Seeing as how you've managed to get both of the girls miffed at you, you decide that you might as well go for the hat trick.
"So, Briar," you say, prompting a startled double-take from Cordelia and a puzzled, oh-I-forgot-I'm-still-mad-at-you glance from Kahlua. "What did you think of the preliminaries?"
The fairy hesitates, eyeing the strange, demonstratedly dangerous girl next to you, but finally answers. "It was kind of an eye-opener for me."
Kahlua jumps in her seat and turns around.
"I mean, I know I'm no expert on fighting, but I was always under the impression that serious combat required the use of a weapon. Most of what you've learned from the old man struck me as either part of a sport - just one where you're actively trying to hit the other players - or magic under a different name. I figured that any fights you won using it would be because you're, well, you."
"And now?"
"Now, I have seen a little girl of six flip a boy twice her size on his head, using no weapons, magic, or mystical power whatsoever." You can see a tiny grin. "It was glorious. I also got to see Cordy win three straight fights against boys who were a fair bit bigger than she is, without taking a scratch in the process." Briar pauses. "At least until the third guy grew a faceful of spikes."
You pause in the middle of taking a drink of milk, swallow, and set your glass down. "'Spikes?'" you repeat, directing the question to Cordelia as much as Briar.
"I think he was part Brachen demon," the brunette replies. "He met most of the pointers listed on 'Demons, Demons, Demons.' He looked human at first, he had an accent like you hear all the Irish characters using in the movies, and he wasn't particularly strong until he turned green and grew all these short blue spikes." She gestures vaguely about her face. "After that, he was stronger than you are without the fancy light-show, even though he was around my size." She nudges her cheek. "The jerk went straight for my head on his first attack after that."
Kahlua looks at Cordelia and starts to say something, then stops, frowning. "No," she says with some reluctance, "you're right. Good tactics or not, he was a jerk. Did you at least hit him back before you lost?"
Cordy glares at her. "For your information, Kahlua, I won that fight."
"You beat a demon?" you ask, surprised and impressed. Even if her opponent was just a child, and half-human in the bargain, that's pretty damn good.
"You're not the only one who learned how to do glowy kung fu from Lu-sensei, Magic Boy," Cordelia says shortly, popping a sushi roll in her mouth.
"Of course, the glow is all she can do right now," Briar adds. "But after seeing you and all those other kids make with the special effects, that was enough to give Brachen-Boy a major case of the give-upsies. And when the officials quit arguing and went ahead with the rest of the fourth round matches after your fight, Cordy's last opponent forfeited as soon as she stepped in the ring."
"A win is a win," Miss Chase says, shrugging.
"True," Kahlua agrees. "Though a certain refinement should be maintained even in combat."
"Someone's been reading their Word of the Day calendar, I see."
"I'll have you know, I have received the finest possible education-"
"Ask me if I care, you-"
"Girls," you cut in firmly.
They glance at you, glare at each other, and then look away, Cordelia going back to her food while Kahlua once again ignores you.
It's a welcome reprieve when the Kurosaki family arrives a moment later. Now holding an icepack over his face, Ichigo nervously offers an apology to Kahlua, who sniffs disdainfully but accepts his feeble attempt, before turning all of her attention to the twins. There is some shuffling of places as the little girls claim the chairs to either side of their new big sister, with their father taking the spot beyond the paler-haired twin, while Tatsuki squeezes in between you and the darker twin. Ichigo gingerly takes the place across the table from you, his parents settling to either side of him, with Masaki next to Cordelia.
As it happens, you've finished most of the food you took.