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 indig that the field was in use.

  But otherwise, it erfectly pin and wide open.

  Padded mats covered in dirt and dust lihe floor across the entire arena over a a dirt bed, no doubt separated from any possible rain or i weather from above by the barriers. The walls were smooth and uniform, with the odd magical inscription and ruhat 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 gss, but it just left a slightly singed pat the padding.

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

  "Wow, that's a sharp snap," Elysia said, g 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 kself back together, looking as good as new.

  What kind of teology was that? It seemed ridiculously handy. Why wasn't it more prevalent in regur 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, tinuing to study me ily from her seat. "It'll e quick."

  Cw Strawberry fshed me a wide, excited grin as she stood, waiting for me oher 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 ribboo the end, plete 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 calg, 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 csped tightly in her p. 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 ical girls, but her nerves seemed to have calmed down. Maybe talking with me about my experiend standing up to the three girls from before had gotten her mind off her own aies.

  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 aking a deep breath as I shifted into a battle stance.

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

  Elysia nodded with a wink, and stood up, raising one arm as she began to t 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 cy shoes transf into cwed 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, trag her with my eyes. She was fast, but I'd already dealt with two oppos even faster than her.

  I immediately threw up a luminary barrier around me in a dome, brag for impact. But just as she was about to smash into me, she turned and jumped, kig 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.

  Cwed, heavy gaus formed around her hand, and a torrent of fmes began to form like a drill around her raised gau.

  Crap.

  My intuition practically screamed at me to move, and I quickly bent the light around me, f a luminary mirage e beh the dome.

  I jumped back right in time as Strawberry smmed into the dome like a rocket. The walls and grouh 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 smmed 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 e shimmering as it faded away.

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

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

  Her witched, and she rolled out her shoulders, crag her neck.

  Strawberry suddenly whirled around, snapping her eyes open with a savage grin. Then, she bent over with her gaus 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 ractically flying.

  I dropped the mirage to serve mana and aimed my palm at her, coating my hand in a gentle luminesce as I trated my mana. An orb of light formed, crag with an e-red energy.

  "Luminary Bolt: Rapid Fire!"

  I rapidly unleashed a barrage of bolts that crashed around Strawberry, exploding with a cussive burst on each hit. She didn't stop, though, and just started dug and weaving, kig up a storm of dust as she dahrough the attacks. Fmes burst out from her fists as she smmed 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, tinuing to fire luminary bolts at her as she drew closer.

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

  Maybe there was a ot here, after all.

  Her teique was incredible, and she was qui her feet, but maybe if I drew her in...

  My thoughts were interrupted as she suddenly accelerated with an explosion of fme 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 gss. It was all I could do to kick off and throw my arms in front of me at the st sed to roll with the blow.

  Her fist caught me right in the midse, sending me flying back with a bst of hot air. I rolled, barely catg myself as I tumbled bay feet.

  Strawberry grinned, rotating her shoulders with a light boun 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, wirl? Don't you hold out on me."

  There was a challenge ione.

  She'd dismissed her cwed gaus at the st sed, and hit me with a bst of hot air instead of fire. My aura would have protected me, of course, but this ar, and she was cautious not to hurt me badly.

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

  But not too much.

  This was the first time I'd sparred with anical 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 robably 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 resped an unusual level of openness and humor. None of the pettihose irls had treated me with.

  She was different.

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

  In spite of my level advantage, she was faster, mile, and more experienced in hand-to-hand fighting. That punch she'd just thrown at me roof 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 less 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 bad forth as she ducked and weaved with graceful ease. Her body was a blur, her face lit up with a pyful grin as she sped up, her limbs almost blurring as she dahrough the e bsts.

  "e on! You tried this already!"

  I smirked, jumping to the side as I tio bombard her with luminary bolts, the sharp energy crag 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 tio 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 Daeique — whibined 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 lumi 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 parison to her.

  Strawberry lu me, her fist bursting into fmes. 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 fme strike, splitting into twe copies as we separated into two separate dires. I struck back, finally nding a solid with my luminary bolt as my copy fnked her from the other side.

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

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

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

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

  Her smile widened into a grin, and her 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 grioo as I felt a shift in her aura.

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

  She was going all out. Just as pnned.

  Time for phase 2.

  Strawberry she air, smiling as she found my st and turo face the real me. She suddenly rocketed towards me, her steps quid explosive as she zig-zagged to build momentum.

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

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

  "Luminary Beam!" I shouted, aiming my attack at the ground to push myself back toward the ter of the arena. Strawberry smmed 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 doidly. Luminary Beam was my most taxing skill, and I knew I couldn't keep this up for long if I wao 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 pnned.

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

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

  It wasn't a match, but it closely resembled the staff of the magical girl I sidered my mentor.

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

  "Take this!"

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

  I khat my Ethereal Moonlit Dance would frustrate her, f her either dash in wildly to overpensate for the range and visual deys with sweeping strikes, or rely on le attacks.

  She was close enough now that she could catch up to me in a single bound, and I grinned as the fmes 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 smming 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 e light as they coiled and twisted around her waist and arms.

  "A." Strawberry mao get out, wing 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 unched 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 statioise. The vines holding her suddenly let go, and she colpsed to the ground, groaning and coughing as she cmored 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 py dirty."

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

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

  I smiled at that, breathing heavily as I leaned against the wall. "Just... pying 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 uppercssmen here are like. This is so exg."

  "You... um, okay?" I asked.

  She ughed, g 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 ahusiasm. She was clearly exhausted, but she hadn't lost an ounce of her cheer.

  A steady g noise filled the arena, and I turo 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 wi me, smoothing her leggings and wiping her face. "She did a number on my butt, for sure."

  Elysia ughed, 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 , and yoing down, 'undercover noob'."

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

  "Nope."

  Strawberry gestured for her to ehe arena, and Elysia sighed.

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

  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 iing and go for a two-on-one? Heheh."

  Elysia sighed, her aura shining with a crisp, cool energy as she slowly walked toward the ter of the arena. She seemed rexed, a slight swagger iep as she reached up and tied up her hair. "It's firawberry. I just... don't want to actally 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, croug to the ground and looking at me expetly. "Think you have enough ma for a round two?"

  I grinned, reizing 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 unched herself forward.

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

  Time to boogie?

  That was an iing 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.