A Test of Iron and Fire
I gave Leon a brief nod and took a few steps back.
Then, I slowly turned to look at Cyan.
She stood on the opposite side of the training grounds, and even from her posture alone, I could feel an immense amount of mana radiating from her.
"Representative of the Magic Department," I called out.
My voice echoed across the training grounds.
"Please attack that shield with the strongest magic at your disposal."
Cyan's expression shifted instantly.
Her eyebrows shot up, and her lips parted slightly.
"Wait... excuse me?" she stammered, clearly taken aback.
"Did you not hear who I am?"
I tilted my head slightly and replied.
"You are Cyan Winters, the freshman representative of the Magic Department."
Cyan's face flushed red at my words.
Whether it was from anger, embarrassment, or a mix of both, I couldn't tell, but there was a sharp edge to her voice when she spoke next.
"I suppose you wouldn't know, being from the Weapons Crafting Department," she said sharply.
"My magic isn't something you can just block with a mere shield. Someone could get seriously hurt."
I smiled at her warning.
"Don't worry. That won't happen."
Cyan's face contorted further.
She seemed to take my confidence as a direct insult.
Sparks practically flew from her eyes.
"You really don't understand what I'm saying, do you?" Cyan bit her lip, irritation creeping into her voice.
"This isn't a game. It's truly dangerous."
She suddenly turned her head to look at Professor Elena.
Her voice was a mix of bewilderment and disbelief.
"Professor Elena. That student seems to have absolutely no understanding of magic. What should we do?"
A glint of confidence shone in Cyan's eyes, as if she was certain Elena would take her side.
She smirked slightly.
Her expression practically said, We both know this is ridiculous.
However, Elena's reaction was entirely contrary to Cyan's expectations.
"Cut the chatter and just do it, will you?"
Elena's voice was cold and resolute.
The color drained from Cyan's face.
"P-pardon?" she stammered in disbelief.
Elena tilted her head slightly and offered a gentle smile.
"It will likely be fine, so go ahead."
Utter confusion washed over Cyan's face.
She cast a pleading look toward Leon, who stood on the opposite side, hoping for some support.
But Leon merely shrugged.
His face was a picture of resignation, as if saying, Nothing we can do about it.
He slowly took a few steps back, retreating to the edge of the training grounds.
"Sigh."
Cyan let out a deep sigh.
Her shoulders slumped for a moment before she straightened them back up.
With a look of grim determination, she slowly turned back toward Leon.
In an instant, her demeanor shifted.
Her eyes sharpened, and her lips pressed into a tight line.
Her gaze locked onto a single point.
A palpable aura of concentration radiated from her entire body.
Suddenly, an orange magic circle unfurled beneath Cyan's feet.
Intricate geometric patterns began to intertwine and glow.
Hexagonal motifs rippled outward in concentric circles, while ancient runes flowed like liquid light between them.
Cyan extended both hands forward and closed her eyes.
Her lips moved subtly as she chanted a brief incantation.
"O Vesta, Goddess of Fire, grant me your wrath..."
In an instant, orange mana swirled and gathered around her hands.
It expanded, taking the shape of an unstably writhing sphere.
It pulsed as if it were a living, breathing entity.
Inferno Nova
With Cyan's shout, three massive spheres of flame shot across the training grounds.
They hurtled toward the shield, trailing long tails of fire like comets.
Flash.
In a split second, the spheres collided with the shield, engulfing the entire training grounds in a blinding flash of light.
Rumble—!
A deafening explosion shook the air, sending a massive shockwave ripping through the surroundings.
The training grounds were instantly filled with thick, billowing smoke.
The faces of the Weapons Crafting students were frozen in sheer shock and awe.
Their mouths hung open, and their eyes were wide with disbelief.
For most of them, it was likely the first time they had ever witnessed magic of such devastating power in person.
Had Leon not retreated to the edge beforehand, he might have been swept away by the sheer force of the blast.
As the smoke slowly cleared, the shield and Leon came back into view.
Blue mana rippled across the surface of the shield like waves.
Leon stood tall and steady behind it, his stance unbroken.
The surrounding ground was scarred by the explosion.
Deep craters and scorched earth radiated outward in a circle centered on the shield.
Yet, remarkably, Leon was completely unscathed. Everyone gasped in amazement to see that not a single speck of dust had settled on his clothes.
The Weapons Crafting students erupted into cheers and applause.
Their faces beamed with pride and excitement.
"Whoa, did our department really make that?"
"I can't believe it! It completely blocked a spell of that caliber!"
"Edward, you're a genius! How did you even make a shield like that?"
Voices filled with admiration echoed throughout the area.
Their eyes shone with newfound reverence.
I smiled at their reactions and spoke.
"This isn't the only function of the shield. Let me show you its other capability."
As I spoke, a thought occurred to me.
"Actually, wait. I don't think these standard training dummies will be enough to show the shield's true power."
I looked at Professor Elena, and a flicker of intrigue crossed her eyes.
"Professor, do we have a more robust target for testing?"
A smile played on Elena's lips.
"Don't worry. Thanks to the support of the Third Princess, our department boasts the finest facilities."
She looked around the training grounds and continued.
"This place is equipped with combat training gear suitable for everyone from freshmen to seniors, on par with any other department."
Realizing what she meant, my eyes widened.
"In that case... do we have a high-grade combat golem? A regular dummy won't cut it."
Elena's eyes sparkled.
"We do have something special."
Elena turned to the teaching assistant standing beside her.
She whispered something in his ear. The assistant's eyes widened briefly before he nodded quickly.
A moment later, several assistants marched into the training grounds with heavy steps.
They struggled to wheel in a massive container on a cart.
A low mechanical hum and deep vibrations emanated from the container, filling the training grounds with tension.
"This is a top-tier combat golem from the Imperial Special Strategy Force," Elena explained.
"It was crafted using state-of-the-art technology and rare mana stones. It possesses combat capabilities equivalent to a 3-Star Knight."
Elena paused and scanned the students.
"To understand the power of this combat golem, you must first understand what it means to be a 'Knight.' The title of Knight alone is recognition of immense skill, placing them on an entirely different level from ordinary soldiers. And among knights, there are ranks ranging from 1-Star to 4-Star."
Weight settled into her voice.
"A 1-Star Knight is equivalent to an Academy graduate, capable of leading small squads. A 2-Star Knight is a seasoned veteran capable of handling most combat situations independently. And a 3-Star Knight..."
Elena's gaze grew even more intense.
"A 3-Star Knight is equivalent to a Vice-Commander of a knight order, capable of leading hundreds of troops and executing dangerous missions alone. This combat golem is at that very level."
As the container hissed open, a massive machine in the shape of a woman slowly stepped out.
It was both elegant and imposing.
Magical runes were etched across its surface, and multiple layers of defensive barriers shimmered faintly around it.
"This golem is programmed with various spells and advanced martial arts. Its combat power is beyond imagination. But don't worry. We can test it safely by keeping its active combat mode disabled."
I nodded.
"Perfect. This should be more than enough."
A 3-Star Knight... That was a realm most ordinary knights couldn't reach even if they dedicated their entire lives to it.
I naturally began to analyze the structure of the combat golem.
Its body was constructed from extraordinary materials.
An outer shell made of high-grade alloy, a core energy source inside, and countless invisible magical barriers.
With this level of combat power, it could easily take on a small squad of knights by itself.
I took a deep breath.
I nodded to Leon.
It was our prearranged signal.
Leon reacted instantly.
His muscles tensed, and his eyes sharpened.
Holding the shield in front of him, he charged toward the combat golem with lightning speed.
A powerful wave of mana surged from the shield in Leon's hand.
His eyes narrowed as he locked onto Edward's signal.
In an instant, Leon's body exploded forward.
He moved like a released arrow.
Blue sparks kicked up from his footsteps as he lunged across the training grounds.
In the blink of an eye, Leon was right in front of the combat golem.
Without slowing down for a second, he channeled his mana into the shield.
He activated the magic inscribed on the shield, just as Edward had instructed.
One of the magic circles engraved on the shield flared with a brilliant blue light.
Ironclad Charge
Along with Leon's roar, a thunderous roar shook the training grounds.
*Boom!*
The moment the shield collided with the combat golem, a shockwave like a clap of thunder rippled outward.
The combat golem reeled back, stumbling from the immense impact.
The multiple layers of barriers surrounding the golem shattered like glass, and a small crack appeared on its seemingly indestructible outer shell.
Everyone gathered in the training grounds stared in wide-eyed shock. Gasps of disbelief erupted from the crowd.
"Is that even possible?"
"How could he do that to a combat golem..."
"I don't believe it!"
The force of Leon's strike was beyond anything they could have imagined. No one had anticipated this outcome.
Leon caught his breath, staring at the combat golem.
As far as he knew, this golem was a terrifying weapon deployed in actual warfare.
Landing a clean, damaging hit on an opponent with the combat power of a 3-Star Knight should have been nearly impossible.
Leon turned to look at Edward with wide, astonished eyes.
Who on earth is this guy? How did he make a shield like this?
But contrary to expectations, Edward's expression didn't look particularly satisfied.
He turned his head toward Cyan.
Edward's voice was calm.
"...Was that spell just now your maximum output?"
"W-what?"
It seemed like a simple question to verify a fact, but everyone saw Cyan's face stiffen instantly upon hearing it.
Cyan's eyebrows twitched upward, and her lips pressed into a thin line.
A flurry of complex emotions crossed her face.
Surprise, embarrassment, and perhaps even a hint of anger.
The air grew heavy as all eyes focused on the two of them.
"Do you have any other spells? Something a bit stronger," Edward asked nonchalantly.
Cyan's face flushed red. She was utterly speechless.
He asked again, seemingly indifferent.
"What is your specialty, by the way? Is it explosion magic?"
The casual questions kept coming.
Unable to hold back any longer, Cyan burst out.
"Actually, I only held back earlier because I was worried Leon would get hurt! My real skills are on a completely different level."
Pride and anger laced her voice, and her eyes flashed sharply.
In truth, Cyan's family, the Winters, were known as the Guardians of the North, and their secret art was puppetry.
It was a unique combat technique exclusive to the Winters family, involving the manipulation of targets using threads woven from mana.
Since their puppets were embedded with numerous mana stones, the puppeteer could wage high-intensity combat from a distance with minimal mana consumption.
The puppet units led by the Winters family were a core force of the Imperial Special Strategy Force, regarded as the pinnacle of cutting-edge technology.
Left to themselves, these combat golems possessed only basic autonomy, capable of performing simple movements.
However, under the precise control of a skilled puppeteer, their potential skyrocketed exponentially.
If Cyan were to personally control this high-grade combat golem, its power would be beyond imagination.
Even a golem with the base combat power of a 3-Star Knight could transform into a terrifying force equivalent to at least a 4-Star Knight once it danced at her fingertips.
Hearing this explanation, Edward nodded, a look of genuine interest crossing his face.
"Ah, I see."
A smile spread across his lips.
"In that case, would you show me?"