Melrose knew the Forest Lord’s power was parasitism and devouring of other magic beasts, but… it could even parasitize the Academy’s magic puppets?
The puppets’ function was precisely to mimic magic beasts, so now they had all become the Forest Lord’s “accomplices,” expanding its magic-suppression range!
Just then, cries of alarm came from the other students. The three turned to see a Forest Fox lunging with its bloody maw wide open.
This normally docile, timid magic beast now looked terrifying. The girl it targeted froze in fright, unable to move.
Normally, no such thing should happen—even the weakest new student could handle a Forest Fox easily. But now, with magic unusable, they were like tigers stripped of fangs and claws… A fallen tiger bullied by dogs.
This was bad. Fear filled every student’s eyes. This was the Magic Department’s entrance exam; all present were aspiring mages with no training in physical combat. They had no means to fight back against the beasts.
Without magic, how could they stand against magic beasts?
Luckily, Ximo reacted swiftly. A flying knife pinned the Forest Fox to the ground just as it bared its saliva-drenched fangs. Ximo stood at the front with her maid group, facing down the beast horde, her earlier silly demeanor gone.
“Stay calm,” Xiliya soothed evenly. “This is actually good news for us—at least we’ve found a breakthrough.”
“X-Xiliya, do you have a plan?” Hope flickered in Mira’s eyes.
“It’s just my guess…” Xiliya eyed the Forest Lord-controlled puppets. “Since it’s using the puppets to ban magic across the whole Swamp Land, its own range probably isn’t that large.”
This made more sense. Xiliya figured the Forest Lord’s innate suppression only covered the area right around it—such a cheat ability couldn’t naturally span so far.
“In other words, if we destroy the puppets, we can escape the ban and use magic normally in small areas.”
“But what’s the point?” a near-panicked new student asked. “Even with magic back, we might not beat this monster.”
“No, Xiliya’s plan is feasible,” Melrose joined in. “Stay calm—our goal isn’t to kill the Forest Lord.”
She pulled out a hexagonal magitool inscribed with complex runes. “The Academy-issued magitools aren’t broken; their magic circuits are just suppressed. Once we restore our magic, we can leave.”
The plan was solid. Eyes lit up among the group. They couldn’t handle the Forest Lord, but surely they could smash a few puppets?
“Hey—you guys got a strategy yet?” Ximo called from afar without turning. “Looks like these beasts are about to swarm.”
While they talked, Ximo had already clashed with and injured several restless beasts. She was a woman of action—anyway, the little maid couldn’t understand their discussion, so action meant “if I don’t get it, I just do it.”
The beast horde finally realized this seemingly frail prey wasn’t easy. They prepared to gang up.
Time to move—but the plan had a critical flaw. Pale-faced Mira eyed the Forest Lord waving its tentacles nearby.
“But these beasts won’t just watch us smash the puppets, right?”
Mira meant: Could Ximo alone hold them off long enough? The petite maid looked too fragile against the snarling horde.
“I’ll help buy time too,” Melrose said, gripping her rapier with both hands. “I’ve trained some physical techniques. Blocking a few beasts should be doable.”
Melrose’s “some” was an understatement. As the Empire’s princess, dual cultivation in magic and physical arts was basic for her. Princesses needed many skills, and she’d trained as hard in combat as in magic since childhood.
Her sharp rapier whistled through the air. This weapon was custom-made for her dual path.
And so the hasty plan was set. The Forest Lord hadn’t attacked proactively, which eased their nerves a bit. They sprang into action.
Only Xiliya glanced back worriedly at Ximo facing the beasts. She didn’t want to put the little maid in such danger, but she knew only Ximo and Melrose—experts in physical combat—could fight normally now.
Xiliya suddenly realized something—perhaps Ximo’s presence was the biggest wildcard in this crisis.
She trusted Melrose’s smarts; even without her, Melrose would’ve found this solution in her past life. But back then, only Melrose could buy time against the beasts.
Now, with Ximo’s help, maybe they could avert the original tragedy.
“Miss—”
Ximo’s call came from afar, something flying toward her. Xiliya caught it deftly—it was Ximo’s dagger.
“Those building-block toys look pretty tough.”
“What about you then?”
Ximo just smiled. For this exam, she’d prepared thoroughly… Simply put, she’d brought everything from her handheld suitcase. Her maid skirt hid a treasure trove now.
She flung flying knives to repel beasts, then flicked her wrist. Twin sleeve swords popped from her cuffs, stunning nearby Melrose.
Was this little maid a walking arsenal? How did she hide so many weapons?
“Never thought we’d get a chance to fight side-by-side so soon, Ximo.”
“Well, if it’s this kind of chance, I’d rather pass.”
Before the two of them stood dozens of restless magic beasts. With a piercing roar from the Forest Lord, the standoff shattered in an instant, and several of the beasts charged at them desperately!
Melrose stood her ground, posture straight and unwavering. She had no intention of retreating as the rapier in her hand thrust out with clean precision, as if it were an extension of her own body.
Her combat style was efficient and pristine—even in the midst of bloody close-quarters brawls, her movements retained their elegance. The rapier in her hand danced a dazzling routine through the pack of magic beasts.
By contrast, Ximo’s movements were even more nimble. Her sleeve sword gleamed with cold light as it darted among the beasts. They couldn’t even graze the hem of her skirt, yet she always timed her strikes perfectly, plunging the blade into a magic beast’s neck or eye to ensure every attack left one crippled and out of the fight.
For the moment, the pair’s superior physical prowess actually held the magic beast horde at bay, buying precious time for the others.
