The pair rushed to catch up with Professor Incanscino. As they did, Anthony sighed at Brianna.
“Way to throw me under the hovertank back there.”
Brianna didn’t say anything, but she did tilt her head as if she couldn’t understand what he meant.
While Building #1 was the main school building and also served as Professor Incanscino’s residence, and Building #2 was dedicated almost entirely to eateries and shops, Buildings numbers 3, 4, and 5 were dedicated to labs and training facilities.
The Institution of Magical Sciences was dedicated to the study of magic and science, and on the combining of magic and science. This included subjects like magical engineering, magic in medicine, the study of Magic Catastrophes, the study of curses, and the application and creation of magical formulas. There were also several medical classes, where students took lab courses that gave them practical experience. Anthony took some of those classes.
Anthony and Brianna found themselves being led to Building #4, which was dedicated to the magical engineering courses. He wondered why they were going here at first, but then Professor Incanscino led them into what seemed like a changing room. The woman looked at him with a deadpan stare before gesturing to something further in.
“There are some unique suits that have been created by the engineering department in that locker over there. It’s the big one in the very center of the room. The code number is 3343. We’ll be waiting for you outside, so hurry up and get changed.”
Professor Incanscino closed the door behind Anthony after he stepped in. He glanced at the door, then looked into the locker room, which had several isles of white lockers sealed shut. All of them looked like they had advanced locking mechanisms. However, one of them looked different from all the rest.
The one Anthony walked up to locker, which looked more like a pod with a bulbous shape, almost like it was a seed sticking out of the floor. Several blinking lights dotted its surface around the middle. There was also a small access panel with a touchpad keyboard and the numbers 0-9 located on it. He reached out and tapped in the code Professor Incanscino had given him. 3343.
A soft hiss escaped the pod. Two seams appeared on the top. One went down the middle, extending to about a third of the way down the pod, while another went around it. The pod peeled open seconds later like a blooming flower, revealing a black and white unitard residing inside. He took the item from the pod.
“She wants me to wear this…?”
With a small frown, Anthony tugged on the suit a bit, watching in fascination as it stretched out before springing back to its original shape. This clothing seemed fairly sturdy. He wasn’t sure what it was made from, but it felt almost like a synthetic rubber.
Anthony went over to a bench and began stripping off his clothes. He set his clothes down, and then stepped into the black and white suit. It fortunately zipped from the front. As he pulled up the zipper, he realized the suit was a little baggier than he’d expected. It hung from his body in several places, especially his arms and legs.
“Is this really how it’s supposed to fit?” Anthony asked himself.
He studied the outfit for a bit, checking himself over, and only after a few seconds of observation did he notice the small dial located on the left side of his chest. His fingers brushed against the dial. Anthony hesitated for a moment before twisting it. The moment he did, the suit suddenly tightened around him, contracting until it felt like he was wearing tight spandex. He shifted for a second, the material creaking as he adjusted. Then he looked down at the massive bulge in his crotch.
“That’s a little obscene,” he murmured to himself.
“Hey, Anthony! Are you done changing?” asked Professor Incanscino.
“Yes!” Anthony shouted back as he walked over to the door.
The door slid open to reveal Brianna and Professor Incanscino standing just outside. While his professor checked him over with a scrutinizing gaze, Brianna’s eyes went straight towards his crotch. Her eyes widened and a blush lit up her cheeks. He wondered if she was recalling the two nights of passion they’d shared together.
“It looks like the experimental suit those idiots from the Engineering Department created is finally working,” Professor Incanscino said, though it sounded like she was speaking mostly to herself. “Good. Let’s go.”
They walked down a pure white corridor that had several doors embedded into the wall on their left. The other wall featured mostly windows. This corridor was curved, so as they walked down it, Anthony had the vague feeling that it was shaped like a donut.
“Professor, what kind of suit is this?” asked Anthony.
“The engineering students call it the BSS Mark II,” Professor Incanscino said. “I’ve no idea what that stands for, but it’s supposed to be a suit that uses magical matrices to strengthen the body. I heard the engineering students created this because they didn’t like piloting the Mecha Units when doing on the spot repairs. Admittedly, the Mecha Units are unwieldy and not well-suited to delicate welding work.” She glanced at him as they turned down a corner. “That said, you’ll want to be careful with that suit. I’ve heard the Mark I they created exploded during the testing phase and caused serious injury to the student who tried it on.”
“Then why did you make me wear this?!”
“Obviously because we can’t have you destroying your clothes. What you’ll be doing is rigorous and your own clothing isn’t durable enough to stand up to it. Do you want to walk around naked for the rest of the day?”
Anthony gawked at the woman. Brianna, who walked on his other side, turned her head and released what sounded like a snort. He turned from his professor to her. When she saw his aggrieved look, her cheeks turned a vibrant shade of red like she was embarrassed to be caught laughing at his expense. He could feel through their connection that she found the byplay between him and Professor Incanscino amusing, which left him conflicted.
They soon arrived in another room, but this one was far larger than the changing room and appeared mostly empty. Shaped like a dome, it had a rounded ceiling and was composed from a different type of material than the rest of the building. Anthony tapped his boots against the floor. It produced an odd clang that made it sound like metal, but he was almost certain this was not any kind of metallic substance.
“This room is made from mana stones,” Professor Incanscino explained at his curious look. “I’m sure you know what those are.”
Anthony nodded. “It's a type of ore that has the special property of absorbing and releasing mana. Mana stones are generally used in the creation of magic engines and delicate magical circuitry.”
“Very good. Yes, you are correct.” Professor Incanscino walked over to the far end of the room, where a small pedestal with a screen sat. “Not only can it be used in the creation of magic engines and computer circuits, but it’s also used in the creation of many medical devices, and it’s currently being used by the Academy Island Private Security Forces in the creation of weapons, barriers, and security scanners.”
She pressed a finger against the monitor, which began glowing. Several symbols appeared. It looked like they were written in a form of code. As she fiddled with the device, the floor, walls, and ceiling suddenly lit up with a dim blue glow. It was as if a layer of light had been placed over the room.
“It’s a barrier,” Brianna muttered as she looked around. She tapped her foot on the ground and watched as a soft ripple spread across it.
Professor Incanscino walked back over to them as she explained. “The magical engineering students test all of their equipment in here. Because of how dangerous some of their equipment is, we have surrounded this room with a layer of mana stones. The mana stones absorb the mana within the atmosphere and can be activated using a premade magic formula to create a barrier that will keep the room from getting destroyed.” After a slight pause, the professor pointed to a window located about a dozen yards above the floor. “When testing, students go in there and observe the
ir devices from a distance just in case it explodes.”
“I had no idea magical engineering was that dangerous,” Anthony said with a frown.
“Magical engineering is easily the most dangerous course we have,” Professor Incanscino admitted. “I myself am not a magical engineer, but I understand the basic principles. Mana was never meant to fuel inanimate objects. Trying to do so creates a highly volatile reaction that generally results in the mana overrunning the artificial magic circuits and exploding. I’m honestly shocked by Markus Zauber. That man was either a genius or insane.”
“Or both,” Brianna said. “I hear Markus Zauber was often considered a mad genius by all the people who knew him.”
“Or both.” Professor Incanscino admitted her point with a nod, then clapped her hands. “In either event, it is now time to get down to business. Anthony, I want you to activate Physical Enhancement right now.”
Anthony nodded, took a slow breath, and then activated his physical enhancement magic.
Physical Enhancement was one of the easiest forms of magic to use, but it was also one of the most dangerous. By filling the body with a mana, a practitioner of Physical Enhancement could increase their physical capabilities up to ten times greater than normal, but they also ran the risk of overloading their magic circuits with mana. If someone shoved too much mana through their body, it could result in their magic circuits exploding. In the best case scenario, their magic circuits would become useless, and in the worst case scenario, they would lose their life.
Anthony let his mana flow through his magic circuits, which lit up with a light blue glow. Because he was wearing the BSS Mark II, it was impossible to see the magic circuits underneath his skin, but if he hadn’t been wearing the suit, Brianna and Professor Incanscino would have been capable of seeing the thick blue lines running across his body like the circuits of a computer’s motherboard.
“How does it feel?” asked Professor Incanscino.
Anthony raised his left hand and stared at his palm, covered by a thin glove. He curled his fingers. The glove emitted several creaking noises. However, his focus was not on the glove but something else, something lurking beneath the glove, beneath his skin even.
“It feels… great. My mana is flowing through my body far more easily than it ever did before. It feels almost like it’s second nature now,” he answered.
“That is as it should be.” The diminutive professor nodded, blonde ringlets shifting and swaying. “As an incubus, you should have a natural affinity for magic. The reason you couldn’t use magic easily before was simply because you did not have any bondmates. Now that you have a bondmate, your physical enhancement magic has been fully activated, which means using it will come far more easily than before.” Professor Incanscino went back over to the pedestal. “Now, let us see if you can use that magic in live combat.”
“What?” Anthony asked as he looked up from his hand to stare at the professor.
Professor Incanscino didn’t answer him with words as she tapped several buttons on the monitor. A large sliding door to his left suddenly opened, revealing a dark alcove, and then several people stepped out—or so Anthony thought. It wasn’t until they had stepped fully into the light that he realized what stood before him wasn’t people but machines.
The machines were humanoid in shape. They had arms, legs, a torso, and a head. However, their bodies were made entirely of a bright silver metal that gleamed in the room’s blue light. They had no facial features whatsoever and looked a lot like mannequins.
There were six of them.
“Aren’t these the latest combat drones developed for the Academy Island Private Security Force’s use?” asked Brianna, gawking.
“They are indeed,” Professor Incanscino answered. “The Academy Island Private Security Forces occasionally asks our faculty to create new combat algorithms for them, so we have several stored away that we can use as test dummies. I hear the magical engineering professors have been using them to help teach their students about magical programming. Anyway, Anthony, I want you to face off against these.”
“You want me to fight against six combat drones by myself?” asked Anthony. He felt like he’d just swallowed a lemon.
“Oh, relax,” Professor Incanscino chided him with a smile. “Now that you have a bondmate, you cannot compare your physical enhancement magic from before to what it is now. You should be more than capable of defeating six combat drones without breaking a sweat.”
Anthony didn’t really know if she was blowing smoke in his ears or if she honestly believed what she said, but it wasn’t like he had much of a choice.
Brianna moved to stand by Professor Incanscino as the six combat drones surrounded him. Anthony eyed the drones with narrowed eyes as he slid his feet apart and raised his hands in a defensive position.
Unlike Brianna, who had been extensively trained in combat since she was young, Anthony had no combat training. Everything he knew came from the many brawls he got into before meeting Lilith. Of course, after meeting Lilith, his brothers had helped him refine his sloppy brawling style, but it wasn’t like his overall combat abilities had changed. He was just a little better at minimizing his movements, blocking attacks, and maximizing how much damage he did.
A moment of silence passed. Anthony felt his heart thundering against his chest. The combat drones remained stationary for a second longer, then launched themselves forward and attacked.
Anthony’s eyes widened as one suddenly darted right in front of him. He raised his arm to block the combat drone’s fist, expecting the attack to break his limb. Combat drones were made from mana stones just like this room. They had mana filling their bodies, increasing their physical strength, and while they couldn’t outdo a therianthrope in physical prowess, they were more than capable of outclassing other types of demons.
That was why Anthony became surprised when the attack didn’t hurt at all. He stared wide-eyed at his arm, which was blocking the punch with ease. Then he looked at the faceless head of the combat drone.
A smile suddenly split his face.
What followed was a complete and utter demolishing of the combat drones as Anthony tore through them like they were sacks of flour. His punches shattered heads, his kicks broke off legs. One unlucky combat drone was even torn in half when he launched a powerful kick into its torso and sheared right through its body. It didn’t take more than fifteen minutes before all six combat drones were lying in pieces around Anthony, who stood in the center of the room, barely winded and full of excitement.
“P-Professor! I did it!”
He looked over at Brianna and Professor Incanscino with a wide smile. While his bondmate looked stunned by how quickly and easily he had destroyed the combat drones, the professor was nodding her head as if she had expected this outcome.
“Yes, you did.” Professor Incanscino eyed the broken body parts scattered across the floor. “I do wish you hadn’t completely destroyed these combat drones, but it’s obvious you’re incapable of fully controlling your newfound strength. We’ll work on that later. For now, I believe the first half of this experiment is a success. Now it is time for the second half.”
The blonde woman waved her hands. A surge of mana spread through the room like a rippling shockwave. Anthony felt like something had jolted his insides. A wave of heat spread through his body, forcing him to shake his head and banish the sudden and strange thoughts running through his mind. Perhaps it was his incubus nature acting up again. However, Anthony had felt a sudden and intense desire to make love to his professor.
As he was dealing with incubus issues, the numerous scattered parts trembled before they were swept into the air and the drones reassembled themselves. Arms, heads, and legs were reattached to bodies. Magic Circuits fused together as the wounds, terrible rips that looked like someone had shredded them apart, disappeared like they had never existed. Not even a second had passed before all six combat drones looked the same as before Anthony had torn them apart
.
“Brianna.” Professor Incanscino turned to the redhead. “It’s your turn. Now that you’ve become Anthony’s bondmate, you should be able to use physical enhancement magic without the use of a combat suit.”
Brianna nodded as she stepped forward, unslung the music case from around her shoulder, and undid the latches. She pulled out the Geminius Sword, currently in a more compact form. It looked like a simple cylinder at the moment. However, as she walked forward, she channeled some mana through it, which caused the two blades to jut out from either side. Each blade was about two feet long, while the grip was one foot long. Brianna slowly spun the blade around in both hands as she walked into the center of the combat drones formation.
Anthony walked over to his professor and turned to watch Brianna. The young woman took a slow breath and closed her eyes. As soon as she did, Anthony felt something tugging at his chest. He looked down, expecting to see something pulling on him, but he was surprised when he found nothing.
“That’s not a physical sensation,” Professor Incanscino told him. He looked over at her. “It’s a metaphysical one. Brianna is pulling on your power and using it for herself. Don’t worry. It doesn’t adversely affect you when she uses your power, but because it is yours, you can feel when she is using it.”
“I understand,” Anthony said.
He turned back to look at Brianna, whose skin now had several blue lines like glowing computer circuits traveling along the length of her body. He knew those were her magic circuits.
The battle began and ended even faster than Anthony’s. He believed it was because she was using the Geminius Sword. That weapon of hers severed molecular bonds through spatial magic. Even if these combat drones were made of mana stones, which could absorb mana to some degree, they were completely useless against someone who had such an incredible weapon and the ability to use Physical Enhancement.
While Anthony was gawking at the woman’s incredible abilities and grace, Professor Incanscino crossed her arms and nodded.
Incubus 1 Page 17
