"Are you sure about this, Lydia?"
"Yes, dad,"
"All right then, if this is what you want, and I don't see any harm in this, then I'll back you up." Joseph Schwarz gently smiled as he put his hand on his daughter's head. In the past, it was his idea for Lydia to move to Japan, wherein she'd be able to cultivate her superpowers more. But now that she was willing to go through with it, he became a tad bit concerned about her sudden change of heart.
First off, Switzerland is a landlocked country, and it wouldn't be beneficial for Lydia in the long run if she were to stay here since her superpower is connected to water. Secondly, the country didn't have an education system focused on superheroes; that was why there were only a number of superheroes therein. Adding to that, registering as a superhero in such a neutral state as Switzerland is a pain on the rear end, and Joseph Schwarz didn't want his daughter to go through such complications when she decided to become a superhero in the near future. Long story short, Japan is a more advantageous choice, and it was essentially Lydia's second home. That's why Joseph Schwarz suggested that she continue her studies over there.
What he didn't know, however, was that Lydia had been keen on going to Japan right from the start. She was looking forward to spending more time with Satoshi. The only reason why it seemed like she didn't like to go was that... she didn't want to make it obvious to her dad.
But now came her most challenging trial yet— the entrance exam, which involved exhibition matches.
Back at the present, Lydia sat on a single seat inside her waiting room, breathing in and out as she tried to calm her nerves down. While this wasn't the first time she'll be displaying her powers in front of a large audience, this was the most anxious she felt. She was aware that her superpower should be interesting enough for her to get in. Of course, her superpower was flashy enough, but she wanted to display it even more beautifully. That way, she would not only ace the entrance exam but also become one of the top transferees.
From the walls of the waiting room, Lydia could hear the muffled sounds of the cheering audience, waiting for the next match to happen. Pretty soon, her name was called, and she walked up the arena with a rigid pace. She was too nervous, and she didn't know why.
Lydia may appear as one of the most confident out of everyone in Satoshi's group, but deep inside, she wasn't. It was just a farce, a false bravado she puts up so she wouldn't be teased with her reservedness. With bated breaths, she managed to get up from the arena. In front of her was another transferee. She had green hair, which was odd, but what was even odder were the vines that grew from the girl's arms. She was smiling, grinning from ear to ear.
'Why is she activating her superpowers? The match hasn't even started yet?' Lydia asked herself.
Once again, Plume walked into the middle of the stage, wondering the same thing. Of course, it wasn't illegal to activate your superpowers before the match, but that would be disadvantageous since it would expend unnecessary energy. Then again, it may be advantageous for the girl since her superpower might take some time to activate. That's why she activated it beforehand.
"Both sides at the ready? Start!" She signaled before flying out of the way.
"The name's Marie Pettigreen. How about you?" The girl asked, smiling. Despite her evil eyes and cunning smile, her voice was warm and gentle.
Lydia reminded herself not to judge the book by the cover. She seemed like a nice kid. Then again, there was no way Lydia would underestimate her just because she sounded harmless. "I'm Lydia, Lydia Schwarz."
"W-w-wait, you're Lydia Schwarz?! The daughter of Joseph Schwarz and the younger sister of—" Marie Pettigreen went on. Before she could finish what she was saying, though, Lydia cut her off.
With a flick of her wrist, Lydia formed a drop of water on her palms and shot it through the air like a speeding bullet. It whizzed past Marie's face, leaving a hole where her green hair was. "Wha— wait! I wasn't ready!" She exclaimed.
"Why don't we start the match? We have all day to talk to each other. Let's just finish this one first." From her peripheral vision, Lydia could see Satoshi's smiling face. She could tell that Satoshi was mouthing a cheer, and she got a tad bit embarrassed.
Seizing her chance, Marie shot the vines from her arms, aiming at Lydia's neck while she wasn't looking. What she didn't know, however, was that Lydia was proficient in fights. That's why she dodged the vines easily by bending over backward. She then rolled smoothly on the ground, forming her hand into a gun and shooting small water bullets at Marie.
Lydia finally found the right answer to her conundrum earlier. There was one thing she could do so she could perform a show without disregarding her battling capabilities.
After firing off a couple of water droplets at Marie and leaving her 'vine'y arms perforated, Lydia positioned her hand as if she was balancing something on her shoulder. A huge ball of hardened water then appeared right in front of her, and she shot it. Her action made it seem like she was shooting a bazooka right at Marie.
That's right, she was reenacting modern weapons with her water attacks.
Two water swords appeared on her hand, and she cleanly sliced the vines that got uncomfortably near. Once she got another clear shot, water spikes appeared in the air, and she pushed them forward with a swish of her water swords.
Fortunately, Marie was reflexive enough to block them, but not without suffering some serious damage to her vines. Her reach was exemplary, but her defense was all over the place.
Gritting her teeth, Marie decided to retract her vines and formed even fewer vines. This time, she strengthened each of her vines so they won't be cut easily. "I won't go easy on you anymore... I'd like to ask for your dad's autograph after this match though."
"Sure, would you like my autograph as well?" Lydia exhaled. There was a pause in their attacks as they tried to catch their breaths.
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