Cecilia clasped her hands behind her back, her gaze moving slowly over each of them.
"The reason for this exercise is simple," she said. "I need to know where you are in both combat prowess and battlefield intelligence."
"I can't shape your training if I don't know your limits. And I won't know your limits unless you're pushed."
Her voice hardened slightly. "That means no holding back. Use everything you've learned here."
She glanced at Arlo. "And that includes you."
Arlo grinned in response, but said nothing.
"But," her tone grew hard, and she raised a finger, "you shall not use skills nor spells."
"This is pure combat training. Nothing that can level a building. I want your fists, your footwork, your pure mana techniques, and your heads."
She stepped back, leaving the open space between them bare. "Show me what you can really do."
The three of them moved forward, closing the distance until they stood in a loose triangle at the center of the hall.
