Scarlet

After the duel, Angelica quickly sprints over to me and practically tackles me with a hug, the short girl grinning like an idiot as she does so. And it takes all of my mental fortitude not to throw her off due to the physical contact.

“That was amazing, Scarlet!!!” she exclaims before seemingly remembering and backing away, breaking the contact. “We have to duel again sometime before you leave!”

I smile at that, but right when I’m about to respond, I hear a particular conversation that strikes my interest.

“I don’t think I need to remind you of this, but if you try anything against my daughter’s wishes, I will destroy this little Garden of yours,” I hear White’s voice, making me glance over to find her frowning at Ava on the other side of the training hall.

Ava winces at that, but doesn’t get angry and instead says, “Don’t worry, I won’t try anything. All I want is for the girl to make her own decision on whether or not she will become my apprentice. Or at least if she’ll consider joining the Garden.”

Yeah, that’s not gonna happen.

“Scarlet? Is something wrong?” Angelica’s voice brings my attention back to the girl who has to be about five foot three inches tall, and has navy blue hair that’s almost as long as she is tall. Not that I’m one to talk, but I did at least cut my hair a little bit so that it only goes down to my hip instead of my mid-thigh.

Not that it’ll take long to grow back to that length again.

“Was there something interesting over there?” the girl asks while tilting her head and looking just a little adorable while doing it as she looks at where I was looking.

I’m pretty sure it was her reality warp – that or her growth was stunted – but she really does look more like a fourteen year old girl rather than the nineteen-years-old she and Ava claim her to be.

“You don’t see them?” I ask, a little curious.

She frowns before shaking her head and saying, “All I see are the other members of the Garden that came by to watch us duel.”

“What about White and Ava?” I prod.

Her eyes suddenly light up as she starts looking around the room and saying, “Wait, your mother’s here?! Where?!”

Guess that confirms it. White’s hiding their presence and conversation from everyone but me.

“If it’s her choice and her choice alone, then she can do what she wishes,” White continues, bringing my gaze back to the two. “But I will not tolerate any attempts to manipulate or force her. So do keep this in mind tomorrow.”

Then White vanishes, following which the people around the training hall suddenly seem to notice Ava standing in the middle of them, startling them all.

I really want that sense nullification skill of hers. It looks like an incredibly useful skill. To just be able to nullify anyone’s senses.

Even my own hearing going at full sensitivity can’t catch a single whisper of movement from her when she does that.

“Oh! There’s the Association Leader!” Angelica shouts with an excited look on her face, only for it to die down a little as she says, “But I don’t see your mother. Did she leave already?”

I hold myself back from chuckling at her actions. Because despite the ferocious way she fights, and the obvious bloodlust she has, she’s kind of like a little kitten in a way. Small, cute, and wears her emotions on her sleeves.

On that thought, I glance at her outfit which consists of a basic red and black leather magi-tech armor that’s rather distant from the cutesy vibes she’s giving off.

An armor that has no sleeves.

Hmm.

Wears her emotions on her gloves, I guess?

That’s a better phrase.

“Did it really matter?” Tar asks, sounding amused.

Probably not.

He snorts as I begin to walk towards the entrance of the training hall, stopping only briefly when Angelica asks for my terminal ID so that we can stay in touch before I continue walking after giving it.

Honestly, that girl reminds me a little bit of Emily. Although a bit smaller, and a lot less shy.

Then again, Emily did blush quite a few times during the team tournament when I had to carry her.

“Didn’t she say that it was because she was being carried like a princess while being livestreamed to the entire world?” Tar comments, appearing above my head before just plopping down and sitting in between my ears, making sure not to touch them. “I’d say that’s a pretty good excuse to blush.”

Eh, I guess you’re right. I know I wouldn’t want to be carried around on live TV.

“You wouldn’t want to be carried around period,” Tar corrects, and I have to incline my head at that in agreement.

True enough.

Anyways, the people here are really nice, but I have no interest in joining a different Association. So I’ll be staying with Allen’s, even if his Association is quite a bit weaker, their only real benefit over this one being their access to greater magi-tech equipment.

I do wonder what it is White was talking about when she mentioned Ava remembering her words tomorrow.

It makes sense that she would do something that would try to endear me towards her or her Association, but just what would White be against her trying? I’m honestly curious.

Also a little curious if she’ll still go through with whatever she was planning, assuming she was planning something, after White’s warning.

Then there’s the fact that White purposefully didn’t nullify my senses of their conversation, letting me hear every word of it. Which I wonder if Ava knew about?

I continue walking out of the training hall as I ponder over that for a bit before stretching a little as I leave the building into the cold night outside and starting to make my way over to my assigned room through the snow.

Tomorrow will make for an interesting day, that’s for sure.