The Varyashim students were finally able to take a break outside, warm rays of sunlight draped gently over the children.
Rika was dragging Saburo by the grass as he was struggling comically, then she stops and he says while panting:
– D-Damn you, you ghost girl... my pants are getting dirty because you are dragging me l-like that!
– Oooo~ someone's shy now?~ Rika says with a rather seductive tone, her eyes narrowing playfully.
– W-What are you talking about? Don't be ridicul— he barely gasps with a nervous tone, but he is slowly becoming calmer as he notices that Rika is not as chaotic as she used to be.
– Oh, you know what I am talking about, mister! You have been nervous around me since we met...
– It is because you are weird, and creepy and... and... he slowly stops, looking down and then back at her, an extra beat of awkward silence, and then he says, maybe pretty...
Rika's eyes widen, she sure hasn't expected that, but it kinda made her heart... flutter? She was confused because she never experienced that feeling before, she blushes slightly and smiles a bit.
– I am sorry... w-what?
– Damn it— I mean!— you give me that... unstoppable yet alluring vibe! Fuck! I don't k-know how to e-explain it— just stop looking at me like tha—
– No, I find it... sweet of you to say... she says as she plays a bit with her purple hair.
– Oh... Saburo was being shy, his heart was beating fast, he scratches his head nervously, laughing up a bit awkwardly.
These two were staring at each other like a pair of idiots, Saburo was becoming more used to Rika, and Rika didn't mind it.
Meanwhile, Etsuko and Chiyo were sitting on the grass besides Rika and Saburo, at a distance, they noticed the interaction between the pair and couldn't help but laugh a little.
Chiyo felt a bit uncomfortable with that awkward silence surrounding them, but then decides to break the atmosphere's stillness.
– You were a force to be reckoned back there, Etsuko, you have grown stronger...
Etsuko's eyes slightly widened, but then she closes her eyes and smiles softly:
– Heh, thanks! You were great there too! I believe you have a lot of potential...
– Thank you...
It all goes quiet for a few seconds, and then Etsuko adds up, her expression turning serious:
– Hey Chiyo...
– Yes, Etsu?
– Kowamaru is a demon, that's why he left, I found him devouring a woman alive... she states bluntly, shocking Chiyo, she has never expected to hear such news, and never thought that Kowamaru could deceive them like that, her hands slowly rise to her mouth in slight sadness and disappointment.
– K-Kow—... Kowamaru?...
– Yes, that's... what happened... once I got there he trapped me and ran off... and I never saw him again...
– Oh...
And then, Orochi joins as well as he breaks yet again the silence:
– Did I hear it right? Kowamaru is a demon?
Etsuko looked down to her hips with a bittersweet expression.
– Yes. He is a traitor... she clenches her fist, biting her lower lip, it is all my fault... I was weak, I couldn't s-stop i—
– Don't say that, E-Etsuko, Chiyo says, placing her hand gently on the blonde girl's shoulder, you couldn't help it, you are not to blame...
– She is right, Etsuko. I believe you were too shocked to comprehend what was going on, especially Kowamaru doing that in the first place, he was our comrade...
Etsuko softens up, and Chiyo gives her an assuring smile. She then looks around and unexpectedly sees an eye on the fence, looking right at herself, and she can feel chills going down her spine, Etsuko quickly notices Chiyo being stuck looking behind so she also looks but the eye quickly pops away.
– Chiyo, what's wrong?
– N-Nothing... she replies, trying to soothen her concern.
The bell rings and the children go back inside for the second round of The Varyashim Exam.
As Chiyo walks back in Arena 1, she goes against Okazaki Sayuri, the girl had blue hair, an elegant traditional red robe, and she was weaeing sandals.
Okazaki pulls out her staff and swings it around playfully then smacks the end of the club, summoning three giant red roses that bloom from the ground, and then they shoot thorns everywhere. Chiyo starts dodging the giant thorms, but due to being too focused on dodging the spikes, Okazaki sees the opportunity and quickly rushes to Chiyo and kicks her straight in the jaw, sending her flying. Her body gets slammed by the wall, and when the supervisor of Arena is convinced that Chiyo isn't getting up, he prepares to declare Okazaki the winner of the second round, but then Chiyo slowly starts getting up, holding her bruised cheek with her trembling hand. She slowly raises her other hand and creates a crystal in which she snaps it and releases some sort of an external shenqi energy that freezes everything that is in Chiyo's way, the roses and Okazaki freeze, almost turning into ice blocks.
Before Chiyo could make another move, the supervisor stops her.
– That's more than enough, Igarashi Chiyo. You have freezed your opponent, making your enemy lose instantly, he coughs up a bit and then takes Chiyo's hand and lifts it, the winner of round 2 in Arena 1 is Igarashi Chiyo, raising her rank from C to B, congrats, kid.
Chiyo's eyes sparkle, and then she leaves, proud of her accomplishment.
Meanwhile, in the second arena, Rika was fighting Yamauki Shizuka, a girl with middle to long brown hair, a pair of red eyeglasses covering her forehead, a tube top and red sport pants, wearing a pair of white shoes. Rika raises her hand up, wraps the fingers of each other's hands and prepares to attempt a ritual, but Yamauki quickly lunges at Rika and punches her away. Rika, seeing this, snaps her fingers and darkens the entire arena. Yamauki wasn't able to see so she warms up a bit and prepares to run around her at the speed of light in order to light up the arena.
"Shit... I stand no chance..." Rika thinks, and before she could recite the spell, Yamauki finds her, grabs her from behind and pins her by the ground. The room slowly lightens back up and Rika ends up exhausted because Yamauki held her for minutes, and then lets go of her. Rika lost, but she knew she stood no chance against a close combat user, so she accepts it.
For Etsuko there isn't even a problem, she beats up Kimoto Toshiaki effortlessly, not even breaking a sweat, and finally leaves the Varyashim exams.
As Chiyo walked outside by herself while the others were still fighting, she is met with an unknown yet chilling presence, a tall woman with a rose gold to orange curly long hair, light skin with lips painted in red, a pink to red bodycon, and she was wearing a black hat that had on top a long black feather. She looked gorgeous, intimidating yet had a divine aura that Chiyo couldn't put her finger on.
The woman smiles slyly and affirms:
– I have been looking forward to meet you, Igarashi Chiyo~