Jenna was interested to see how far she could push the teens - and how far they would push themselves. Since it was her job to ascertain their abilities, she felt there to be no better way than to have them move past their limits. Since a limit exceeded was just an illusory one, to begin with.

Several of them had already had smaller break-throughs in their techniques, be it martial or magical. Their senses were becoming better attuned and they learned how to work together, read an opponent, and provided an opportunity to allow others, more accustomed to their specialties, and take on responsibilities for the whole.

She was slightly annoyed that Edward Shields had taken seven of the students for remedial lessons. However, from her momentary glances at the extra arena by storage shed, she did accept that they were learning something.

And after they were done with him, she would lead the smaller group through the same exercise and see their own capabilities grow as they're forced to take leading roles themselves. It had a silver-lining, too, however much she disliked it. Since time passed by surprisingly slowly, she expected the second group to be able to finish as well. Perhaps not their customary duels, but the course. They just needed to change their tactics.

Or sacrifice a few students.

It did not matter to her which strategy they picked, as she called healers here anyways.

She was curious to see how the group would function without their informal leaders.

"Okay, shall we?"

Lisanna paled but still nodded. "... If they managed it...!"

Lisanna tied with Mathias so she thought that she would be able to handle it better, if only since it was inherently easier for her to deal with.

Tanner and Stacy now already shifted to carrying James and Ayla over their shoulders as they waited for Lisanna's call.

"...!"

Fara looked at the scene and shrugged. "Let's go, Lisanna."

"Yes!"

She stepped forward, clutching the sabre in her palms tightly. Fara, too, carried her short-sword, but she was carrying hers loosely.

Sparks burst at their feet. There were no flames. Except the five-meter long phoenix screeched as it circled above immediately.

Fara walked steadily and said, "Ice Bullet," repeating it twice.

Small discs of ice appeared in her hands. There were not true shards, but rather more akin to compressed discs sharpened to a razer-point. She fired them at the phoenix as it batted its wings down, sending sparks and air in their face.

The discs shifted in the air, rolling left-and-right, warping a little in the heat, but straightened and cut straight through the two wings of the phoenix.

The phoenix's body fell downwards as rainbow-coloured sparks dissipated from the scattered flames of its wings. It dropped only two meters before flames resurged from its core, setting it aflight once more.

"Well, we got it's attention now," Fara commented.

"I guess so..."

Lisanna saw the scarlet eyes appear and pierce down on her. While the flames masked its stare somewhat, she felt that it was completely focused on the two of them.

"... Is it designed like this?" Fara commented musingly.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

"Designed like what?"

"To ignore everyone else. It seems too strange otherwise. I imagine the next level of difficulty will be to let them fly freely, then add the ambient environment back, and then maybe increase the number of opponents?"

"... Is that-"

Lisanna wanted to finish speaking, but the phoenix swooped down at her. She was distracted by Fara's observation and - and terrible prediction.

Lisanna brought her arm in front, casting, "Fire Wall!"

The thick barrier of condensed flames erupted as the talons cut through the barrier effortlessly.

Lisanna's body fell down from the force of her own barrier-breaking. Once the wind buffeting her died down, she dully pressed her arm against her shoulder. It hurt.

... There was blood. Dried blood. The clawed flesh was already cauterized.

"Ice Bullet!"

The phoenix dove for the dazed Lisanna. Just as the phoenix's back reared, and talons extended, Lisanna added as she pointed her sabre, "Fire Lance!"

She had never done it before with that spell, but she turned to condense the flames she managed with her Fire Wall spell.

It kind of worked. A solid mass pierced through the stomach of the phoenix just as the talons were shredded by ice. In the next moment, the fire that pierced through erupted.

Lisanna was pushed back a full three meters away by the solid legs of the phoenix, feeling her own uniform curl with the momentary heat, but she kept to her feet as she looked at the sabre she impulsively stabbed out. It was still in her grip, her clothes did not burn, and the phoenix cried as it took refuge back in the sky until its legs regrew.

"Fire Sword!" She shouted, feeling renewed confidence with each condensing flicker of fire atop her blade

"... Hah... Get ready for it then." Fara said as she locked onto it batting its wings to keep it stationary. "Ice Bullet... Ice Bullet... Ice Bullet."

Fara spaced out her attacks as the first disc split in two and hacked off the phoenix's wings. It dropped three meters with a cry, having already regrown its talons, but then dropped again - and again. And again still as Fara concentrated on dropping the beast from the sky.

Lisanna, with a solid, red-hot blade charged and jumped towards the talons. She deftly cut the first and darted away when she heard Fara cast another spell.

A spear of ice collapsed as it crushed the phoenix's chest, stunning it further. Lisanna hacked its other talon off and looked to the hill.

"Five left!" A look-out offered.

She turned to slash once she felt the familiar heat on her back surge.

And missed.

Lisanna's sword cut through empty air as the phoenix charged straight for Fara.

"Ice Wall."

The phoenix burst through and lowered its wing to hit the retreating Fara. Fara was sent sprawling on the ground and the phoenix did a quick, tight turn, and slashed Fara's back with three thick talons before circling again.

Lisanna felt her feet taking her towards Fara as she shouted, "Fire Lance!"

The phoenix, about to strike again, felt lift rising it up sharply, stalled in the air, and fell back to the earth as it dove into Lisanna.

"Clear!"

She did not have time to react to the comment as she jumped forward and rolled. It was nearly diving straight down at her.

Even she felt the ground was a little hot as she felt a light tap on her back. Lisanna quickly got on her feet and turned around as the tail-feathers of the phoenix were rapidly turning to the side and its wing approaching.

She cut down at the shoulder and the phoenix released a primal screech.

"... I-ice Wall... Ice wall."

The screech woke Fara up from her daze and the two walls steamed as they formed a wedge around the phoenix - trapping it for a moment.

"Go! We're clear!"

"Let's go!"

Lisanna helped up Fara, taking her shoulder and half-dragging her the way as the sound of ice shattering was heard ten seconds later. They already made it up the stone steps, the peak, and made it down halfway when the angry, burning beast charged from the side.

"Ice Bullet..."

Fara's body stiffened. While the attack was formed, and the disc split in two, only one hit. And just clipped a feather.

"Fire-" Lisanna started, but voices interjected.

"Water Bolt!"

"Fire Lance!"

"Earth Lance!"

"Water Bullet!"

"Earth Bullet!"

A series of attacks decimated the phoenix's back. Rainbow sparks scattered all around, but they were slowly forming around two floating scarlet gems.

And the torso appeared when Lisanna helped Fara down the fourth ledge.

The head came when they reached the third ledge.

The legs and talons came when they reached the first ledge.

And the wings sprouted forth as Fara caught her stride and the two sprinted the last twenty meters.

"It-"

It is right behind you, one was trying to say. But they couldn't react with spells in time and the phoenix stretched out to leave the two girls with a parting gift as it clawed them out of the ring.

A lovely, half-cauterized scar on their backs and soot, dirt, and grass on their bodies as they tumbled the last two meters onto safe ground.

The phoenix screeched victoriously as it intentionally sat upon the blackened perch it claimed as its own.

"Good job you two," Jenna said. "I suppose there is just one more to go through, right?"

Jenna laughed girlishly, but each student got chills from seeing her delight. She was, after all, smiling contently after seeing two beautiful girls being mauled by a mythical beast of all things.