A new year at Nine Petal Academy means a new crop of students, including a boy who can't control his magic, a thief, an angel, and even a suit of armor? Adela, Lei, and their friends are tasked with welcoming the new class of first years and helping...
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I yawned as I stepped out of the room after having finished my breakfast. The semi-finals were finally upon us. I'd taken a quick nap ahead of it after some brief training with Kanja and the others in the morning. Yesterday, we practiced into the early night before heading to bed. Kanja seemed a bit better after that.
"Hey," Ling said, waving at me. She stood in front of my room, her back against the wall.
"What's up? Need something?" I asked, tilting my head.
She scoffed. "No. More like I'm here to give you something."
I raised my eyebrow. "Give me what?"
"It's information about Tamara that I think you might find useful."
My eyes narrowed. "Wait, I thought that you were friends."
Ling smiled. "Well, I certainly like to think so. She's a nice girl. She brought me some oranges and apples yesterday."
I smiled. "Glad you liked them. Tamara asked me to help her cut them. She almost cut herself trying it."
Ling gasped. "She did?"
"Yeah. That's why I find it odd that you're willing to give me information about her."
She smirked. "So, you are worried that I am betraying her. I am not. She gave me permission to give you a tip."
I furrowed my brow. "She did?" Did she think I was in the need of a handicap? The girl had to be as confident in herself as Carter.
"Yeah. She's aware that we all lack information on her magic. Against Mira, she didn't show much of her power, did she?"
"Only some palm strikes caused Mira's armor to be filled with sound waves. They disoriented her."
"I see. That girl is smart, using a technique that uses minimal energy but gets the job done quickly. Though, that's not all Tamara can do. Be alert. Don't mistake her for a one-trick pony or you'll regret it instantly. Regardless, be wary of getting caught up in her sound attack, else it's as good as over for you. Now, if you excuse me, I have to join the others."
That was it? Thought there would be more to it.
"Thanks for the info," I yelled as she walked away.
"No need. It is your reward for having beaten me." She snickered. "But I'm sure you'll run into trouble against that girl as you could barely take me down."
I gasped. "You've been training with her? Or how do you know so much about her powers?"
Ling nodded. "Yeah, she had me spar with her at the dock." He face turned pale. "I didn't last very long. She can take any sound and use it to her advantage. Even your own feet will betray you. Consider that piece of information the real reward."
So, there was more to it after all.
"I'll keep it in mind," I said, running after her.
