mind."
If only I could forget everything.
My reason was clearer and more distinct than ever before.
To the point of being extremely irritating.
“Are you crazy?”
"Yes. Since it's come to this, I'm going to try being crazy."
Alex, who wiped his face from his forehead down with his hand, had a surprisingly cold expression.
The cadets who faced that gaze froze completely.
“You, you now... Kuheck!”
A fist was jammed into the mouth of the guy who was trying to protest.
"Let's just end it all here. You filthy bastards."
“This son of a!”
And so began the one-against-many fight.
Alex didn't use weapons. He only used his fists. Using a sword against such guys would be a luxury.
Although the opponents wielded training swords with sufficient killing power, they were no match for Alex.
The difference in skill was overwhelming.
After such a one-sided violence, Alex left them bloody and half-crippled and he was dishonorably dismissed.
His protest that there were more opponents and that they were armed was meaningless.
They were nobles, and he was a commoner.
A commoner assaulted nobles.
This fact alone made the cause and process irrelevant.
That's the kind of world it was.
So Alex had to let go of the woman he loved and give up his dream of becoming a knight.
"Ha."
The dream ended there.
Alex, who opened his eyes, slowly got up from his spot, holding his throbbing head.
Seeing Rudger, Clara, and Franz, Alex realized what had happened.
"Ah. That was all just a dream."
The usual frivolity disappeared, and Alex's eyes, which had sunk terrifyingly, turned toward Noxana.
"Haa. It's been a while since I've gotten this properly heated up."
A feeling of intense anger rose like an active volcano.
It wasn't just Alex.
The people who had fainted began to get up one by one, like Alex, filled with anger.