The Mint Choco Boom Arrives! (3)
Mint choco boom? Coming right up. To the question of whether a mint choco boom hits Breadcademy, I'll answer with the mint choco aftermath storm I whipped up alongside Unia.
It's just worded that way, but in reality, it's wind attribute magic.
Explosion[Wind Attribute].
The monstrous beasts lunging for the mint choco were shredded to pieces by that ferocious blast, and a torrent of mana stones rained down from the epicenter.
"Wh-what the...?"
The hunters were thrown into panic. Sure, there were enough C-rank cores scattered like frog eggs in a swamp to make anyone's eyes roll back—but not a single one dared leap down from the ramparts.
Kieeeek!!
Was it the monsters' shrieks and frenzy? No. It was sheer bewilderment.
At the sheer destructive power of Unia's spell. And for any hunter with sharp eyes, the necktie or trim on her academy uniform marked her as a freshman.
"An A-rank... hunter?"
That academy newbie had just unleashed a mana explosion so massive it made veteran hunters instinctively peg her as A-rank.
"Uh, um, th-that was...!"
Unia froze for a split second, flustered. She scanned the crowd with a oh crap expression as all eyes turned to her—until her gaze locked onto mine.
"!!"
She'd been searching for someone to bail her out, and the fact that her plea landed on me first? I inwardly cheered.
In a situation that could trigger full-blown panic disorder if mishandled, her first cry for help going straight to yours truly? Jackpot.
"Whoa, I had no idea it'd amp her up this much!"
I strode toward her with deliberate exaggeration, clapping loudly to draw every eye.
"Unia, looks like you and I have some serious chemistry, huh?!"
"Y-yeah?!"
She gripped her staff tighter in confusion but didn't back away as I closed in.
"Ch-chemistry?! W-well, it'd be nice if we did, but...!"
"If it's good, it's good! Check this out—even with my support specialization, I never dreamed it'd boost your magic this far."
"Th-that's... um..."
Unia's no slouch; she catches on quick.
"H-how'd you do it?"
She shot me a pleading look laced with curiosity, tossing the question my way. And just like that, every gaze in the vicinity swiveled to me.
She'd redirected the arrow straight at my heart, and now I had the full attention of everyone atop these mighty walls.
Perfect. Better to keep demonstrating on the fly than explain upfront.
"Keep producing 'em, and we'll handle responses as we go."
"Keep producing...? Ahh!!"
I pointed off to the side, and Unia yelped, one hand flying up to track my gesture.
"Over there—the monsters!!"
Kieeeek!!
Right on cue, the beasts started rampaging with fresh shrieks. After the first mint choco gale, these guys who'd been frothing at the mouth now bristled their black-wind bodies even sharper, craning their necks toward the ramparts.
"Hunters! Looks like the monsters are entering berserk mode!"
"B-berserk...?!"
"Aggro's locked in tight!"
I conjured another mana bread. Mint-green mint choco ho-bread, of course—the color screamed it from afar.
"Unia! Load it up with an explosion spell like before! Max power!"
"R-right!"
She took the mana bread, channeling her mana into it. The beasts caught the rising mint choco scent from the fresh loaf and resumed their climb, while distant hordes swarmed the plains like rabid dogs.
The mint choco gale spread in a mushroom cloud. In magical terms: the monsters had detected pure wind-attribute mana untainted by angel power.
In other words, from here on out, mint choco-scented mana = primal wind-attribute mana.
Kieeek!!
They screamed as they charged. Eat that mana, devour that mana bread, and we can evolve beyond mere monsters—that's how it sounded to me.
Whether sprouting intelligence from monstrosity, an old human soul reawakening, becoming a shifter between beast and man... or reaching true materialization with enough mana to taste food and even breed. Spirits becoming people.
Kiiiiieeeeek!!
"Th-they're even worse off than before!"
"That's berserk mode for ya!"
The promise of transcendence into something beyond their mindless frenzy had driven them utterly mad.
"What the hell are you?! What'd you do to rile 'em up like this?!"
"It works on all monsters the same! I analyze their mana patterns, materialize mana to fill core deficiencies, and..."
"Theory lesson later!! Incoming!!"
My rambling bought time—the hunters cut me off and unleashed hell on the climbers.
"Damn! Hunting's easier, but no breather!"
"Man, this scent's divine! If every cig hit like this, life's complete."
"What kinda nonsense is that?!"
Not nonsense. Pure wind-attribute feels like mint choco to some, but mix in dark-attribute—especially with abysmal light-attribute—and it hits as something else. Menthol, say.
Mostly "evil"-aligned folks pick up menthol, but smelling it doesn't mean you gotta squash 'em on sight. Gotta prioritize the wolf monsters hooked on mint choco... and whatever keeps spawning them: [Wolf Boy].
"Any boss movement?"
"Boss is..."
"On alert! Staring this way!"
Yurha shouted at the remote feed on her magic panel.
"Definitely locked on us! Spawns are beelining straight here!"
"Thanks for the briefing! Time to make it move for real—let's pop a big one!"
"R-ready! B-but...!"
Unia clutched her mana-infused bread, scanning nervously.
"Wh-what's really going on here...?"
Pure acting. Eyes locked on her loaf; I slipped behind her, seizing her hand.
"Simple, Unia. My power's amplification, and our synergy's off the charts."
Out of others' sight, I traced letters on her abdomen with my embracing hand.
"Like this..."
The instant she nodded.
"Even if you squeeze out a B-rank spell at your limit, I can amp it to A-rank firepower."
I gripped her hand and hurled the mana bread far ahead.
"Go, Unia! One more!"
"Air Blast!"
Unia unleashed wind mana from her staff. Unlike before, she angled it sideways along the wall—inviting the [Wolf Boy]-spawned horde right into it.
Kwa─────boom!!
Another explosion. Not quite as massive, but a hefty mushroom cloud bloomed, unleashing mint choco afterwinds.
First time caught 'em off guard, but now familiarity bred resilience.
"Urgh...!"
Some shielded faces with arms, others threw up mana barriers like goggles.
And someone would notice: monsters getting ripped apart by the mint choco gale, dissolving one by one like they were being purified.
Undead melting in holy light. Cursed souls finding release and peace.
Even leaving cores behind, the grudge-spirits haunting them finally redeemed, souls drifting to the afterlife. The beasts' bodies scattered and vanished.
"Hoo..."
Unia steadied her breath, flashing me a subtle hand signal. I clapped to pull focus.
"How was that, Unia? Concentration slipped a tad?"
"I-I had no clue it'd amp this much..."
We both knew the truth.
"Their combo syncs perfectly."
"Instructor Esta?"
"Confirmed the 'joint technique.' It'll factor into practical evals."
Esta's sharp instincts let her play instructor just right, quelling hunter suspicions.
Dullards would buy it as teamwork magic. Sharper ones would clock Unia as a repeater for B-ranks. A rare few might fixate on my support pushing her to A-rank.
"Hey, you two—er, I mean—"
Kiiiek!!
A hunter approaching us halted at the monsters' wails.
"The monsters... what?!"
"They're fleeing?!"
The horde bolted—not from us, but back the way they'd come.
"M-mana bread! Effect wearing off?!"
"...No."
I answered Evangeline's question by manifesting fresh mana bread.
Krurrk?!
A straggler whipped its head around—but its legs kept fleeing forward. Body and head at war.
Ngh, kiiing, kiiiing!
Forced control, like puppets on strings.
"No way..."
"It's finally stirring."
The Ludbekia Marchioness sidled up beside me.
"Wolf Boy—or rather, Hapsderk's cursed wraith."
The boss was rallying its minions.
"Everyone, regroup. It's coming."
"It? What's...?"
"This."
The marchioness mana-snatched my bread, fusing two into one.
"Fusion."