Do Not Worry
"Ugh..." Cassian's glare, burning with fury, locked onto a single spot.
"What on earth are you?"
It was the first time. Ever since Cassian had awakened his specialized technique, this was a first. He had been absolutely certain that no one could escape his power. The ability to control dozens of people at once, manipulating others like puppets.
"To withstand my Tenacitas twice..."
A strange entity named Selene was breaking free from what he believed to be an absolute, infallible power.
"Just what do I have to do to make a bitch like you submit?"
Even when he first made contact and lost his right hand, Cassian had analyzed the situation. He concluded that Selene's ability was to reverse the flow of her opponent's mana. If so, direct physical contact was too dangerous.
So, his alternative plan was to use mana stones. By dispersing a dense fog of mana using the stones, he could inject his brainwashing magic, Tenacitas. Since there was no physical contact, reversing the flow wouldn't be easy.
Emitting mana from a single dantian was entirely different in complexity compared to dispersing it into the air.
"Then why?"
But even that had absolutely no effect.
"Why are you—!"
Selene stood there perfectly fine. She stood there, completely indifferent to him. Instead, she stared at only one person.
"Why are you standing perfectly fine in front of her?!"
The one who should have been his. The one he desperately wanted to possess. Rubelia.
The one standing in front of Rubelia wasn't him, but Selene—an interloper who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
"Submit to me this instant, and get away from what is mine!"
Crackle! Cassian raised his left hand, drawing in his mana. He withdrew the failed brainwashing magic. Then, he ignited lightning magic, scattering it into the dispersed mana lingering inside the building.
"If you won't be mine..."
At that moment, like fire catching on gas, the lightning magic instantly spread, swallowing everything inside the building.
"Then both of you can just die!"
Crackle! A blindingly powerful electrical current filled his vision. Seeing the current so intense it obscured everything, Cassian was certain. The two who took the direct hit were dead. Even the most outstanding mage wouldn't be able to survive this lightning magic fueled by mana vapor.
"Ha, hahaha!"
Cassian laughed like a madman.
"It's your fault, Rubelia. You brought this on yourself."
He celebrated his victory, though a hint of bitterness lingered in his voice.
Zap.
"Huh?"
But.
Hummmmm.
"What? The flow of mana is...?"
Sensing an ominous energy, Cassian immediately backed away.
Crackle.
Something was wrong. The flow of the lightning was bizarre. No. A flow?
"The lightning... is moving?"
The electrical currents, which should have been discharging randomly, began to organize themselves and move toward a single point. As if sucked into a vortex, the currents rapidly converged into a single dot.
"This play... dangerous."
It began to concentrate at the tip of Selene's finger.
"What?!"
"Dangerous thing. Will remove."
At that moment.
"Ugh?!"
Sensing impending doom, Cassian hastily scrambled back from where he stood.
Fwoosh!
Almost simultaneously, the lightning condensed to the size of an acorn at her fingertip shot toward Cassian.
"I'm going to die?!"
Feeling the mortal threat, Cassian squeezed his eyes shut. But the sphere of lightning barely grazed past him.
Flash!
The lightning sphere pierced through the building's wall, leaving a small, clean hole.
And then, Rumbleeeee—a low, heavy explosion. The sound of an explosion echoing from the sky reached the building.
"Damn it..."
Cold sweat poured down Cassian's face. He was absolutely certain that, under the current circumstances, he could never defeat the being before him.
"This isn't over."
Whoosh!
Cassian vanished. Selene watched blankly. She didn't give chase.
"Rubelia."
Because she had work to do.
With her head bowed, Selene approached Rubelia, who was desperately trying to stop her nanny's bleeding.
Meanwhile.
"Huh? Rubelia?"
Leonia and Viera...
...had encountered a woman who looked exactly like Rubelia.
"A-Are you alright?"
"Professor Viera. Focus on the protective magic for the students."
"Ah, yes!"
"And Rubelia. I heard you were kidnapped."
"Yes, I barely managed to escape. Please, help me."
"...I see. Why don't you come over here first?"
"Yes."
While Viera cast a spell to protect the collapsed students, Leonia stepped toward Rubelia.
"Have you seen Professor Selene?"
"I haven't."
"My, she went to look for you, but it seems you missed each other."
Leonia walked past Rubelia, leaving her back completely exposed.
"I suppose I must go find Professor Selene. You stay here and assist Professor Viera."
"Of course, Lady Leonia."
Leonia kept walking with her back turned. Rubelia stared at Leonia's back with an inscrutable expression.
At that moment.
"But... how strange."
"Pardon?"
Leonia stopped in her tracks, her back still turned.
"You. Why do you keep speaking to me so formally?"
"What?"
"Your way of addressing me is odd, too."
"......"
Leonia turned her head, her sharp gaze locking onto Rubelia.
"When it's just the two of us, don't you usually call me... 'Leo'?"
"......"
At that instant.
"Tch!"
Rubelia moved swiftly, drawing a weapon.
Slash! Blood splattered.
"Ugh!"
But the one bleeding was Rubelia. She hadn't been able to keep up with Leonia's movements.
"An impostor, as expected."
"Damn it."
"Who are you?"
"I never imagined you and Rubelia were that close..."
"Ah? That?"
"......"
Leonia pointed her sword—which she had drawn at some imperceptible speed—and smiled triumphantly.
"I lied."
"What?"
"Thank you for panicking over a complete fabrication. Truth be told, I've never even met Rubelia."
Rubelia's face contorted.
"Don't even think about running. You have a lot of explaining to do regarding this incident."
"Hmph! Says who?!"
"Says me!"
"Ugh?!"
Before Rubelia—no, Seria—could even react properly, Leonia lunged forward. Seria tried to retreat, but it was futile. She stood no chance against Leonia in a test of raw martial strength.
"!!!!"
At that moment.
Crackle!
"Ugh?!"
Sensing something, Leonia immediately spun around and rushed back to Viera.
"Viera! Defensive magic!"
"Yes!"
Viera, who had also sensed the danger, reinforced the barrier the moment Leonia stepped inside.
At that exact moment.
Zzzzzzt!
An electrical current that had flowed from somewhere swept across the entire area.
"Kyaaaaah!"
Outside the defensive barrier, Rubelia—no, Seria—screamed.
"What is this?"
"It's mana vapor! Someone channeled lightning magic into the mana dispersed by the mana stones!"
"Like throwing a match into oil."
"Exactly!"
"Then where is the source of this fire?"
Leonia looked around, identifying the direction where the electrical current grew stronger.
"Over there..."
"Professor Selene..."
And not long after.
Frizzle.
The electrical currents began to subside.
Rumble...
An immense, roaring sound echoed from the sky outside the building.
"What is that?"
"No time to worry about that. We need to find Professor Selene... Hm?"
Leonia was about to move, but stopped.
"She's gone."
Rubelia had vanished.
"On her own? No... she had help."
Leonia pondered for a moment. There was no lingering mana left in the vicinity. And the explosion from earlier, along with the disappearance of the fake Rubelia...
Based on these clues, Leonia made a cautious judgment.
"Is it over?"
Leonia returned to Viera.
"Viera."
"Yes?"
"You go."
"Me?"
"There might be casualties, so it's best if someone capable of healing goes."
"H-Healing?"
At the mention of healing, Viera flinched, looking terrified.
"I will protect the students here. Professor Viera, go find the real Rubelia and Selene."
"......"
"Besides, you, who are versed in Magic Therapy, will have a better resistance to hypnosis magic than I would."
"A-All right."
Viera, looking incredibly tense, awkwardly hurried away from the scene.
"Viera."
Leonia stopped her for a moment, whispering a final instruction into her ear.
"Let's set a password."
"......"
"If I ask 'carrot', reply 'sugar'."
"Yes."
"Nanny... Nanny..."
Rubelia sobbed.
"Step aside. For a moment."
I gently pushed Rubelia aside and placed my hand over the wound of the elderly woman she called her nanny.
Drawing mana from my meager dantian, I directed it to the injured area. The blood vessels constricted, and the bleeding stopped.
However, this was merely first aid. Left like this, the old woman would die.
"C-Can Nanny... can Nanny live?"
"Not yet."
"T-Then what should we do..."
"E-Everyone?! You were here?!"
A familiar voice echoed from behind. A musty smell...
"Viera."
"P-Professor Selene!"
"Fake student. Did you meet?"
"Fake? Ah... A-Are you two the real ones?"
"......"
"R-Right?"
"Viera."
I called out to Viera, who was backing away in a panic. Then, I pointed to the dying woman.
"Heal."
"A-Are they injured?"
"P-Professor Viera. Please... please save our nanny..."
"Ah..."
Viera approached.
"Viera?"
I knew. With her abilities, she could heal this old woman. I knew she possessed such power.
"Ugh..."
But Viera froze upon seeing the patient.
"I, I..."
Viera's hands trembled violently. Her heart rate spiked. The color drained from her face.
"Professor... Professor, please..."
"I, I..."
Viera's trembling grew worse. Fear. Humans called this fear. The symptoms that manifest when a human experiences terror.
"I-I'm sorry. I..."
"Ah... No, Professor, please..."
Viera collapsed to her knees. The shaking in her hands wouldn't stop.
"P-Professor."
Rubelia turned her head. She looked at me. She shed tears.
Pleading. This was pleading. She was begging me. Asking me to save her nanny.
"Y-You can do it, right?"
"......"
"You're... you're amazing, aren't you, Professor?"
"......"
Can I do it? Is that so? Perhaps. But...
"Rubelia."
"Yes, Professor!"
"Hold tight."
"Pardon?"
"Hold so she is not cold."
"Who..."
"Nanny."
"B-But..."
"Fine. That is best..."
"Ah... No, no."
"Hold her. Quickly."
"Professor..."
"Hold... her."
"No... I can't. I can't."
"Say... you love her."
"Ah! No! Professor! Professor Selene!"
Despair. This was despair. The emotion felt when one has given up on everything.
"Ah... Nanny! Nanny, I'm sorry! I'm... I'm so sorry!"
Rubelia clung to her nanny. She wailed. She wailed as if her nanny were about to vanish.
Humans feared the death of their own kind. They feared it as much as their own death. It was the same five thousand years ago.
"Rubelia."
"Ah... Nanny! Nanny!"
Therefore.
"Rubelia."
"Nanny!"
"Do not worry."
I stroked Rubelia's head. I comforted her. I reassured her.
And then.
I scooped up both Rubelia and her nanny, pulling them into my embrace.
"Huh?"
"Rubelia. Do not worry."
To protect my student...
Because Mona told me to do so.
"Aahn—"
Gulp.
"Hieee?!"
Viera saw it. She witnessed the scene unfolding right before her eyes.
"What... is... this?"
Two people. Two people vanished. They disappeared into her mouth. They were sucked into a throat smaller than a fist.
It made no sense. It was a scene that defied human reason. A sight she had never witnessed in her entire life.
"Kyaaaaaaaaaah!"
Viera screamed. She acted purely on instinct.
"An impostor! A-Are you an impostor too?!"
"Viera. Breathing. Careful."
"Monster... Monster monster monster monster monster monster monster monster! D-Don't come near me! Gasp, pant..."
She had to run. But her body wouldn't move. Her lower half, soaked in urine, was completely paralyzed with fear.
"Leo..."
Viera tried to call out to Leonia, but clamped her hand over her mouth. She couldn't call Leonia. If she did, Leonia would be dragged into this too.
Selene... no, that thing wearing Selene's skin was not an opponent Leonia could handle.
"Ugh... hic... sob... gasp!"
Viera trembled violently.
"Viera. Condition not good."
Her body seemed completely paralyzed.
"Let us go together."
Selene grabbed Viera's leg and pulled.
"S-Spare me..."
Soon, a warm sensation enveloped Viera's lower body. Viera was slowly swallowed by Selene.
"N-No... I don't want to... die like this."
"Mmph (Not dying)."
And just like that, starting from her legs, Viera disappeared into Selene's throat.