Angel Hunt 2 (4)
Attacks on angels work with non-attribute mana across the board. There's no such thing as [non-attribute resistance] or [non-attribute nullification], so to counter non-attribute mana, angels have to match it with equal or similar mana output.
Question: Does only "attack magic" work?
"Gyaaaaaah!!"
"Shield!"
Defense works too. The laser beam spewing from Angel Yuribel's mouth shot straight up into the sky, deflected by the circular shield Unia had conjured.
"Should we just do it now?"
Unia was brimming with confidence.
"Should I pop up a bunch of shields right this second?"
"Hold off, Unia. She seems fine for now."
Unia was peeking out from behind me, staff thrust forward, and yet she was overwhelmingly dominating Angel Yuribel.
"Kyaaak!!"
"Gravity."
Ku-woong!
Angel Yuribel slammed into the ground under the weight of gravity magic. Her wings splayed limp across the dirt, her body struggling to rise but ultimately crushed flat, merging with the earth.
"Guh...!"
The faculty let out groans at the sheer dominance on display. They were supposed to be the ones subduing this intruder who had appeared at the academy, but their mana could only sting her like a bee.
The Ash Witch or whatever, the student we're supposed to protect just took her down.
Unia was exceptional at mana control, sure, but for the security staff tasked with protecting students to end up needing help from those very students? It was a humiliation.
And our techniques don't work, but this freshman handles it like it's nothing?
As professionals, as seniors who'd handled mana longer—even if just a bit.
Talent gap.
In the end, it boiled down to talent. Someone who'd trained mana for thirty years getting one-shot by a genius who'd just started learning magic a year ago—that was the way of this world, the magic realm.
Can't be helped against angels. Like they say, us inferior earthly races need that level of talent and power to take down a superior species.
That's why they researched magitech to bridge the gap in talent and innate mana reserves. But when it came to mana control against angels, the fundamental talent disparity showed itself. A weight class difference no amount of effort could close.
Bad matchup.
That was talent, and among those overwhelming prodigies, Unia stood at the pinnacle.
"Binding!"
One of the faculty conjured binding chains. He matched the color to Unia's rainbow chains as best he could, wrapping them around Yuribel's neck—but
"Kyaaaaak!!"
Yuribel roared, tensing her neck, and the chains shattered. Even pinned to the ground, a mere cry broke the binding.
"That's..."
"Even the same binding spell changes based on how finely you control the mana."
A level 10 binding versus a level 60? No contest. Sure, if that faculty member used his native attribute—fire, probably—he could whip up a level 65 fire ring stronger than Unia's. But it meant nothing to an angel.
To subdue an angel, you had no choice but to wield as balanced a mana pool as Unia.
"Pardon? Already?"
What was pointless? The faculty's faces fell at Instructor Cardisha's words, heads drooping in gloom. Some might even feel inferior at the word "pointless."
"Instructor Cardisha. What do you mean, pointless...?"
"Not yet, not yet. It's not pointless...!"
She's a pro at foot-in-mouth moments.
Cardisha bore the brunt of the blame. The faculty couldn't keep up with angel-level threats, but her comment came off as dismissive.
No wonder her only friend is Instructor Esta.
Cardisha had moved to the old school building for various reasons, but that sharp tongue left her without allies in the academy.
"Ah, Instructor Cardisha. How about a bit more testing?"
Time to intervene. Perfect excuse.
"If Miss Unia holds her a bit longer, it's not particularly dangerous right now."
"Not so much 'want' as... we can't waste this chance on just one go."
I pointed to the faculty, on the verge of collapse.
"Mana bread for sale."
"???"
Now was the moment. A chance to sell legally.
"Mana bread that restores mana when eaten. One silver per loaf. First day special—free today."
The faculty tilted their heads skeptically.
"It's just mana potion in bread form. Not liquid, bread."
"Mana potion... but bread?"
"Yes. It'll restore your mana, so why not give it another shot with that?"
They eyed me dubiously, but I thumbed toward the old school building.
"You've been working late—can't enter the old school by regs, right? Least we can do for all your hard work protecting us."
"Instructor Cardisha?"
Impatience crept into Cardisha's voice. If Unia's mana ran dry, the angel would break free, forcing Instructor Esta to swing her sword.
"Oh, yes. Plenty."
But Unia was on my side. Facing away from the old school, she flashed me a thumbs-up.
"Understood, Instructor."
Cardisha gave the okay.
"Then, just a moment."
I stepped away from the two—
"This what you mean?"
Rydmila had appeared, trays in both hands, heading for the old school.
"When...?"
"Been sprinting since you mentioned mana bread."
Steam rose from the castella cakes, fresh-baked, their soft texture alone enough to make mouths water.
It's literally made of mana, but yeah.
I'd whipped them up in the lab before the angel attack. Mana would refill by morning anyway, and if things got dicey, eating mana bread would top me off. Just in case.
"Thanks. Perfect for distribution."
"Hey, special admit."
One faculty member snarked.
"This isn't the time to leisurely eat bre—gyaah!!"
"Kyaaak!"
The bound Angel Yuribel's fist grazed the snarky faculty's head.
Fsssh.
"Gaaaah!"
A hole punched through the top of his suit helmet, something vital vanishing in a puff.
"See? She's still full of energy."
Unia thrust her staff forward in surprise.
"Binding, binding, biiiinding."
In an instant, Yuribel was rebound. She'd barely slipped a hand free, but now the chains wrapped her like clothing.
"You okay?"
"Y-yeah...! My head, my head...!"
The fist had skimmed his scalp by a hair. The other guards hurriedly cast heals—but
"Th-this isn't working?"
"D-don't we need non-attribute mana for heals?"
Regular heals didn't cut it. Their eyes turned to Unia, but she pointed at the face-planted angel and shook her head.
"Sorry. Can't spare the mana without risking her breakout."
"Kuh...!"
The faculty were mana-starved. And here was bread to fix that.
"Worth a shot, even if it's a scam?"
"B-but..."
A female guard hesitated, not just doubting it'd hurt the angel, but wary of the bread itself.
"You all know this?"
I held up a mana bread.
"Eat it tasty, zero calories."
"?"
"It's mana—no calories."
"......!!"
"Tastes like—or better than—the bread from terminal shops."
I wanted to say way better, but that'd pit me against Silverstar bakeries.
"Restore mana, heal up, and blast the angel till it's gone. No regrets."
"......Not some weird bread?"
"Of course. Just fills your mana pouch to bursting."
"......."
"Captain, danger!"
Munch.
"......."
Munch, munch, munch.
"Really zero calories?"
"Yes. Well, no."
Not zero.
"Burns mana while active, so minus calories, really."
Moments later, everyone but the one who'd lost muscle to Yuribel's punch had scarfed mana bread.
"Raaaaah!!"
"Binding! Binding! BINDING!!"
They poured every drop of restored mana at Yuribel until it was gone—venting frustration even if it didn't scratch her skin.
"Raaaaah!!"
Letting out their rage at their own talent shortcomings on the angel.
"Yes."
Old school staff's morale was patched up.
Why bother? Leaving them bitter could've caused issues.
If they resent the old school, they'll drag their feet on rescues after checking magi-CCTV.
Can't sortie mid-cumming dream, right?
For safe, quiet breeding sessions, better if guards spot and boot intruders before we even know.
Pay off later.
Who knows? Someday they might wield non-attribute mana like pros, going one-man-army against descending angels.
Breadcademy faculty aren't pushovers. Not Gale-level A-rank, but skilled. They'd eaten my bread—future customers.
"Now then..."
Time for Angel Yuribel.
"Miss Unia? Do it."
"......."
"Miss Unia?"
"C-can you hold me?"
Unia spread her arms, and I cupped her mana pouch from behind, lifting from below.
"Um, excuse me."
Hanelis—the student Evangeline's doll had rescued, toyed with by the angel—approached timidly.
"Ah, Senior Hanelis?"
"...Why are you holding her hands like that?"
"This? Yeah, common sense for supporting something heavy, right?" Unia beat me to it.
"????"
My palms flat, I held Unia's mana pouch upward from below.
"Don't worry. We caught an angel like this before!"
"...???"
Old school common knowledge.
"Here goes... Hya!"
Unia released all seals on Yuribel.
"Kyaaaaak!!"
The instant Angel Yuribel charged us—
"Hya!"
Unia lightly called out, deploying shields toward her. Front-back, left-right, up-down. Six sides.
Kwaaang!!
Yuribel smashed into it like glass, trapped in the hexahedral shield—like a figure in a showcase.