No sooner had we walked out of earshot of Nirvana's group than Melian grabbed her head with both hands and began shrieking.
"What…what did I just say?!" Perspiration was running down her pale face and she was clearly panicking.
"You said that you and Adrian will be able to defeat them," I told her with a grin.
"I can't believe I just said all that! What do I do now?!"
"Uh, beat them up during the exam, of course."
"Why does Sensei sound so happy about this?!"
"Sorry." I chuckled. "But thank you."
I finally understood. Melina's strength stemmed from her determination to fight for others, rather than for herself. I was delighted that she would stand up for me and Adrian. That made me proud as her tutor.
"Yeah, thank you!" Adrian joined in. He raised an arm and flexed it enthusiastically. "Let's show those girls what we're made of! We'll beat them and prove to everyone that we are not incompetent!"
