"We'll start the moment the handkerchief lands on the ground."
I said to all the heroes in the dueling chamber while holding a silk cloth in my hand.
My comrades in Party 1 were standing around me. Battle stances at the ready.
Their weapons were faced against the 34 heroes spread around the oval room of the dueling ground.
For this sparring session, Party 2 and the entire second floor trainees were set up against our sole party.
The idea came after Party 2 held a selection for their fifth member among the second floor trainees.
During the selection, Party 2's experienced combatants took on all of the trainees at once in a huge duel.
Both the Party 2 members and all of the trainees managed to level up their skills in the great spar.
Master noticed these mass improvements among the heroes and started making the second floor trainees spar with the raid team.
Well, master did not actually give such specific order.
Master would simply grant a certain number of second floor trainees access to certain third floor training grounds for a certain duration.
The heroes understood the gesture to be master instructing the second floor trainees to start training with the raid team.
I heard that every two days or three, around ten to fifteen trainees would visit either Party 2's or Party 1's training ground for a sparring session.
Jonah had been telling me how helpful the trainees had been in his own training.
The trainees were weaker and not as skilled as the raid team members at the moment. But their greater number made up for the lacking.
The shepherd said the trainees provided good exercise to prepare for trials where they needed to fight human opponents.
Trudy also told me how the trainees greatly benefited from sparring with strong and experienced heroes.
We should take note of this joint-training method in regards of developing the raid team's number and strength.
Anyway, it had only been a day since master sent that scout to the fifteenth floor, to the third Quintal Trial.
Needless to say, the scout never returned.
But the deployment confirmed that only one party was needed for the fifteenth floor.
And since we were called 'Party 1,' master would certainly count on us to clear this particular Quintal Trial.
It was for that reason master had granted access for all the trainees on the second floor to our training ground.
We had visited the fourteenth floor for the sixth time today. Even that was still not enough training for us, according to master.
Well, you could never be too prepared for a Quintal Trial.
I observed our opponents for this sparring session, studying their status windows.
29 trainees from the second floor.
All were at least level 11. Weapon skill averaged at level 4.
They would be proper replicas to the Jherendal soldiers we had been facing on the twelfth to the fourteenth floors.
Moreover, the entire Party 2 were up against us as well. Including Yuxia.
Three of them were experienced heroes who had survived a Quintal Trial. Another one was the most promising trainee in the lobby. And the fifth was another 4-star like me.
Arian would join us, but Trudy was borrowing her to frequent the ninth floor trial with some first floor trainees who were nearing their star promotion.
Even still, this sparring session would definitely be a good simulation for the Quintal Trial.
I probably should not hold back for this fight.
"We'll try to hold the center. Imagine we're protecting the goddesses statue."
I whispered to my comrades.
Once they nodded, I enchanted the silk handkerchief to fly away to the air.
Every hero in the dueling chamber tensed up once the cloth was floating back down.
The moment the handkerchief landed, threads of mana poured from my fingers and penetrated into my comrades.
['Serafina (★★★★)' is casting temporary enchantment.]
[Enchantment casted!]
[Party 1's strength, agility and stamina have increased by 7 for the next 45 minutes.]
Upon my spell casting, a dozen archers around the chamber immediately nocked and aimed their arrows at us.
Swoosh!
Multiple projectiles rapidly flew toward my party from various directions.
Unfazed, my comrades intercepted each arrow with their own weapons.
['Shanny (★★)'s Projectile Defense has levelled up to level 3!]
['Devisha (★★★)'s Projectile Defense has levelled up twice to level 4!]
['Jonah (★★)'s Projectile Defense has levelled up to level 4!]
['Darius (★★★)'s Projectile Defense has levelled up to level 4!]
Sparring with the trainees were definitely beneficial.
I best return the favor.
Raising my hands to the sides, I silently casted a spell and let my mana penetrated into the ground.
Maha Bhumi.
The ground around us deformed and rippled outward like a disturbed pond.
The wave shattered the smooth tiled floor of the dueling chamber, wrecking our opponents' formation which was cordoning us at the center.
With our sparring partners disorganized upon my earth magic maneuver, I launched my next set of spells.
Silently, of course, since I planned to not chant my spells out loud in this battle.
Maha Agni. Maha Vayu.
Streams of fire and wind rushed throughout the chamber.
The trainees were now too focused on avoiding my magic attacks that they could not find the chance to charge toward us.
I could see the frustration growing in Party 2 whom were also pinned to the edge of the field.
Zecht immediately turned to their own 4-star mage.
"We need to stop Serafina's barrage! Yuxia, fire away! Distract her with your spells!"
"Leave it to me!"
Yuxia replied confidently, raising his hands toward my party.
The elementalist chanted his spell.
[Maha Jwala]
A ball of fire began to manifest in front of his palms. Crimson magic circles hovering and spinning around him.
The sight of his casting brought a smile to my face.
How dare my pupil tried to cast magic against me?
While continuing my fire and wind attack around the chamber, I twirled my finger and let an invisible thread of my mana reached one of Yuxia's magic circles.
['Serafina (★★★★)'s Multicasting has levelled up to level 3!]
I pulled my finger and caused my mana thread to yank part of the runes away.
The entire magic circles wavered and vanished. Yuxia's fireball immediately disintegrated in front of his eyes.
"W-wha?! My spell!"
The elementalist screamed in disbelief and horror.
I could not help but chuckle at his reaction.
In a mage-on-mage duel, it was a fatal mistake to expose your magic circle like that.
The first thing a mage would do to bring down another mage was preventing their opponent from casting any magic in the first place.
A wise mage would know to master magic interference skill before attempting to fight another sorcerer.
Seeing all of our opponents were kept at the edge of the dueling chamber, I addressed my comrades with new orders.
"Time to improvise. I'll hold the center while the rest of you spread out. Take down the enemies while they're distracted with my spells."
"Understood!"
Upon their replies, my comrades dashed off toward the opponents.
They began with the second floor trainees since these heroes were numerous but weaker too.
As I kept launching dangerous fireballs and destructive gales toward the trainees, my comrades had no difficulties catching them off guard and incapacitating them swiftly.
Party 2 soon noticed I was left alone at the center.
Even though I kept raining them down with my offensive spells while preventing Yuxia from casting his own magic, Zecht and the others still found an opportunity for them.
"She's alone! Let's charge her while the trainees keep the others occupied."
Zecht ordered his comrades.
Norn, Tarran, and Jordane readied their weapons.
The four of them then rushed forward with Zecht at the lead.
With impressive agility they avoided all the fireballs and gales I sent at them.
Yuxia had been training with Party 2. Their members were used to magic by now.
But they were wrong if they thought the elementalist had showed everything a mage could offer.
"Prepare to assemble."
I whispered to my comrades using the communication blessing.
Zecht and his party members kept their charge toward the center of the chamber, toward me.
Once they were five steps before me, weapons poised to strike, I flicked my fingers together and created an intricate symbol with my mana.
['Serafina (★★★★)'s Hands that Twist Space and Time has levelled up to level 5!]
At that moment, my four comrades scattered around the chamber suddenly flickered out of existence.
A second later, they flickered into being again, at the center of the chamber, right behind the charging Party 2 members.
"Behind!"
Tarran quickly shouted.
His warning was too late, however.
Zecht and his comrades tried to counter the ambush.
But Party 2 already lost the moment my comrades appeared behind them.
Clang!
In one swift motion, my comrades struck Party 2's weapons off their hands, disarming them completely.
Members of Party 2 were now kept hostage by my comrades. Yuxia was still standing at the edge of the field, petrified by the outcome.
I looked around the chamber and saw most of the trainees laid incapacitated on the floor.
Less than ten trainees were still standing. Some of them still seemed eager to continue fighting, however.
So I created ten fireballs hanging above me and addressed the entire room.
"I believe it is our win. But if you want to be convinced some more, I still got enough mana to raze each of you to ashes."