Information, objectives, and vaguely-formed plans flash through your mind, but the sight of Tatsuki's still-pale face and clenched, shaking fists pushes back the other considerations. Someone you have invited into your sphere of influence and taught a handful of your smallest secrets, someone who is at least a student for whom you are responsible and could very easily become a friend, is in trouble of the supernatural variety. As far as you're concerned, this is an unacceptable state of affairs, and dealing with it takes priority over other concerns.

Gained Protective F+

As such, you largely ignore the Announcer's declaration of the opening of the second round, as well as the Kurokami versus Mitsurugi fight, in order to talk strategy with the girls. As it turns out, the ninja-girls are able to confirm the basic points that Akasha told you about Mohra demons - highly skilled warriors with accelerated healing, smash the forehead jewel to kill - though they are suprised by Akasha's warning against getting exposed to Mohra blood. Tatsuki takes the advice to forfeit a lot more quietly than you expected, and you glance at Cordelia, who shakes her head slightly.

You've just started passing on Akasha's comment that a ring-out is possible when the first match ends. You're fortunate that Medaka is so interested in talking to people and helping them improve, or the fight wouldn't have lasted - four minutes? What the heck was going on? Mitsurugi's not a bad fighter, but based on what you've seen so far, Medaka should have creamed him after the one-minute mark. And why are they both smiling as they leave the ring?

"She really thought I could win?" Tatsuki asks, in response to your most recent statement.

"Briar, back me up here, will you?"

The fairy obliges, giving you an opportunity to pull out of the discussion long enough to check on the Drake versus Harcourt bout. Although you're concerned about Tatsuki, your curiosity about Altria Drake's aura-based fighting style cannot be entirely suppressed, and you bring up your ki sight just as that match begins. With luck, you should be able to crib some tips for working with your own aura, maybe making it-

!

-you immediately switch off your ki sight and slam your mental and spiritual shields into place, HARD.

"Alex?" Cordelia asks. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I used aura sight on Miss Drake, there."

"...bad?"

"Technically, no. Kind of awesome, actually - just deeply unexpected and potentially really, really dangerous in relation to what I was doing."

The girls look at you, uncomprehending. Even Tatsuki has come out of her funk.

"She has a dragon in her soul," you explain. "Or part of one, anyway. I didn't stick around to make sure, because if it's the former, I would have gotten noticed."

The looks become stares, but Ayane and Kasumi's reactions are extreme. They look from you to the ring - where Vargas has given up any pretense of trying to block the blonde girl's fists, in favor of evading as much as possible and redirecting the rest - then at each other.

"She can't be," Ayane says, sounding deeply unsettled.

"She could," Kasumi responds, only slightly calmer.

"But she's British!"

"The world is bigger than just Japan."

Ayane has no answer to that.

"Is there a problem?" you ask.

They meet your gaze, and it's Kasumi who speaks. "Alexander, did you happen to see what kind of dragon it was?"

"...red?" you offer, unsure as to what the brunette kunoichi is getting at.

"She means, was it Eastern or Western?" Ayane says shortly. "And was it..." She hesitates, momentarily looking really, really scared. "Did it feel like a demon?"

"A demon? No, it was definitely a dragon. And... well, I saw wings, and a lot of fire. That's most likely Western, right?" Not that Western dragons always have wings and fire, or that Eastern ones always lack them - Volvagia comes to mind - but the former combination is certainly the more common.

"Most likely," Ayane agrees. She turns to Kasumi. "I'll go."

"No," the brunette says firmly. "I should go." She nods towards the ring, where Altria has just knocked Vargas down and the Announcer has begun a count, while the boy groans on the tiles. "We're halfway through this round, and you have a match next round you cannot miss."

There is an authority to Kasumi's voice you hadn't heard from her before, nor ever expected to. Ayane reacts to it by wordlessly bowing her head.

Kasumi turns to the rest of you. "Excuse me for my rudeness, but there are some people I need to talk to about this. Alex, they may want to speak with you later; is that okay?"