How much mana can be extracted from a man?
It varies from person to person, but it generally falls into two categories.
Premise.
When subjected to mana drain, the essence, along with mana, is drawn out.
First, in the case where all mana is extracted.
Although one might survive as a male, they are essentially finished as someone living in a world of magic.
From then on, to use magic, they would have to rely on external sources of mana, such as magic stones or magic tools.
Mana, though not sentient, is similar to an organic life form.
Once mana drain has occurred, any new mana that enters a man’s body immediately recognizes, “Oh, this place has been robbed before”, and leaves.
In short, it’s like a house that’s been burgled.
So, what about the second case?
In this scenario, mana is barely preserved, but the man is drained and ultimately dies as a male.
This is what we call “death by overindulgence.”
‘Calling it ‘overindulgence’ seems a bit off; it’s more like they were devoured while lying still.’
The fact that he was already devoured by Mana Drain means that someone had immobilized the man and was pulling him out from above.
And in cases where Mana is extracted like that, most of the damage occurs in a one-to-many scenario.
“Didn’t you understand what I said, special class students?”
Right now.
“If you just join hands with me, we can all share the mana from that man.”
Just like that student Angelica who came and said.
“So, what you’re saying…”
Yunia questioned with a hesitant voice.
“Are we sharing a custard cream pie as slices of cake?”
“I don’t know why you’re using custard cream pie as an analogy, but you usually don’t eat a whole cake yourself, right? You share it in slices.”
“…”
“Of course, there might be some women who eat it alone, but anything excessive isn’t as good as what’s just right. Ohoho.”
Angelica stretched out her hand toward me, her eyes gleaming.
“So, how about it? Should we all enjoy that man together?”
“That’s insane.”
A sharp voice was directed at Angelica.
“Are you aware that what you’re suggesting is a crime?”
It was Evangeline, the last person I would have expected, stepping forward with a cold expression.
“You’re trying to forcibly take mana from someone who doesn’t want it. Since when did Esdinas Academy become such a vulgar place?”
“Hah. It seems like the Princess of the newborn empire views the world through rose-colored glasses. If you keep thinking like that, your empire could easily be overtaken by other countries.”
“You dare say that while calling me a princess?”
Evangeline scoffed.
“What gives you such overflowing confidence? Hmm?”
“Well, it could be certain individuals holding many bonds in your country, the church, or perhaps a kingdom or empire?”
“…”
At Angelica’s words, Evangeline fell silent.
While she couldn’t fully understand Angelica’s backing, the mention of those entities seemed to touch on some weak points in the Ercy Empire.
A new empire.
Not only does it attract envy from other nations, but it would have required a lot of money to become an empire.
If they claimed to have funded it all with their own resources, they would have even more enemies. If they borrowed it from somewhere, they’d have their own set of problems.
Despite that.
“Listen, Miss Angelica.”
Evangeline stood directly in front of me, raising her head proudly.
“Forcing something on someone who doesn’t want it is a crime. And even if this place has rules or laws that don’t protect us from that, I believe we should still uphold the basics.”
“Oh my, and what would that be?”
“Obviously, conscience.”
Conscience.
In an instant, Angelica was painted as a woman without a conscience.
“Hah. Honestly, you can’t have a conversation with a naive child like this.”
“W-What…!”
“It doesn’t matter. I wasn’t expecting much anyway.”
Angelica clapped her hands toward the back.
“Come out, Jane.”
“!!”
As soon as a woman named Jane stepped forward, Ludmila, who was behind me, reacted, taking a step forward.
“S-Senior…!”
“You…!”
A woman in the same uniform as Angelica, who seemed to be of the same year.
Yet, this woman addressed Ludmila, a freshman, as ‘Senior’.
“Recently, the mercenary corps have been heavily investing in ‘newcomer training.’ I hear they’re even admitting these rookie mercenaries into Esdinas Academy.”
“You…!”
“You may not need to devour that man, but our situation is different, right, Jane?”
“I-I’m sorry, Senior Ludmila! B-but…!”
This woman named Jane had a well-developed physique, but just barely met the entrance requirements.
“If I devour that man, I can become even stronger…!”
“You don’t plan on building your own strength, but…!”
“When there’s a quick and sure way to get stronger right in front of me, wouldn’t it be strange not to choose it?”
From their perspective, I’m essentially a ‘cheat code’.
In fact, the method of Mana Drain itself is a kind of cheat, but among them, I could be called the most efficient and outstanding cheat code.
I’m like a strange candy that raises your level by 1 just by eating it.
“If Senior Ludmila devours that man, she might become S-rank!”
“Hah, what nonsense…”
Ludmila sighed.
“If becoming S-rank was that easy by doing such things with a man, I’d have become S-rank a long time ago, ‘Senior’ Jane.”
“Senior Ludmila…!”
“This is the Academy, and Phoenix is my teammate and comrade. Since the special class operates in teams of four, losing a teammate could disrupt our academic schedule.”
Ludmila rested her spear on her shoulder and extended her hand forward.
“If you want him, take him by force. That’s all.”
Tap, tap.
[Ludmila Cutting Wind] casually flicked her hand, and Evangeline, next to her, seemed to be preparing to throw her teddy bear as if she was ready to back her up.
“Evangeline?”
“We’re supposed to show strength, right? I can’t just stand by. As the Princess of the Ercy Empire, and…”
Evangeline glanced at me with a sly smile.
“We protected your chastity, so you owe us a debt to grant our wishes or something else later?”
“If I say I didn’t ask for help, I’ll be eaten by them immediately.”
I raised my hands toward the two of them.
“Like I said earlier, let’s do what we can.”
“Great!”
Evangeline shouted energetically and threw her teddy bear forward.
“Go, [Half Moon]!”
The moment Evangeline yelled.
Roaaaaaar!
The teddy bear suddenly grew massive.
It still had the appearance of a bear, but now much larger.
Boom!
As it slammed its fist into the ground, a loud vibration echoed through the area.
“If whatever happens here doesn’t legally matter!!”
Evangeline, who had instantly climbed onto the shoulder of the teddy bear [Half Moon] that stretched its fist toward the ground, shouted with her arms crossed.
“That means I can smash you all so thoroughly that you’ll never think about doing this again!!”
She wasn’t wrong.
“Miss Yunia.”
Ludmila glanced at Yunia and subtly pointed toward me.
“Take care of Phoenix.”
Whoosh.
Ludmila dashed forward.
“Hey, hey guys!!”
Angelica shouted in panic, and soon other female students rushed forward.
“If we defeat [Cutting Wind], we can claim that man’s mana!!”
“Do you think we came here planning to lose?!”
Clang!!
The battle had begun.
* * *
[At the same time, on the rooftop of the old school building.]
“If you’re worried, why don’t you go down and watch yourself?”
“…I’m not worried.”
Kadisha approached with her white coat billowing, while Esta stood with her arms crossed, looking down at the place where the battle had erupted.
“As long as they don’t die, it’s fine.”
“What if their arms get cut off or their bones break?”
“As long as they don’t die, there are medical staff here at the Academy who can fix that.”
“Sure. Physical injuries, at least.”
Kadisha tapped her temple with her finger.
“But what about the psychological trauma?”
“That’s something they have to go through.”
“What?”
“When someone commits a bad deed with malicious intent, they need to be properly punished so that they never think of doing it again.”
Esta pointed to the girls being overwhelmed by Ludmila and Evangeline.
“They’re still young. They’re not even adults, yet they act like they are. And the reason they behave this way is…”
“Because they’re nobles?”
“Exactly.”
Esta nodded heavily.
“Whether it’s the kingdom, noble families, or trading companies, they have this small-minded belief that no matter what trouble they cause, someone will clean up after them. That mentality needs to be shattered.”
“It’s a sound thought, but do you think those girls came here with such simple, childish thoughts?”
“What do you mean?”
“They might have been sent by someone who’s backing them.”
Kadisha pointed toward the forest near where the battle was taking place.
“There are quite a few eyes watching this place right now. Those girls are the vanguard, the sacrificial lambs.”
“…”
“They may claim to be after that walking mana treasure, but who do you think they’re really targeting?”
“You mean the disciple of the Grey Witch?”
“That’s most likely the case.”
Kadisha fiddled with her wrist panel.
“If they can get past [Cutting Wind] and the [Marchen Princess], securing the Gray Witch’s disciple would be no problem for them. Plus, they can get that man with mana resembling a ‘Dragon Heart’ as a bonus.”
“…”
“So, what are you going to do, Instructor? Are you sticking to the old-school mindset, trusting that your students can overcome this crisis?”
“…As long as they aren’t up against an S-rank, they can handle it. And you might not know this, but…”
Esta smiled faintly as she looked at Phoenix standing beside Yunia.
“If something serious were about to happen, that guy would have moved.”
* * *
The attack on the old school building is just one of the many regular events.
Academy students come up with all sorts of reasons to attack the students of the old building, and during these battles, the protagonist can find suitable comrades or gain combat experience.
Ludmila is already an A-rank adventurer, and I was curious about how experienced Evangeline was in combat—
“Aha!”
Boom!
Evangeline fought better than I expected.
‘She’s at least B-rank.’
Bringing that teddy bear out even in this chaos seemed odd at first, but as expected, it was her “weapon” for fighting.
“Um…”
Yunia tugged at my sleeve from the side.
“It’s a bit much to leave everything to those two, but is it okay to stay like this?”
“Depends on the opponents.”
“Opponents…”
“They must have thought they could handle it, that’s why they came.”
At my words, Yunia swallowed nervously, though she had already pulled out her magic bow, prepared to fight at any moment.
“Miss Yunia.”
I leaned in and whispered in her ear.
“No matter what happens from now on, stay calm and trust me. Got it?”
“Th-those kinds of words…!”
Her face flushed from the whisper, but her eyes also began trembling with anxiety.
“That sounds like a prophecy of something bad happening…!”
“Ah, you figured it out.”
“W-what’s going to happen?!”
“Aaaaagh!!”
Someone screamed.
“Aaaaagh!!”
Angelica clutched her head, suddenly letting out a piercing scream.
“W-what’s happening all of a sudden…?”
“…As I thought.”
It’s coming.
‘An [Angel].’
The Apocalypse.
If the angels descending upon the heroines are [Archangels], then what about the lower angels?
‘Even if it’s not a heroine, it’s nothing for them to possess a side character.’
The less human one behaves, the easier it is for an angel to possess them.
Those who engage in unethical, inhumane actions make perfect vessels.
“The apostle from the heavens will descend to kill all.”
“!!”
Yunia’s eyes widened in shock.
Flash.
Above Angelica’s head, something began to glow in the shape of a circle.
This is the very reason Yunia struggled to enter the Academy, and why I came here in the first place.
“The Apocalypse is near.”
With the opening of the Bread Academy, the Goddess is trying to bring about the apocalypse by sending angels down to earth.
The Bread Academy.
The main storyline begins here.
Of course.
‘It’s not at the level of a heroine.’
Compared to the apocalypse that would befall characters like Yunia or Esta, the angel possessing Angelica is a minor one.
So-called.
Petite Apocalypse.
“Let’s go, Yunia.”
I grabbed Yunia’s shoulder.
“We have to stop it.”
“…Yes!”
Just as Yunia raised her bow, ready to act—
“Uh, um.”
With a determined look, Yunia pointed down at herself.
“…Would you, um, support me?”
“…”
