Chapter 1513: Attack On The City's Barrier
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R U M B L E!
The seas surrounding the Academy's island trembled as the entire city underwent a heavy earthquake. The people within the city panicked, while students and Dream Warriors ran to the coast, facing what was coming after them, which they could see from afar.
The seas erupted as gigantic black masses of nightmare miasma emerged one after another, slowly gathering into a massive, strange entity, perhaps the largest Nightmare any person had ever seen in this city. It had a mostly spherical form, resembling a black sun, with many tentacles spiraling around its body and a gigantic crimson eye staring at everything.
The Dream Warriors of highest authority and strength on the island, the professors and the director of the Dream Heart Academy, panicked as they saw the monster while running toward the coast.
"What is that thing?! I have never seen a Nightmare of that size before!"
"Was it related to the tentacle we saw earlier?"
"But those should have appeared everywhere in the world, right?"
"No, I'm reading here that they suddenly all disappeared!"
"Don't tell me that Nightmare decided to target only this island?!"
"What?! But this is pure insanity! How are we even going to deal with a monster of that size and caliber, Director Hall?!"
The professors, including Hendrick Constance and Frederica Eastbern, glanced at the director, a tall, strong-looking man with sharp crimson eyes and short black hair.
He stared at the thing, crossing his arms while appearing calm, yet he was sweating, realizing the threat they faced.
On the entire island, the Director of the Academy was the strongest, yet he was rusty, having retired from fighting Nightmares for almost a decade.
"There's no other option. There are too many civilians here," the director said. "I've already received a message from the military saying they're bringing airships to evacuate the people. This place will become a battlefield, and it is our duty as Dream Warriors to stop that thing until everyone can escape."
"What?!"
"But that's unrealistic…!"
"What can we do against that thing?!"
"Director, this is madness!"
"You can't-"
"SHUT UP!"
Suddenly, Hendrick stopped them from saying another word. The muscular, bearded old man, the professor usually assigned to combat classes, glared angrily at the other cowardly teachers.
"You're all professors. You signed a damn contract that said we had to prioritize the safety of our students over our own lives! We are all Dream Warriors for a reason. It was never about the money but about saving people and protecting our world from those monsters!" Hendrick roared angrily. "Are you seriously going to pussy out now and start screaming like little bitches?! You piss me the fuck off!"
"What?!"
"H-Hendrick, calm down!"
"Did he just call us bitches?!"
"What's with his manners?! He usually isn't like that…"
The teachers were shocked that Hendrick let out his "true self" for once. He had always been known for being a rough Dream Warrior with a foul vocabulary, but since he started working as a teacher, he had been doing his best to become a decent person and had changed a lot.
However, in these times of despair and panic, he couldn't afford to hold onto that pathetic persona he had built to "fit in" with the rest. He simply spoke from his heart, even if it was a foul heart.
"Despite his vocabulary, Hendrick is not wrong," Director Hall said, his eyes shining bright red.
"I have to agree with him as well," Professor Frederica stepped forward, a beautiful woman who dedicated herself to teaching students how to use Dream Weapons and their derived Magic. "Our duty is protecting the children and the people. Are you truly Dream Warriors if you're afraid of fighting?"
"…"
"…"
"…"
The other professors fell silent as the other Dream Warriors, mostly employed by the government and living in the city, arrived, glancing at the scene and the apocalyptic monstrosity that was slowly approaching.
"You have to fight," Hall said. "Or you'll die. You only have two options."
Hall's Aura erupted as he summoned his Dream Weapon, a long black katana imbued with nightmarish flames despite being a dream weapon.
This was his Dream Weapon, the Nightmare Abyss Katana: Onimaru Kunitsuna.
The flames from the abyssal sword encompassed his body, encasing him in heavy black armor as his power overflowed with immense strength.
"I will have your backs, and you can have mine. We are the only ones who can stop this. Please, do not disappoint me," he said as a massive black tentacle rushed down, aiming to flatten half the city with a single attack.
T R U U U M!
However, before it could reach them, the tentacle was stopped midair. A black barrier, invisible to everyone until now, suddenly became visible, black lightning erupting from it as the tentacle tried to pierce through.
"What?!"
"A barrier…"
"It saved us!"
"But where did it come from?"
"That barrier's Dream Essence… that's from Maria?" Frederica quickly recognized the energy signature from the Academy's most prodigious student. "Since when did she…?"
"It looks like that girl has more power than we ever believed, and secrets," Hendrick said as he unleashed his Dream Weapon.
F L U O S H!
Crimson flames engulfed his arms as his tanned skin gained red tattoos resembling roaring dragons, which rapidly materialized into a giant pair of draconic claw gauntlets made of dragon scale-like red, orange, and silver steel, with draconic jaws and jewel eyes.
This was Hendrick's Dream Weapon, the Volcanic Dragon Gauntlets.
"I suppose this only means one thing. We actually have a chance…" Frederica said, summoning her Dream Weapon, a beautiful blue grimoire embedded with the drawing of a fairy, releasing a strong frosty aura.
This was her Dream Weapon, the Frost Fairy Grimoire.
The other teachers, seeing the director and the two strongest professors by his side, realized they indeed had no other alternative.
And with this unprecedentedly strong barrier, they might actually have a chance as well!
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