"True power come from within. One day it might bloom like a beautiful lotus out of the depths of a muddy lake"
*Iah*
"Iah," Adela said, walking over to me.
"What is it?" I said, wiping off the sweat from my forehead.
"I have some advice for you, for tomorrow's match against Ren or Youko. Ren's eyes appear to allow him to use all elements minus some of the more obscure ones like time and space."
"So what about it? How can I defeat that?"
"If it were me fighting him, my three elements at the same time would be able to disorient him. You on the other hand, have only two that you've mastered to the first level along with some basic lunar spells."
"Correction, my earth and dragon control extends well into the second level. Wait, I get what you mean. I got to practice my lunar spells, isn't that right?" I said. I sat down on the grass cross-legged and focused on the moons overhead. Silver prana flowed down from the heavens and into my body. I opened my eyes.
Adela sat down next to me. "Your left eye, it is silver just like that time we fought."
I grimaced and covered my silver eye. Even activating one eye was too much for me. However, it was the only way that I could think of that would allow me to defeat Ren's eyes.
"It's my top secret weapon, Tsuki no Me." I stretched across the grass, my prana was depleting fast. I shut off my moon eye. "You're the only one I've used it against actually."
She frowned. "Are you alright? When you used it against me you were out cold for three days."
"I'll be fine," I said. I grinned as I recalled the past, even if some of those memories weren't exactly pleasant ones... "I'm better at it than I was back when we first battled." I closed my eyes.
Adela's grabbed my right hand. "Come on, don't sleep here."
I recalled the girl from seven years ago...the same one who had called me weak. I had thought that her words from back then would make us eternal enemies, yet could I still have feelings for her? I got up from the ground and smiled.
"Thanks for helping me."
She looked down. "It's the least I can do after I ignored your warnings about Ren."
Once I was back inside the house I took a quick shower and headed back downstairs to sleep for the night.
"Wake up," I heard one of the girls say. I opened my eyes and saw Nyima. She was dressed in a blue ruqun with wave designs painted across it. Her hair was tied up but with the hair on the sides let loose. On her hands was an umbrella similar to those used in my clan during the traditional period.
"You look beautiful," I said.
Nyima touched her hair. "It isn't too cutesy is it?"
"Nah, you look elegant in it." I get up. "I should go and change too. Wait for me."
"Not like I have anything better to do," she said, sitting down on the sofa.
Had the others left already? I put on my yellow shenyi as fast as I could and went down stairs.
Nyima glanced up. "A shenyi? Do you plan to fight with that?"
I nodded. "Four panels, four seasons," I muttered.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
I chuckled. "You'll see."
"You're finally awake," Adela said. She wore a red pien fu and had her hair swept back except for her side bangs.
"You look pretty today, I must still be dreaming." I wished that it could be like this every day.
"I should've zapped him awake," Lei said with a grin as he walked in. He looked like he was the one who was going to fight with his light green kung fu shirt and black pants.
I crack my knuckles. "You would be a nice warm up."
Lei covered his hands in lightning. "If I win I take your place as rep."
Nyima hit the two of us. "You idiots. Now isn't the time. Lei it's too late to challenge Iah. Come you two we got to go." She looked down. If she had won against me she would've been the one who would be fighting Youko, Ren, and Arima. She looked up and pushed me. "We're going to be late, move it. I won't ever forgive you if you lose."
"Same here," Lei said with a smug smile. He helped Nyima push me.
"Try your best," Adela said. "Don't let those you defeated down."
"You three," I said. I stopped and turned around. I hugged all three of them at once. "You're the best."
"Let go of me," Lei said.
"Same here," Nyima said. "Unless if you want to lose your position."
I let go of them and got into the bus.
"You're dressed very elegantly,"Ms. Key said. She wore a white spring dress. "Will you be alright wearing that?"
"I think I will," I said. "I don't plan to move much either way."
When we arrived at school we were greeted by Arima and the others. Arima and her countrymen were dressed casually. Arima's clothing looked light so she must have expected that speed would be essential. Considering how fast Ren was the other day, her guess was an educated one.
Alto and Ulissis walked one ahead. "It's time to open up our stall," Alto said. His face had already healed completely from the acid burns.
"Bye!" My own team said.
"Good luck," Arima said, shaking my hand. "If we meet in the arena don't pull any punches."
I chuckled. "I won't."
"Hello," Ren said. His eyes were different colors. One of them was purplish grey and the other was ocean blue. He wore a simple blue kimono and wielded a fan. "Arima seems to be the only one among us ready to fight."
Arima glared at him. "You don't need to get your hands dirty."
Ren laughed and pointed his fan at her. "I love that Sefan way of talking, you certainly don't mince your words."
"Iah, Arima, we're going to go open our club's stand," Adela said. "Don't try to fight him before it's time."
Ren reached out for Adela but I grabbed his arm. "What are you trying to do?"
"Let go of me," he said, slapping me with his fan. He gave off a demonic aura. Why was he so angry?
"Ren," Youko said. She wore a blue kimono decorated with sharks said. "Come on, the freshman matches are going to start soon."
"I'm coming," Ren said. "Youko, these two are today's opponents, which do you think is strongest?"
Youko glanced up. "It doesn't matter, neither of them will be freshman representative."
Arima and I took in a collective deep breath. "Let's go and see," I said. The four of us walked to the open circle in front of the school. The area was relatively empty with only a few freshman walking around.
"Here they come," one of them muttered. I recognized him from potion class, he was one of the ones who had called Adela a witch.
Standing at the center of the circle was Koukyuu dressed in a beautiful white kimono that showed off her body frame quite well.
"I took the liberty of deciding the matches without you present," Koukyuu said. "I have decided to mix things up this year. The battle will be a tag team battle."
"We got this," Ren said.
Koukyuu grinned impishly. "The pairs are Iah no Mikoto and Youko, and Ren and Arima."
Ren growled. "What's the meaning of this?"
"These teams are meant to build teamwork among the Lacevians and our foreign exchange students."
"I refuse to be paired up with a Wudi," Youko said.
"Then are you saying you are resigning?"
Youko walked up to the arena. "Fine. I'll be paired up with the Wudi, but don't expect me to help him."
"You may be cute but you have an awful personality," I said.
Her eyes turned ocean blue with three black lines coming out of her pupils dividing the whites of her eyes into three roughly equal parts. "Don't push your luck. It is possible for there to be only one representative you know."
"Is that so?"
Ren smiled at Youko. "I now see, what must be done."
Arima and I exchanged glances. Those two planned on betraying us.
Koukyuu covered the circle in a barrier. "Start."
I stood my ground, allowing Youko to make the first move. Arima did the same to Ren. Ren and Youko's blows clashed in the center.
"Why did you attack me?" Youko said, eyes wide.
"I thought that Iah would make the first move," Ren said, gazing over at me.
Arima and I both snickered.
"What's this?" I said, gasping. "Don't tell me that you two are in cahoots with one another? Ms. Kasai no Ki, isn't this kind of conspiracy against the rules of a tag team?"
Koukyuu took out her claws. "Yes, it is. I guess that there is no other choice. The setup of this match has changed, it is now an all-out battle. The last two remaining win. You may develop any dynamic with the others that you'll like."
Arima and I stepped away from out former partners, moving toward each other and covering the other's back. "Good move!" Arima yelled. "I didn't expect it to work this easily."
I smiled. "Nor did I."
**Solar Questions: Btw, once again, what do you think of the relationship between Iah and Adela? Is it how you had expected it to have developed all the way back when they were shown together in Episode 19?**