"Are you guys okay?"
Shinsuke Zenin hadn't gone far before he spotted Maki and the others.
The battered ground and collapsed buildings all showed that a fierce battle had just taken place here.
"Master!"
Maki's hair was a mess, and her glasses had been knocked off. Leaning on her sword, she struggled to her feet.
Just from the way they looked, he could tell they'd taken quite a beating. Fortunately, their injuries were only superficial.
"We're fine."
"Mm, I see."
Shinsuke Zenin gently patted Maki on the shoulder. "That's about enough. After this battle, you've passed."
Maki froze at his words, her eyes trembling slightly. Did Master mean... could it be...
She looked at Shinsuke Zenin excitedly, her voice trembling. "Master, do you mean... I passed the test?"
Maki knew very well that Master still had even more powerful techniques he hadn't taught her. She had trained hard all this time, and finally, the day had come!
Watching her classmates improve at breakneck speed while she had already reached her limit had been hard. She never said so aloud, but deep down, she resented herself for having such poor talent.
Even though she was stronger than most sorcerers, without her Cursed Tool glasses, she couldn't even see Cursed Spirits.
What had kept her going all along wasn't just the ridicule from the Zenin Family, but also her master's faith in her.
"Don't get too excited. We don't know if you can do it yet. After this, get some proper rest and recover. Then come find me."
Maki's body was clearly strong enough to meet the requirements for training in the Eight Gates. But whether she could cultivate blood-and-qi energy was another matter.
After all, there was still a tiny bit of Cursed Energy inside her.
"I understand, Master. I won't