Elden Ring: The Shattering!

What about the sword named "Celestial Dew"?

Miriam, with her extensive knowledge, had encountered something similar to the Katana before. However, those were all weapons of self-defense used by Sorcerers, meant for when the enemy charges in close, without causing panic. Even the Raya Lucaria Academy has a specialized swordsmanship curriculum... But she had never heard of someone combining Magic and a sword into one.

"Isn't it better to stay afar and use Magic to cover the area? Even if you slash and kill the enemy, the blood spattering on your face is quite disgusting."

"I can't help it, I'm more familiar with this style, and besides, I don't have long-range abilities to obliterate enemies." Kaelith said this with self-awareness, admitting that, frankly, he didn't care too much about the process...

If someone asked which was more important: long-range stealth magic or close combat killing, he would definitely answer without hesitation:

I want both!

"You're not wrong. Once you experience the mysterious and grand nature of Magic, you naturally won't take the risk." She brought out a beautifully crafted staff, the Carian runes flashing briefly before disappearing, and ten glowing sword blades floated around. Clearly, after the previous lesson, she saw Kaelith's serious expression and, while smiling, said, "Don't worry, I won't actually make you experience it. Let me explore a bit of your battle philosophy."

"Good!"

Kaelith drew his sword from behind and rushed forward directly, his eyes filled with excitement. This was the first time he was facing a prepared Sorcerer.

In the Lands Between, the system of power is strange and mysterious, and Ashina's experiences were already outdated. The only way to grow stronger was through desperate battles like this!

With the highest speed, he shot forward, grass flying in all directions. He met the brilliant green light shining on his face, and sword blades of light came at him in a barrage, each one seemingly controlling and locking down every evasive movement.

"Is this a mutated Magic?"

In the book "Carian Phalanx," this was the same technique used, but obviously Miriam's mastery and control had surpassed the textbook, and she could adapt it to real combat situations.

There was no way to avoid it.

Kaelith halted momentarily, raising his greatsword. The Glintstone tip suddenly lit up.

Magic Downpour.

A block of magical energy flew forward, and then a rain of light burst in the air.

"Ah? This works too?" Miriam raised an eyebrow. Magic Downpour in the Carian system was just a basic Magic, and even with Kaelith's casting, its power only covered a space of less than ten square meters... But this refined magical ball, when hitting the sword blades of light, caused the energy to scatter and lose its precision.

"Speed technique combination, not bad imagination." Miriam tilted her head, noticing a figure leaping from the side, feet crossed, running quickly.

So, you want to get close to me?

She didn't dodge, instead raised her staff again.

Crystal Barrage!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

A large mass of crystallized green energy pierced through the air, like a machine gun barrage, and its speed was incredibly fast, reaching Kaelith in an instant.

Is this the power of a Magic instructor?

Kaelith held his breath, suddenly stopping and rolling to the side. Looking back, the grassy field was a mess, filled with Magic Stone crystals longer than a foot, sticking out of the ground.

"Be careful, Kaelith."

That wasn't the end of it. Once the first round of Magic ended, Miriam raised her staff again, and another large mass of crystallized energy shot out.

For her, this middle-tier Magic was not difficult to handle; she could use it dozens of times... However, when she saw Kaelith suddenly jump up from the ground, he thrust his greatsword into the earth and spun his waist, kicking up a wall of dirt.

The dust was immediately shattered by the crystallized Magic, and Miriam narrowed her eyes. The dust flew up, making her momentarily lose sight of her target. After hesitating for a moment, a flash of light suddenly pierced through the dust.

Magic technique? Hmm, using dust to hide... Is that a speed technique issue?

The Glintstone Arc tore through the dust in the opposite direction. Miriam skillfully and lightly dodged to the ground, preparing to make a comment when she suddenly felt a chill on her back and awkwardly jumped to the side.

Boom.

The Bloodhound's Fang flew toward her like a boomerang, embedding itself in the spot she had just stood, causing the ground to vibrate.

"I forgot that this little devil isn't even a Sorcerer!" She muttered a curse under her breath, quickly getting to her feet and rolling backward, even more frantically now.

Burn, burn, burn...

The sound of blades slicing through the air was followed by the sharp thuds of four or five throwing knives embedding themselves in the ground, their accuracy quite impressive.

Truly, there's no place safe!

Miriam, slightly irritated, jumped up. This is too much; not only are you slashing with a sword, but you're also throwing flying blades.

She saw Kaelith already within twenty meters, one hand holding a sword, the other drawing a throwing knife from his waist. The glow on his staff intensified.

Glintstone Comet!

A comet with a long tail shot out, and in the air, the flying blades melted, similar to Magic that Kaelith had seen from his instructor before, but Miriam's comet was much larger and faster.

Boom!

Dust filled the air, and the force of the wind slammed into Kaelith, sending him rolling on the ground for two rounds. Looking back, he saw a large two-meter crater where he had been. The noise was so immense that even the distant Glintstone Dragons raised their heads in annoyance, growling twice in dissatisfaction.

These mad fools, bored and causing trouble, destroying everything!

Kaelith, not concerned with others, half-sat on the ground, hearing the Sorcerer gloating: "Do you want to continue?"

He brushed off the dust from his body and, in an instant, jumped to his feet.

"Continue!"

"Stubborn, don't blame me if you die." Miriam repeatedly swung her staff, releasing beams of light that made the night sky seem like day.

Comet Barrage!

In a moment, the comet's tail stretched long, continuously crashing down—an attempt to cover the area with firepower.

Kaelith didn't dodge. Or rather, dodging would have been pointless. He simply had to take a step forward, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished.

Bloodhound's Step??

Although Miriam was somewhat indifferent, she recognized this as the signature movement technique of the Hunter Cavalry. She saw her opponent slip through the gap between the comets and close the distance to within ten feet.

She wasn't panicked. As she retreated, she withdrew her staff from behind her back, waiting for the magical incantation to manifest. The small staff had now transformed into a massive sword, several meters long.

Carian Piercer!

It was quick and urgent. With the giant sword, it created a devastating impact... But Kaelith charged forward to intercept, his greatsword surrounded by pure White Frost mist, sweeping upward.

Frost Slash!

Wherever the blade passed, frozen grass flew into the air, the blade's edge clashing with the magical force, and the two energies collided, causing a massive explosion.

"Did that damn fool add Ash of War to that damn sword??"

Miriam staggered back. She was still a Sorcerer, and the collision of these energies made her wrist tremble. She looked straight ahead, where the magical ice mist was mixing with the moonlight, creating a beautifully sparkling scene. But just a moment later, Kaelith suddenly emerged from the ice mist, his greatsword raised high above his head. The magical incantation flashed and disappeared.

Honed Ichimonji!

This was a sword technique filled with an unstoppable momentum, but it also functioned like a staff, with magic gathering at the sword's edge, extending a full half meter. When they fused together, it was a lethal technique designed to kill!

Bang —

The blade pierced through the afterimages, leaving a long slash on the ground. Kaelith stood still at the same spot, his chest heaving rapidly. After a few seconds, he finally looked up.

"You lose."

The deep green crystal condensed into a human shape several meters away. Miriam's eyes widened in shock as her eyelids trembled, using "Starlight Movement." She realized that the strength of both sides was simply not on the same level.

"What kind of technique is this Ashina-style?"

"Yes, it's a fusion of various schools of thought, a technique born from victory and survival."

Miriam said nothing. In that fleeting moment, she had sensed an overwhelming murderous intent. Reflecting on the battle, it was so strange that she couldn't even evaluate it. It was a technique that could change and adapt endlessly, with all its targets focused solely on killing the enemy.

"Go ahead. I admit that you're a genius in some aspects." Miriam waved her hand, pulled a thick notebook from her chest, and casually tossed it to Kaelith.

"Tomorrow, I'll be stationed at the Carian Library. Though it's still early, consider this notebook a trophy. Maybe someday you'll find it useful."

Kaelith reached out to accept it, casually flipping through it. It was a research notebook, and at the end of the final chapter—

He suddenly looked up, staring at the Magic instructor who was twisting their wrist.

"Starlight Movement?!"

...

Meanwhile, a little further away, at the top of Raya Lucaria Academy in the heart of Liurnia, another group of powerful Sorcerers sat at a round table, looking at each other from opposite sides.

The Glintstone lights illuminated this ancient, simple meeting room, which was arranged with rustic wooden furniture. On the walls hung portraits of people, some men, some women, all dressed in red and blue ceremonial robes. In the center was a beautiful woman, silently observing everyone in the room.

Perhaps out of respect for Erdtree, despite the Carian royal family's decline, those here still wore large Magic instructor robes with wide hoods, their faces covered with golden-threaded masks. The high-ranking official who had advised them had been there just yesterday.

Counting the number of people, five Sorcerers were seated around the table, corresponding to the five department heads of the Academy. The Academy prided itself on democratic scholarly research and collective decision-making... But amusingly, the high-backed chair at the head of the table was empty, where a highly esteemed Queen should have been.

The head of the department, Instructor Oritis, glanced around the room and lightly tapped the table: "To be honest, gathering you all for a meeting is really a difficult task."

As the rotating president, his voice sounded somewhat resigned. He recalled the last time they had discussed who to send to assist the Cuckoo Legion, and yet, after the estate battle, over half a month had passed, and the Academy hadn't even considered a countermeasure.

"Stop wasting time. If you have something to say, say it. I'm busy with the golem research." A bold voice interrupted, and the fingertips drummed continuously on the table.

Oritis turned his head to look, seeing no sign of surprise, as he had evidently gotten used to the other's style.

"Instructor Seluvis, there are hardly any students left in your Radsley class. What could you possibly be busy with?"

"Haha, if I were clever and capable, you guys would have long suspected my position and intentions. But as it is, I can leave if necessary." Seluvis crossed his arms, presenting an utterly indifferent attitude.

The mask hid the expressions of the other instructors, but clearly, they were all disgusted. However, Seluvis wasn't entirely wrong, as such a disliked personality brought a sense of relief to others.

The star and moon were equally watching, and the Radsley class of Carian Magic would never be restored. Even if Seluvis betrayed them and fled, they weren't worried. After all, even if others despised him, his personality wouldn't cause internal turmoil within the royal family.

"Alright, now that everyone has their research materials, let's get to the topic at hand." Oritis leaned forward, speaking each word slowly: "The most important topic for discussion is, should the Academy close its gates?"