PH1RE'S P.O.V
The ball of fire left my hand with a practiced throw and headed in her direction, skillfully dodging it she expected it to be taken care of.
[Pyrokinesis]
With a quick, subtle gesture, I redirected the fireball mid-air, sending it arcing back toward her. The explosion, perfectly timed, ignited when it got close enough, forcing her to retreat.
"That's new," Lydia remarked, deftly sidestepping an overhead whip made of tightly wound strings.
She dodged another swing of the whip and tried to grab it, but I sent another fireball in her direction, making her back off. More fireballs followed, and with a few sharp motions, I set them to orbit around Maya.
"I expected Loid to be the one focused on close combat," Lydia remarked, sidestepping an attack.
I flicked my hand again, sending two fireballs formerly orbiting Maya spiraling toward Lydia, but this time, she didn't dodge. Instead, she charged straight through them, her figure blurring with the speed of her movement. With barely any time to react, Maya swung her whip to intercept, but Lydia caught it midair, yanking Maya forward with a sudden pull.
Maya stumbled, but I was already moving. With a quick command, I manipulated the flames, instead of making them explode I caused them to unravel from spheres creating a wall of fire. The flames swept over the battlefield, burning the whip and causing Lydia to back off again.
Maya regained her footing, quickly snapping the whip back toward Lydia's direction, aiming for her legs. "Loid, keep up the pressure!"
"I'm on it!" I called back, sending another wave of fireballs toward Lydia. I could feel the strain of keeping them all in motion, but I couldn't let up. It was the only thing I could do.
Lydia, of course, moved like the seasoned fighter she was. She dodged, twisted, and parried each attack with ease, her movements graceful yet lethal. It was like she was dancing through the chaos, always one step ahead.
"Too slow," Lydia called out. In an instant, she blurred forward. One second, she was far away, and the next, she was right in front of me, her hand already aiming for my chest.
[Plus Step]
I reacted on instinct, flooding my legs with mana and propelling myself backward with the speed boost from the spell. The ground blurred beneath me, and while the landing was less than graceful, I managed to avoid her strike.
"Nice dodge," Lydia commented, a gleam of approval in her eyes.
Her praise was short-lived as Maya took advantage of the moment. She cracked her whip again, the sharp sound slicing through the air with a force that rattled the entire training ground. I remembered reading somewhere in my past life that a whip could break the sound barrier. I Whether or not that applied here, the sound of the whip seemed to reverberate through the ground and through my feet making them vibrate from the assault. This made it difficult to stay standing.
Lydia dodged swiftly, using Plus Jump to propel herself into the air, momentarily leaving the flower beds exposed. Maya extended another whip from her opposite hand, aiming for the vulnerable blooms.
[Plus Punch]
A wave of mana in the shape of a circle shot from Lydia's hand after a powerful punch, creating a rippling blast that collided with Maya's whip. The accuracy from that distance was both terrifying and awe-inspiring.
But this was our chance. If I could keep Lydia distracted long enough, Maya might be able to snag a flower. I gathered my mana and conjured six fireballs, the orbs of flame swirling around me like a fiery halo. Their heat warped the air around them. With a sharp command, I launched all six in unison, each one veering unpredictably toward Lydia. Simultaneously, Maya aimed another whip at the flower bed.
Lydia's eyes narrowed as she saw the incoming barrage. She raised a hand, and for the first time during our training sessions, she summoned a shimmering barrier of mana.
[Mana Shield]
The fireballs crashed against the barrier, exploding with violent bursts, but the energy shield held strong. Lydia stood within, unfazed, watching us with keen focus. She stepped up the intensity of her movement, using her mana to form platforms beneath her feet—a more refined version of Plus Jump—before she crouched into a running stance.
And then she vanished.
Before I could even register her movement, Lydia used Plus Step, rocketing forward with blinding speed. In the blink of an eye, she was in front of the flowers, moving too fast to track. With one hand, she grabbed Maya's whip and yanked hard, sending her hurtling through the air before slamming her into the ground.
"Maya!" I called out in concern.
I barely saw her move before she struck, her hand aimed directly at my chest. Instinctively, I raised my arms in defense, but the force of her strike sent me sprawling across the ground. The impact knocked the wind out of me, leaving me gasping for air.
Gasping for breath, I struggled to sit up. Lydia's eyes flickered between the two of us as we lay sprawled across the battlefield.
"Good," she said, her tone calm but firm. "You've both improved a lot since we started."
Maya and I exchanged a glance, both of us breathing heavily. She nodded in confirmation, and I couldn't help but smile. This was it—our final test. We had actually done it.
"Maybe you'll both have better luck next week," Lydia said, turning to walk away, completely unfazed.
"What are you talking about? You should stop being such a sore loser, Lydia," Maya called out, still on one knee but grinning like a Cheshire cat.
"Pardon?" Lydia raised an eyebrow, her calm demeanor faltering slightly.
"What she means to say is, it's been fun... Actually, no, it hasn't," I added, standing up straighter.
Lydia's eyes narrowed. "What are the both of you talking about?"
"It should be obvious!" Maya responded, pulling out a knife. We had been allowed to use weapons, but up until now, there hadn't been a reason to.
Lydia tensed, raising her guard. But it was already too late. Maya slit her thumb and pressed her hand onto the ground, releasing a surge of mana that pulsed through the earth. A glowing pentagram formed, and an explosion of energy followed. Hundreds of thin strings erupted from the ground, weaving together into thick chains that spiraled toward Lydia. The mana in the air became heavy, crackling with force.
Before she could react, the chains coiled around Lydia, binding her limbs and pulling her down. She tried to summon her own mana, but it was siphoned away, funneled directly into the magic circle beneath her feet.
[String Shackles]
Description: The user creates a mana circle, which restrains the movements of the targets put into the center and siphons their mana. Activated by the users blood.
Spell class: Great
Spell type: Binding
Lydia strained against the chains, her muscles flexing as she tried to break free. But the more she struggled, the tighter they held, forcing her to the ground.
"Well done, you both pass," Lydia said calmly, even as she remained locked within the magic circle.
"It worked. It's even better than I expected," I said, turning to Maya, who now had tears welling up in her eyes.
"How's your hand?" I asked, noticing the blood still dripping from her thumb.
"It hurtsssss! I was really caught up in the moment, but now I think the adrenaline wore off," she complained, wincing.
It had taken a lot of time and practice for Maya to work up the courage to cast a spell that risky, so I couldn't help but feel proud of her.
"What are you doing?" Maya asked, confused as I reached out and patted her head.
"Rewarding you," I said with a smile.
"Get the flower if you want to reward me, you idiot!" she shouted, pushing my hand away with mock annoyance.
"Fine, fine. Sheesh!" I said, walking over to the flower beds and picking one of the bright blooms.
"Mission accomplished. You can let her go now," I said, holding the flower aloft as a small victory token.
"Hmm. Hey, Loid, change of plans," Maya said, her voice suddenly low and mischievous.
"What plans?" I asked, a knot forming in my stomach.
"I want payback for all the torture. So, light those flowers up," she said, a wicked grin spreading across her face as her gaze flicked back toward Lydia.
A dark shadow seemed to pass over Lydia's expression, her usual composure giving way to a flicker of concern.
"That... doesn't sound like a good idea," I said, feeling nervous now.
"Come on, don't chicken out. Do it, for me," Maya coaxed, her tone playful but filled with that mischievous edge that usually led to trouble.
"Are you out of your mind?" Lydia's voice was sharp now, her calm demeanor long gone.
Lydia's eyes narrowed as she struggled against the chains. "You wouldn't dare."
I hesitated, my hand already glowing with the fireball I had prepared. Maya's grin only widened as she egged me on, and for a brief moment, I seriously considered it. After all, she had tortured us for months. Wasn't a little payback justified?
"You've already passed the test," Lydia added, her tone trying to remain calm but tinged with something new—was it worry? "There's no need to get reckless now."
"I don't know, Lydia," Maya said with a teasing tone, dripping with faux innocence. "A little recklessness never hurt anyone, right, Loid?"
I shook my head, sighing. "That's enough, Maya. Just let her go."
Maya groaned dramatically but relented. "Fine, fine, I was just playing around."
She flicked her wrist, and the glowing chains around Lydia slowly dissolved, releasing her. Lydia stood up, straightening her clothes and... immediately dashed toward the flower bed.
"I'm so sorry about them!" she called out as she knelt beside the flowers, gently touching their petals as if comforting a wounded friend. "They didn't mean it, I promise."
Maya and I stood there, blinking in disbelief.
"I'll buy you all the fertilizer you like. Extra water tomorrow, I swear," Lydia continued, her tone soft and sincere as she tended to the flowers with the utmost care.
Maya leaned over, whispering, "Is she okay?"
"I think you triggered her trauma or something," I replied, still staring at Lydia apologizing profusely to the flowers.
Lydia, still talking to the flowers like they were her children, glanced back at us. "If either of you ever even think about harming my garden again, I will end you."
The seriousness of her threat clashed so wildly with her nurturing actions toward the flowers that it was almost hard to take her seriously. Almost.
"Got it," Maya said, raising her hands in mock surrender.