Sword Beam

Sword Beam (魔力剣波 (ソード・ビーム), Sōdo Bīmu lit. Magical Power Sword Wave) is one of the most basic Sword Magic spells to exist; while it is unknown, perhaps it is one of the first spells to be developed, as it is the basis for any magical attack that launches some sort of energy from a weapon; it allows the user to fire a wave of magical power from their sword.

Is it a beam that shoots swords? Is it a sword that's actually a beam? Nobody knows, but one thing is certain- without the spell, weapon-based combat probably never would have gotten as far as it has these days.

Description
When performing the Sword Beam spell, the user infuses their sword with their magical energy, condensing it to its utmost limit, converging at a singular point—the tip of the sword; intensifying the kinetic energy that is about to be released by convergence and acceleration. This process can take from about half a second to a full minute, depending on the user's preferences or the properties of the blade; the caster is capable of compressing even more of their magical energy upon their sword to achieve a higher level of power. In any case, once this process has been completed, at the instant of the slash, the user swiftly releases the magical energy compressed upon the blade which magnifies the slash attack, unleashing it in the form of a wave of energy that flies forward at high speeds. The principal use of Sword Beam is to strike at adversaries outside of the sword's range, effectively nullifying the claim that swords are meant for close-range combat only. In any case, the Sword Beam spell, without any modifications, is extremely powerful, as it possesses great force that enables the user to unleash large-scale damage and destruction.

Upon impact, the Sword Beam spell causes a large explosion with enough momentum to breach defenses; making it extremely powerful, ripping into the ground and destroying a very large prison building. A single swing of it is more than enough to disperse an entire rainstorm; as well as demolish a large radius of the surroundings and leave behind a huge crater in the wake of the attack. It can be utilized in many ways; striking at the ground allows the user to unleash the energy condensed upon their blade as an omnidirectional blade which can used as an impromptu shield for incoming attacks while upturning the earth before them; the debris of which crushes everything in its path. What should be noted is that the Sword Beam spell possesses homing properties; tracking the foe's heat signature in order to sniff them out and deal damage; curving until it reaches its destination; once fired, the user can move around as normal without any drawback. The attack requires about two seconds to travel a few hundred-kilometer distance, and the user can immediately fire the next attack after confirming a miss as long as they have magical energy left.

Going back to the part about being charged; the user is capable of adding more of their Magical Aura onto the blade when they are initiating the attack to achieve a higher level of power; this process, while it does result in the spell being launched at an ever-so-slightly later date, it can drastically enhance the power, width, and size of the Sword Beam spell, and as such, the option of charging can mean the difference between victory and defeat in the heat of battle. Generally, the charging speed of the Sword Beam spell takes about two seconds down to the letter, and if the Sword Beam spell is charged, it travels in a straight line, but when fired without charging, it flies in an up-and-down wave motion. The user is also capable of continuing to hold the spell in its magical energy compressed form and move around as normal; this can serve as a way to take advantage of extra power while taking evasive action. The user is capable of interrupting the charge of the attack by grabbing their weapon with their free hand; the charge cancel can be used to bluff an opponent by allowing them to come close to the caster while they're charging, only to find themselves attacked by another method.

Trivia

 * I had made this technique a while back, but since it's pretty much everywhere in animu/mango/etc I decided to make it free use for everyone.