An Angel Lives in the Academy
Chapter 172: The Angel Who Raids a Dungeon (10)

“So, what is this method…?”

Leffrey couldn't help but ask. What kind of method could it be that she was so certain he would dislike?

It definitely wasn’t something pleasant.

But…

“No, it doesn’t matter. As long as it doesn’t involve anyone else getting hurt.”

Hongwol was currently in danger.

One of the girls Leffrey had vowed to protect.

‘I must protect her.’

Thump thump—Whose heartbeat was this? Was it the heartbeat of a boy named Leffrey who wanted to live happily, or was it the heartbeat of an angel who had lost his wings and fallen after failing to protect a girl he wanted to watch over long ago?

At this point, it was impossible to tell.

“So what exactly is this method?”

Leffrey asked urgently. Yumari looked at Leffrey, then, without any change in her expression, slowly explained the method.

“A dragon can sense another dragon. It’s a sort of sixth sense, or perhaps an instinct.”

“Then.”

“Yes. I can vaguely sense where the dragon is right now. However, since the dragon can also sense me, I've been suppressing this feeling as much as possible, but…”

Yumari looked up at the ceiling.

“In a situation like this, I'll need to open up that sense as much as possible.”

“That’s right, we don’t need to hide anymore.”

“…Leffrey.”

Yumari, who had been looking at the colorful, oriental-style wooden ceiling with its painted rafters, lowered her head again to look down at the blonde boy urgently calling out to her.

His white-knuckled fists.

His trembling lips.

And his eyes full of worry.

‘I want him.’

Yumari closed her eyes.

“I’m only a half-dragon, so I can’t perfectly pinpoint the dragon’s location.”

“Even an approximate location is fine. I can use karma to track him.”

“The dragon would know about karma too, wouldn't he? I doubt he wouldn't have prepared for something like that.”

He would have prepared.

Ormantor is a cunning snake, he’d try to use karma as bait to lure Leffrey and the two hero girls into a trap.

“Then how?”

“I just have to… become closer to being a dragon.”

“…That’s.”

Yumari opened her eyes again.

Yumari’s eyes gleamed. Her pupils had turned into vertical slits, like those of a dragon. The girl was more immersed in her dragon blood than ever before.

“I won’t accept that.”

“What's not acceptable about it? Even though she's an annoying cat, w-we've become a bit closer. So, Yumari, how can you become closer to being a dragon?”

Soya, who was standing next to them, chimed in.

Yumari naturally answered.

“There’s only one way for me to become closer to my dragon blood. By satisfying the desires I have as a dragon.”

“Your desires as a dragon?”

“Yes.”

And the horned girl smiled. Her black corset shined under the flickering torchlight, as did her long black boots and opera gloves that looked almost like scales.

“Leffrey, please embrace me.”

Soya, her face flushed red, muttered, ‘Wh-What kind of desire is that. No way. But that cat is in danger. No, lewd things are not allowed…!’ and other such things.

“Miss Soya said it herself. Miss Hongwol is in danger.”

“…!”

What kind of being is a dragon? Tyrants, beasts that deceive and devour others, greedy creatures that must have whatever they want.

That’s why the archangel had trampled the dragon.

‘But, but…’

There was no other way.

Did Leffrey have any other method to find Hongwol and Ormantor right now? Did Soya possess such spell?

Hug—

Leffrey embraced Yumari with a sense of unease. Even though she’s wearing the Splendor of the Dragon King Family, many parts of her body still felt soft.

‘A sweet fragrance.’

Leffrey shook his head, trying to concentrate. But due to the height difference between Yumari and Leffrey, Leffrey’s head inevitably rested against Yumari's chest.

Shaking his head in this position could be a little embarrassing for both of them.

“…Ugh, is this enough?”

“No. Please hold me tighter.”

“Ah, uhh, aah.”

Soya made strange noises while covering her eyes with her hands (though she was peeking through the gaps), while Leffrey, feeling the cold touch of Mari’s corset, silently hugged her even tighter.

‘Somehow, the pressure is getting stronger.’

And it was the same for Yumari.

Mari hugged Leffrey tightly as well.

“Now, please tell me you love me.”

“Mari, I love you.”

“And that you’ll never leave me.”

“I’ll never leave you. I mean it.”

*Sss*—With a sound like crystals growing, Yumari's horns grew larger. Her horns which used to be so small that they were barely visible grew to the size of a hand span, and now were more than twice that size.

“Leffrey you’re mine. I won't give you to anyone else.”

“…..”

Leffrey couldn’t answer.

However, as if Leffrey's answer didn't matter, Yumari continued.

“This scent, this feeling. Even if this world were to end, even if I had to kill everyone else…”

Squeeze—

Yumari hugged Leffrey so tightly that his back hurt.

“I will protect you.”

Only then did her arms loosen, and only then could Leffrey look up at Yumari again. Yumari had a somewhat cruel smile on her face.

It was a smile that was,

Just like Ormantor’s.

Beep.

Yumari naturally stopped the recording on her smartphone that had been running in the background, then looked up at the ceiling again.

“I can sense him.”

Yumari murmured. Judging from her horns, which were buzzing with blue static electricity, it seemed that she was sensing Ormantor through the resonance of her dragon horns.

The dragon horns that Ormantor possessed.

And the dragon horns that Yumari also possessed.

Through the resonance of those horns.

“…What should I do.”

He hadn’t expected her dragon’s instincts would be this severe. He thought it was inevitable that she would become a bit cruel and a bit more emotional.

But to go this far.

‘It’s my fault.’

Leffrey blamed himself.

‘I asked Mari to act like a hero even though her past hasn’t been resolved yet, I relied solely on her goodwill towards me…’

Mari wasn't a hero yet.

Unlike Soya and Hongwol, she hadn’t awakened as a hero yet.

And the reason for that,

Must lie in Mari's past that Leffrey didn't know about.

‘And maybe it’s…’

The scene Leffrey had seen in the white room. The night when Leffriel was trying to take a certain child’s mother to Heaven.

Why did that moment come to mind again.

‘Maybe that child was Mari. Maybe that’s why I felt so sad, why it hurt so much.’

The boy's heart grew sad again.

‘It would have been better if I hadn't been born.’

The words Mari had spoken,

Were deeply embedded in his heart.

“Haa.”

Although most of her back was hidden by the luxurious satin cloak, no one could deny the cruel aura that emanated from her remaining visible figure.

“This world is too dark.”

Lumari's precious child, that lovable child from back then, is no longer here. Only a cruel dragon remains.

The failure of The Guardian Angel Leffriel.

“Really…”

And among the boys and girls here, Leffrey wasn't the only one with a hurting heart.

The sight she had witnessed earlier. Leffrey hugging Yumari tightly, as if he were a grown-up. And his voice, confessing that he loved her, that he wouldn’t leave her.

Even though she knew it was all an act.

Even though she knew he had no choice but to do it to save Hongwol.

It still hurt her so much.

And along with that sight, Yumari’s cruel smile came to mind.

Yumari casually looked down at Soya’s magical girl outfit, then, as if it wasn’t worth her attention, focused on Leffrey again.

At that casual gesture, Soya couldn't help but compare herself to Yumari.

Herself in a magical girl outfit and Yumari in such a stylish outfit. She was already losing in every aspect, from height to body shape…

“This is too, *sniff* black magic hate.”

“Grrrr. How dare you attempt to NTR my master.”

There was no way for Soya to win.

“Master, you’re a black mage.”

And a being was whispering dark words into Soya's ear. That being was a cute mascot that looked like a black dog.

It was Tantalus after having eaten the strange creature that had said to Soya, ‘Make a contract with me and become a magical girl!’...

“That creature was dangerous. A con artist who hides the full details of the contract, and a loan shark that ruins lives on the pretext of giving power.”

It said this slyly.

“Even so, devoured it without a word.”

“It was all for you, Master.”

Tantalus, who had become stronger and cuter, once again gave advice for its master.

“Master, you are a black mage.”

“Why are you stating the obvious?”

“Black magic has many ways to obtain love. I thought you might have forgotten that.”

Then Soya wiped away her tears and said with a youthful but hero-like expression.

“Using magic to toy with someone’s heart isn’t something a black mage does, it’s something a criminal does.”

“But the chances of…”

And Soya murmured, lowering the brim of her witch hat,

“And I’m a black mage, not a criminal. And I’m also someone who will become the greatest mage.”

“…I understand.”

Tantalus could only sigh deeply and hide back in Soya's shadow.

“Chances.”

Soya, after confirming that Tantalus was gone, couldn't help but mutter the words that beast had left behind.

“There will be.”

Mmph—Soya muttered those words, clenching her fist.

* * *

“I've found him. Three floors above us, moving at high speed at the intersection point of a maze-like set of passageways.”

In less than five minutes,

Yumari spoke again.

“Moving at high speed?”

“…He must be chasing Miss Hongwol. That’s good news for us.”

With those words, Mari naturally extended her hand to Leffrey and Soya.

“We’ll ambush him at the predicted location. The moment you regain your senses, attack the enemy you see.”

“What?”

“Huh, wha?”

*Flash*—

Lightning is faster than sound.

And it's faster than most superhumans' senses.

‘The scenery has suddenly changed…!’

The first thing that entered Leffrey's vision was a giant dragonkin staggering. The next thing he saw was an army of dragonkin in formation.

“Haha, you’re fast.”

And the first thing he could hear was the unpleasant, murky voice of Ormantor.

“You've fully awakened as a dragon. I'm proud of you, daughter of the Sky Dragon.”

Ormantor babbled something to Mari, but Leffrey ignored those words and quickly searched for Hongwol.

“Wol, Wol!”

“Meow. B-Boy.”

Hongwol approached, groaning. She was stumbling slightly, her stamina completely drained. Rub-rub- The pink-haired girl rubbed her cheeks against Leffrey's chest, forgetting they were in the middle of a battle.

“I really thought I was going to die. My legs felt like they were going to burst…”

“I'm glad you're okay. I'll heal you right away.”

Leffrey’s near-master level healing and buffing abilities. It was such a powerful ability that Hongwol, who had exhausted almost all of her strength, got up again making sounds like “Woaah.”

It was truly a miracle.

“Alright. Now let's turn that damn snake into snake liquor.”

However, Ormantor wasn't even paying attention to Hongwol. He didn't even try to interrupt Leffrey as he was healing Hongwol (although it was just a brief moment)...

“According to my plan…”

Ormantor was fully focused on Yumari alone.

“Little girl, you've finally opened your eyes to your dragon blood.”

He smiled wickedly.