The enclosed arena was surrounded by a barrier that separated it from the other nearby training fields. It was a fairly small area for junior knights like us, and there were floating white runes in the air around us, likely indicating that the field was in use.

But otherwise, it was perfectly plain and wide open.

Padded mats covered in dirt and dust lined the floor across the entire arena over a a dirt bed, no doubt separated from any possible rain or inclement weather from above by the barriers. The walls were smooth and uniform, with the odd magical inscription and rune that served to amplify or adjust the space.

I frowned, firing a Rank 2 Luminary Bolt at the mats. It was just enough to break down a flimsy door or shatter glass, but it just left a slightly singed patch on the padding.

Then I gathered my energy for a more concentrated, bigger blast, and fired a luminary beam at the mats. This time it split the mat apart, causing dirt and rocks to fly in all directions.

"Wow, that's a sharp snap," Elysia said, clapping at my test. "That's a really powerful shot for someone who's only been at this for a few weeks."

I stared in curiosity as the mat I'd split suddenly knitted itself back together, looking as good as new.

What kind of technology was that? It seemed ridiculously handy. Why wasn't it more prevalent in regular everyday civilian life?

I shrugged, still a bit unsure of this whole sparring thing. "Well, I definitely need a lot of work."

"No worries, it looks to me like you're a natural." Elysia beamed, continuing to study me intently from her seat. "It'll come quick."

Claw Strawberry flashed me a wide, excited grin as she stood, waiting for me on the other end of the field. Her eyes glimmered with excitement, and I couldn't help but feel a hint of nervousness flutter in my chest as I mirrored her stretches.

Her magical girl form was a catgirl with a red ponytail and pink ribbon tied to the end, complete with a red dress and frilly pink skirt. Her aura was a bright, girly pink, and she had a soft and cute face that was a bit like a baby-doll.

But then there were her eyes.

They were calculating, focused, and steely with a willful determination that was difficult to describe.

For someone who was so adorable, she actually felt pretty intimidating now that I was about to spar with her.

Elysia sat on a bench, her knees pressed together and her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Her smile screamed curiosity to me, and a glimmer of excitement also shone in her eyes.

She leaned forward, anticipating a show, and I could sense her aura pulse briefly in anticipation.

Elysia had been tense earlier with the other magical girls, but her nerves seemed to have calmed down. Maybe talking with me about my experience and standing up to the three girls from before had gotten her mind off her own anxieties.

Strawberry began to hop lightly on her feet, her outfit shining slightly with a sparkle of mana. She twirled a strand of hair in her finger, winking at me as she waved at Elysia.

"Ready?" Strawberry asked.

I nodded, taking a deep breath as I shifted into a battle stance.

"Ellie? Will you do us the honors?" Strawberry called, flashing her a thumbs up.

Elysia nodded with a wink, and stood up, raising one arm as she began to count down. "Three... two... one..."

"Go!"

I tensed up, raising my arms in preparation.

But just as I moved to set up, Strawberry sprang forward in a zig-zag pattern, her lacy shoes transforming into clawed boots as her dress shifted into leggings and a red crop-top. Then, she suddenly rocketed forward at such a speed that she practically blurred, leaving behind a thin line of smoke and dust.

I did my best to stay calm, tracking her with my eyes. She was fast, but I'd already dealt with two opponents even faster than her.

I immediately threw up a luminary barrier around me in a dome, bracing for impact. But just as she was about to smash into me, she turned and jumped, kicking off with one leg.

She spun in midair, pivoting as she propelled herself into a flip about five meters above above me, rearing her arm back.

Clawed, heavy gauntlets formed around her hand, and a torrent of flames began to form like a drill around her raised gauntlet.

Crap.

My intuition practically screamed at me to move, and I quickly bent the light around me, forming a luminary mirage clone beneath the dome.

I jumped back right in time as Strawberry slammed into the dome like a rocket. The walls and ground beneath exploded in a burst of light and force, sending out a wave of energy that kicked up a whirlwind of air and dust.

I turned my back as she slammed into the ground just a couple of yards away from me, riding the momentum into a tumble. I was invisible but fully tangible, my mirage clone shimmering as it faded away.

"Ugh, that's an annoying trick," Strawberry grunted, a small crater carving into the mats. "Well played though!"

She chuckled, closing her eyes as I held my breath, thinking of a plan. She couldn't see me, but the only sense my luminary mirages would fool was sight.

Her nose twitched, and she rolled out her shoulders, cracking her neck.

Strawberry suddenly whirled around, snapping her eyes open with a savage grin. Then, she bent over with her gauntlets on the ground and dashed directly at me. So fast and with such ferocity that I hardly even had time to react.

Shoot.

Going on all fours had drastically increased her already-impressive speed, and she was practically flying.

I dropped the mirage to conserve mana and aimed my palm at her, coating my hand in a gentle luminescence as I concentrated my mana. An orb of light formed, crackling with an orange-red energy.

"Luminary Bolt: Rapid Fire!"

I rapidly unleashed a barrage of bolts that crashed around Strawberry, exploding with a concussive burst on each hit. She didn't stop, though, and just started ducking and weaving, kicking up a storm of dust as she danced through the attacks. Flames burst out from her fists as she slammed into the ground, causing a burst of fire and force that sent a gust of hot air that stung my eyes and made it hard to see.

I jumped back, continuing to fire luminary bolts at her as she drew closer.

I narrowed my eyes, observing her tail and limbs as she loped toward me. She was a flexible, agile little fighter, but I noted that she was using her literal explosive movements to build momentum.

Maybe there was a weak spot here, after all.

Her technique was incredible, and she was quick on her feet, but maybe if I drew her in...

My thoughts were interrupted as she suddenly accelerated with an explosion of flame behind her, flying right at me as she gripped her fist in front of her face.

I threw up a thick, block shaped barrier of instinct, but she smashed through it like it was made of glass. It was all I could do to kick off and throw my arms in front of me at the last second to roll with the blow.

Her fist caught me right in the midsection, sending me flying back with a blast of hot air. I rolled, barely catching myself as I tumbled back to my feet.

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Strawberry grinned, rotating her shoulders with a light bounce on her feet as she stepped forward.

"So," she muttered softly as she approached, her eyes shimmering with excitement as she cracked her knuckles. "What now, wonder girl? Don't you hold out on me."

There was a challenge in her tone.

She'd dismissed her clawed gauntlets at the last second, and hit me with a blast of hot air instead of fire. My aura would have protected me, of course, but this was a spar, and she was cautious not to hurt me badly.

This was fun, even though I could tell she was pulling her punches.

But not too much.

This was the first time I'd sparred with another magical girl close to my 'level' - but even if I had a slightly higher level than her, she'd probably been doing this since she was eight or ten years old.

Strawberry was probably really experienced and had years of training behind her, all with Kaleidoscope Academy set in her sights.

I grinned back at her, feeling a thrill of excitement in my chest. "Alright then."

In spite of all the work it probably taken to get here, she'd immediately treated me with respect and an unusual level of openness and humor. None of the pettiness those other girls had treated me with.

She was different.

But she was also totally going to kick my butt if I didn't think of a plan soon.

In spite of my level advantage, she was faster, more agile, and more experienced in hand-to-hand fighting. That punch she'd just thrown at me was proof of that, and it was obvious it took a lot of practice to develop that fancy explosive footwork and range of motion.

I didn't stand a chance unless I pulled something clever.

"Luminary Bolt: Rapid Fire!"

She frowned, weaving into a cat-like crouch as the first bolt barely missed. She seemed ready for me this time, her tail swishing back and forth as she ducked and weaved with graceful ease. Her body was a blur, her face lit up with a playful grin as she sped up, her limbs almost blurring as she danced through the orange blasts.

"Come on! You tried this already!"

I smirked, jumping to the side as I continued to bombard her with luminary bolts, the sharp energy crackling around me as they sailed by inches away from her.

"Tch. Did I misjudge you?" Strawberry pouted, dodging and cartwheeling through three successive bolts.

I saw her frustration mounting, her amusement turning to a sharp and focused gaze as she continued to close the gap at an even pace.

"Luminary Art: Ethereal Moonlit Dance!" I shouted as she drew in close.

The initial Arts version of my Luminary Mirage was a variation of my mother's famed Shadow Dance technique — which combined a slight visual illusion on her with a burst of speed and accelerated time perception.

It didn't quite give me a burst of speed like Shadow Dance did, but it was a far stronger illusory effect. It let me move like a ghost, leaving a hazy, spectral trail of luminescent light behind me.

At the very least, it would mess with Strawberry's ability to gauge range and distance as well as giving me an edge on where I was in comparison to her.

Strawberry lunged at me, her fist bursting into flames. I saw a glimmer of irritation in her eyes as she came up inches short, hitting nothing but air. I calmly ducked under her follow-up flame strike, splitting into two mirage copies as we separated into two separate directions. I struck back, finally landing a solid with my luminary bolt as my copy flanked her from the other side.

Strawberry was quick to react, her ears twitching slightly as she rolled with the body shot. She quickly vaulted over the bolts headed her way, launching a jump kick that was met with thin air.

I held my ground as she continued to weave and leap, trying to keep track of me and not having a whole lot of luck.

"Not bad at all," she chuckled, her voice raising in tone. "You're quick on your feet and can adapt really well to being tracked."

"Well, thanks," I said, smiling to myself as I continued my dance around her. "This is pretty fun, honestly!"

Her smile widened into a grin, and her next punch hit nothing but air. She let out a frustrated growl, jumping back as she crouched.

"That's more like it. Time for me to kick it up a notch too."

She dropped into a low fighting stance, and I grinned too as I felt a shift in her aura.

Her metal claw gauntlets reformed around her hands, and a faint haze of mana surrounded her body as her aura began to blaze with a charge of fiery energy.

She was going all out. Just as planned.

Time for phase 2.

Strawberry sniffed the air, smiling as she found my scent and turned to face the real me. She suddenly rocketed towards me, her steps quick and explosive as she zig-zagged to build momentum.

She wound up her arm, clenching her fist, and I quickly redirected her strike with a slanted barrier. I jumped back, continuing to circle along the edge of the arena and drawing her in as I released a barrage of luminary bolts.

She was still undeterred, leaping up and diving toward me with a grin as she cocked back her clawed fist.

"Luminary Beam!" I shouted, aiming my attack at the ground to push myself back toward the center of the arena. Strawberry slammed into the ground where I'd stood, shattering the padding and digging a shallow crater.

She grunted, looking up at me with a fierce grin as she leaned into the momentum, coiling her legs. "You really are slippery, huh?"

But I could feel my mana running down rapidly. Luminary Beam was my most taxing skill, and I knew I couldn't keep this up for long if I wanted to use my trump card.

Strawberry exploded again, flying out of the ditch to chase after me. She threw herself forward, and I almost couldn't stop myself from smiling.

I'd baited her in just like I'd planned.

"Luminary Art: Hopeful Heart Alchemy!" I yelled, reaching out to the side with my right hand as I continued to push myself back with my left.

An ornate orange staff radiating an auburn light suddenly materialized in my hand. It was tipped with a multifaceted crystal that shone with an iridescent glow, and the metallic studs and banding around the shaft formed a twisting, beautiful vine pattern that swirled down to the end.

It wasn't an exact match, but it closely resembled the staff of the magical girl I considered my mentor.

Strawberry exploded in a zig-zag pattern, building up momentum as I continued to push myself back. I could barely see her, but I kept my eyes fixed on her blur, matching her speed as best as I could. Her body erupted into flames as she drew in close, and I knew this was the moment.

"Take this!"

Strawberry flew forward, her aura blazing as she drew back her clawed fist for a final, exploding strike.

I knew that my Ethereal Moonlit Dance would frustrate her, forcing her either dash in wildly to overcompensate for the range and visual delays with sweeping strikes, or rely on long range attacks.

She was close enough now that she could catch up to me in a single bound, and I grinned as the flames surrounding her fanned out and closed in around us.

"Gotcha!" she cried, grinning savagely as she stomped out another crater and jumped at me again.

"I think not," I murmured, spinning the staff and slamming the end into the ground.

"Verdant Art: Entangling Grasp!"

Purple light suddenly appeared between us, and I lost sight of Strawberry in a burst of green leaves and shrubbery. Vines burst out from the ground, glowing with an orange light as they coiled and twisted around her waist and arms.

"Aw crap." Strawberry managed to get out, wincing as her momentum carried her forward.

"Brace for it," I yelled, bending my knees as I twirled the staff again, pointing it at the wall behind me.

"EEEEEEEE!" Strawberry shrieked, failing as she was launched into the air.

Strawberry smacked into the far barrier wall with a deep thud, sending shockwaves of energy as the barrier lit up with a thick static noise. The vines holding her suddenly let go, and she collapsed to the ground, groaning and coughing as she clamored to her feet.

I did it.

Strawberry looked up at me as I jogged over, wiping dust from her cheek as she struggled to her feet.

She raised an eyebrow, her face falling as she groaned. "Ugh," she groaned. "You sure play dirty."

I shrugged, shattering the Entangling Grasp and dismissing the staff.

"But still, that was a fucking amazing scrap. Your style is super cool and unpredictable. Where the hell did you come from, Harmonia Lux?"

I smiled at that, breathing heavily as I leaned against the wall. "Just... playing to my strengths?"

She sprang to her feet with surprising ease, and I couldn't help but feel a grim pride seeing the holes and scorch marks in the ground.

"I'd say," she said, grinning. "That was a lot of fun! Oh man, imagine what the more advanced cadets or upperclassmen here are like. This is so exciting."

"You... um, okay?" I asked.

She laughed, clapping my shoulder as she spun around on her heel. "Of course! We should do this more often. I'm always looking for new sparring partners other than my teammates and you're actually pretty good. Close enough to where I'm at to get a lot out of it."

I couldn't help but grin at her energy and enthusiasm. She was clearly exhausted, but she hadn't lost an ounce of her cheer.

A steady clapping noise filled the arena, and I turned to see Elysia standing up, a smile in her eyes as she approached us. "You two were really impressive!"

"Yeah, the newbie has some moves on her." Strawberry winked at me, smoothing her leggings and wiping her face. "She did a number on my butt, for sure."

Elysia laughed, and I couldn't help but smirk.

"Did you get it out of your system then, Strawberry?" Elysia asked, tilting her head as she looked between us.

Strawberry snickered. "Sorry, Elysia, but you're not getting out of this scot-free. You're up next, and you're going down, 'undercover noob'."

Elysia paled, and then she smiled weakly. "Are you sure? Maybe I should stick with watching."

"Nope."

Strawberry gestured for her to enter the arena, and Elysia sighed.

She seemed almost hesitant, almost afraid. But she took a breath and put on a smirk. "Alright. Fine then."

Strawberry looked at me, giving me a smug catlike grin. "Yay, round two! Now say, you said you thought Elysia could take us both down, right? How about we make it more interesting and go for a two-on-one? Heheh."

Elysia sighed, her aura shining with a crisp, cool energy as she slowly walked toward the center of the arena. She seemed relaxed, a slight swagger in her step as she reached up and tied up her hair. "It's fine, Strawberry. I just... don't want to accidentally hurt either of you, you know? Plus, I mean, it's just a friendly thing."

There was a different energy radiating from her, and she slowly adjusted her posture, the shy and insecure girl fading away before my eyes.

She turned around, and I could almost see a teasing look in her eyes, and she briefly gave me a smile as she crossed her arms.

"With me, Lux," Strawberry murmured, crouching to the ground and looking at me expectantly. "Think you have enough mana left for a round two?"

I grinned, recognizing the look in her eyes as she crept into that crouched stance. She wasn't tired. Far from it. She was loving this.

"I'll be right behind you."

"That's what she said," Strawberry snickered, giving me a light jab as she launched herself forward.

"Time to boogie!" Elysia chuckled, cracking her knuckles as she drew her arm back, her eyes flashing silver.

Time to boogie?

That was an interesting choice of phrase.

Guess it was time to see what this Elysia girl was all about, then.

The look in her eyes reminded me of something, and I held onto that as I dashed to the side and did my best to follow Strawberry's lead.