Frey’s eyes fixed on the clash of metal and wood before her.

She watched as the gleaming white shield, imbued with divine energy, was pushed back by the wooden training sword.

Never once had she managed to topple Lucy’s shield, even when giving it her all.

It wasn’t just her—Arthur, whom she acknowledged for his skill, was helpless against Lucy’s shield. Even Cecile, with his overwhelming physical strength, couldn’t breach it.

Lucy’s shield had become a fortress among their peers at the Academy, an unbreakable wall. But that was only within the Academy. Before Count Kent, that mighty shield was …