The shockwaves from the clash of mana couldn't be stopped and rapidly spread in every direction.
Except for Master, Darwin, Russell, and the other elite knights who had already reached the Lower Rank, the powerful mana blast sent everyone flying. They hit the ground in a sorry state, looking utterly disheveled.
"Damn it, next time I'm bringing a greatshield to watch!"
Russell, hot-tempered as ever, wiped the dust from his face and cursed.
"Those two have probably reached the very peak of Lower Rank Magic. Otherwise, their mana blasts couldn't be this powerful."
Master said coldly. His square face was slick with cold sweat, and his body was still trembling slightly.
"Wah! Wah!"
Roundball had already been sent flying, tracing a graceful arc through the air, its face filled with utter despair.
"Hm?"
Aurelian, locked in a stalemate with Jeanne, felt the immense force coming through his sword.
Then he felt a violent impact. Though he braced his feet against the ground with mana, he still couldn't withstand it.
Golden light gained the upper hand, suppressing the dazzling starlight.
Rumble!
Aurelian used his sword to ward off the powerful mana projection, his feet carving a long furrow in the ground.
Master, watching from the sidelines, clenched his fists in astonishment. Was this the mana projection that only true Lower Rank knights could wield?
The rumbling drew to a close, and the golden light slowly faded.
With the shockwaves gone, Aurelian finally lowered Innocent Starlight. Specks of starlight shimmered around him.
His face was a little pale, though. He had used a great deal of Star Magic to withstand Jeanne's mana projection.
"Right, I've still got Ethereal Meditation."
Taking advantage of the brief lull, Aurelian closed his eyes and drew natural mana through the Ultimate Mana Node, absorbing it into his body.
Color slowly returned to his face, and he felt his strength replenished.
Master noticed the change in Aurelian and looked puzzled. What was the lord doing?
Having recovered in a short time, Aurelian raised Innocent Starlight and looked at Jeanne.
Whenever a battle began, Jeanne's face turned utterly impassive.
Jeanne sprang into action, moving like a flash of lightning. In the blink of an eye, she appeared before Aurelian, her cross-shaped longsword raised high.
Aurelian swore inwardly and hurriedly gathered mana, lifting his weapon to block.
Boom—
He stopped Jeanne's slash.
Seizing his chance, Aurelian followed the principle of keeping his distance while dealing damage and immediately pulled away from Jeanne.
Jeanne didn't pursue him. She simply watched him, expressionless.
Once again, the fight reached a standoff.
Aurelian took a deep breath, his expression grave. He was going to use his last trump card.
Aurelian raised Innocent Starlight high with both hands. Mana filled the runes on its azure blade, and even his hair began to flutter.
Having seen her share of slaughter, Jeanne knew exactly what the lord was planning.
She decided to meet him head-on. She raised her silver sword high, and golden mana burst forth like flames!
Master's eyes widened as a chill ran through him.
It was here—the ultimate showdown between Lower Rank mana knights.
They would decide the winner with their most powerful mana projections!
"Wind King Hammer!"
The mana weapon pushed its wielder's mana to the limit. Brilliant streams of mana wrapped around the sword, transforming into a powerful mana storm that whipped up a vast cloud of dust.
The maid wasn't about to be outdone. It was as if sacred light descended from the heavens, and the vague outline of a door seemed to open.
"Atone."
Jeanne spoke softly. Golden motes of light gathered together, becoming a longsword that seemed to pierce the entire world.
"Jeanne, eat my giant laser!"
Aurelian brought his sword down. The dazzling mana storm swept forward, spreading wildly and churning everything in its path.
But the golden light still stood firm. With a metallic shriek, it became an unstoppable sword beam.
Rumble!
The two immense forces of mana intertwined, sending out another enormous shockwave.
Dust obscured everything on the battlefield, but the knights watching from outside, Master among them, were fired up. Their eyes shone with yearning and envy.
This was the power they had devoted their lives to pursuing!
The fiercest clashes of mana wouldn't end so easily. Shockwaves rippled outward in every direction, stirring everything on the field.
The knights were left covered in dust, too.
The dazzling starlight and sacred golden light faded at the same time. Master finally let out a sigh of relief. It was over at last.
But what he saw next left him utterly incredulous, as if his entire worldview had been shattered!
Beneath the clouds of dust, Aurelian's figure was just barely visible.
His expression was resolute, and he held Innocent Starlight high. The dazzling mana storm was gathering once more.
He had activated Wind King Hammer twice in a row!
"Impossible!"
Master shouted in disbelief. How could a Lower Rank knight release maximum-power mana projections back-to-back? It was absolutely impossible.
It was like draining all the water from a pool in an instant. If you tried to draw water from it again, you wouldn't get a single drop, let alone another poolful!
The same applied to a maximum-power mana projection. No one could do it. He wouldn't believe it even if he were beaten to death. Could a human being really pull off something like this?
"Wind King Hammer!"
Aurelian brought his sword down once more. The surging mana storm swept forth again, churning up endless clouds of dust.
Master's jaw nearly hit the ground. He'd really unleashed Wind King Hammer again!
The sacred golden light, which had begun to gain the upper hand, was suppressed by the starlight crashing into it once more.
Rumble!
The sword that had just been brought down was raised again by Aurelian. In an incredibly short time, his previously pale face had quickly regained its color.
Innocent Starlight, raised high, gathered an immense amount of mana once again. This was the third time!
Gathering his strength and swinging without hesitation, Aurelian unleashed the storm. This time, it swept over the golden light and overwhelmed everything.
Master was completely dumbstruck. What had he just witnessed?
Three Wind King Hammers!
Could a human really do that? If he'd heard this before, he wouldn't have believed it even if he were beaten to death!
"Could Lord Aurelian be a monster?"
Master murmured, his eyes glazed over. Whether it was Jeanne or Aurelian, they kept shattering his understanding and overturning everything he thought he knew.
Suddenly, he felt he was more than just useless.
The storm swept through everything, then finally died down. The training ground had been stripped of its entire top layer of earth.
Aurelian hurriedly looked toward the area hidden by the dust, his eyes full of worry.
I'm done for. I think I overdid it a little...
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