Liam had a plan. A simple one.

He was going to copy exactly what Dame and Beatrix had done. The "Windy Qi" punch had worked for them, it shattered golems and seemed to satisfy the professor. It was silly, sure, but it got the job done.

So if it worked for them… why wouldn't it work for him?

Then, just as he stepped forward, he heard the dreaded words.

The professor, stern and sharp, warned him not to do the same move. One sibling pair using a similar technique was believable. But five students, all claiming wind magic and using identical techniques? That would raise too many red flags.

None of them even looked related. Luka had let it slide before, but clearly, he wouldn't again.

'I can see it on his face,' Liam thought nervously. 'And my system confirms it, if I try to do the same move, he's going to fail me on the spot.'

"What's wrong?" Luka asked, eyes narrowing. "The targets have already risen. State your magic core and proceed to take them down."

Liam swallowed hard. His mouth had gone dry. Instinctively, he glanced to the others, hoping for a sign, some hint of help… but almost all of them avoided his gaze. Everyone except Raze looked away.

'You damn traitors. Did none of you ever consider me a friend? Leaving me to crash and burn like this? I've been set up!'

Grasping at straws, Liam forced out a response.

"Err… Wind Core!" he declared loudly, trying to sound confident. "But… Professor Heartstrong, if I may… this test is to measure our combat strength, correct?"

"That's right," Luka replied. "I expect you to display a spell capable of taking down as many golems as you can."

"In that case… would it be acceptable for me to use a weapon? A sword, perhaps?"

There was a flicker of interest in Luka's expression. Most mages relied on spells and enchanted items, but there was a rare type of fighter, magic swordsmen, who blended the two disciplines.

"I see," Luka said slowly. "So you're a magic swordsman, then? I suppose you're right. In that case, it would be more appropriate to judge your magical combat ability through weapon usage. Proceed."

Liam exhaled in relief. If the professor had said no, he would've had no backup plan.

"Is he… going to be okay?" Beatrix whispered, concerned. "Liam can't really use magic. So how's he going to trick them with a sword? Won't they notice if it's just Qi?"

Unlike a direct Qi blast from a fist, where you could pour energy into one point and release it outward, a Qi-infused sword slash was far trickier to disguise, especially from a distance. Even for Liam, it wasn't easy. At best, he might be able to cut down two of the golems.

And that wouldn't be enough to pass.

"Don't worry about him," Safa said with confidence. "Liam's got a few tricks up his sleeve now."

Stretching out his hand, Liam activated his ring. A soft glow emitted from the artifact, and in an instant, a strange weapon materialized in his grasp.

It wasn't a regular sword.

The blade was large, circular in nature, with two glowing rings built into its core, forming a bladed edge on either side. It was the weapon he'd obtained during one of their missions against the Altereds.

"Right… that sword," Dame said, recognizing it. "He might actually be okay after all."

From the windows above, the watching students buzzed with excitement.

"He's using a sword? So he's a magic swordsman?"

"Yeah, looks like it. There are only, like, three in the whole academy, right?"

"It's rare. Most people who try it give up once they meet the real magic swordsmen here. There were a few posers early on, but none of them lasted."

"Well, let's hope this guy's the real deal, then."

Liam held the blade tight and began to think.

He didn't have full mastery of the sword yet. The artifact could only replicate strikes it had already seen. That was the key. And unfortunately, most sword techniques he'd encountered were fueled by Qi alone.

Maybe… if he could find one that looked magical, one that had a visual flair, he could pull it off.

One move, however, was off-limits.

He couldn't use the Dark Edge sword art. If any hint of dark magic showed up, he'd be exposed. He'd be cast out of the academy before he could blink.

"That leaves only one option," Liam muttered under his breath.

He shifted his stance and pulled the sword back, way back, almost like he was about to throw it like a javelin.

Then he swung.

"Crimson Slash!"

A red streak tore across the ground.

It shot forward in a straight line, slicing through the first golem cleanly. The second shattered in a blink. Then the third, fourth, fifth, and finally, the sixth crumbled under the force. The crimson energy didn't stop there. It surged forward until it finally vanished into the air.

The field fell silent.

Professor Luka, as usual, showed no outward emotion. But Liam could hear the response loud and clear, from the classrooms.

"WHOA! Did you see that?! He destroyed all six of them!"

"No way! That had to be at least a Four-Star spell!"

"Seriously, that wasn't just wind magic… That was devastating!"

What the others didn't know, but what Raze did, was that Liam had copied the move directly from him. The "Crimson Slash" was Raze's signature technique, one he'd used countless times during the war. A blend of Qi and wind magic, it mimicked a projectile attack, sharp and clean.

Because the sword recorded every movement, every detail, down to the magical energy used, it had recreated the effect perfectly.

Even Luka, as composed as he was, could sense the mana in the attack.

"Return to your position," Luka said at last, with the faintest nod of approval.

Liam smirked as he walked back.

He didn't need to hear it. He could see it in Luka's expression, he had passed.

"Next up… the final participant," Luka announced, turning his gaze to the last one standing.

All eyes now turned to Safa.

It was her turn.

****

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