199 Couldn't Pick Up His Feet

It wasn't long before Lotus noticed Zhang Li in her room who had reported to her, "Young master. According to the information we gathered, the two have left the school ground and arrived at the beach where they are fighting some gangs…"

"Gangs?" Lotus raised a brow in confusion.

Zhang Li nodded, "Young Epel managed to stun them with his charm and seemed to have come across something, but it didn't work a second time since his ruse was uncovered. The two are now fighting against the group."

Lotus sighed, "Deuce will be all right and Epel is with him. Let them fight it out for now and be scolded. When the time comes, call for me."

"Yes!"

It was a few moments after she had sent out a message to Riddle and the others in Heartslabyul did they calm themselves and allowed Riddle to scold them after Deuce had returned.

It was still dark when Zhang Li notified her of the visitors and the other's return. She quickly vanished as the door opened revealing the group of Pomefiore and Deuce in their dorm uniforms The others do not bear the crown or worn a long robe the way Vil did, but it only showed that Vil was the dorm leader so there was no other significant meaning behind it. Seeing her still up and studying from her book, Deuce was surprised to see her being so studious and in her realm of concentration. For once, it made her look like more than just a tutor or mischievous student.

"We are here." Vil huffed with a scowl, "This better be worth it."

"Of course." Lotus responded and placed her book back down onto the table before leaving the room, "You're here as well, Deuce?"

"Y-Yes!" Deuce responded with a firm nod, "I also want to work hard alongside with everyone!"

"This is no idea." She replied firmly, "Just a small demo."

"A demo?"

…..

The snow had only begun to clear as Lotus stepped onto the wet surface. She glanced over to Vil and the others and said, "Stay."

Vil nodded with a frown and watched Epel nervously took a step forward onto the ice floor. Rook frowned, "Lotus, this terrain."

"It'll be all right." She responded in an aloof manner and asked Epel softly, "How good are you with your magic?"

"That's… Are you sure you'll be all right? I-I mean-!" Epel stammered realizing his error.

"Come at me however you see fit. Either magic or physical will do. However, keep your eyes peeled and watch carefully..." She said this and tossed aside her mittens and scarf adorning only a long blue shawl around her arms and behind her back.

With only her Athletics uniform, it was rather cold in the light with only the lamp to shine upon them between themselves and the forest from behind. Finally, Epel nodded, "I-I'll start!"

Epel took a deep breath before he threw out a fire ball only for Lotus to step aside softly and the snow dissipated into the snow. Epel looked at her hesitantly as Lotus said, "You're too nervous. Fight as you would usually do, Epel."

Hearing this, Epel looked to with a look of surprise to see her smile sweetly unlike her usual aloof expression. That was when he suddenly recalled something and nodded, "Then, I'll attack now!"

With that, a few series of dark magic was cast in her direction without any hesitation. However, Lotus easily sidestepped each one of them with ease.

"I'm not done yet!" Epel called out and pointed his magic pen at her creating some strangely fast bits of fire pieces at her like a gun.

They shot fast which impressed her, but it wasn't enough to touch her as she spun around them with ease. Seeing this, Epel suddenly noticed something and casted out a rope to which Lotus quickly and softly batted away with the light flick of her scarf. Watching everything spin around them, Lotus softly picked off a small branch from the trees and Epel quickly grew tired. Seeing that she had gotten closer, he ducked in under her and attempted to use his magic rope on her. However, with one smooth motion, she quickly redirected his pen to the surrounding snow with one stroke of her hand causing him to look up in surprise only to be stunned by the soft smiling expression on her face shone by the soft light of the rising sun.

"Those soft expressions and arcs…"

Seeing this also caught Vil off guard as his eyes widened in disbelief. Rook was rather surprised to see this display as well and was quickly reminded of Epel's appearance.

Deuce watched on in disbelief as the fight had become a dance as a whisper slipped out of his lips, "Is this really Lotus?!"

Before they could say anything, Lotus made him twirl around and trip his feet over her long shawl. Much to his shock when he came to and looked up, he was already under her soft gaze which shocked him in bewilderment. It was only then did he realize the touch of the stick on his neck. Seeing this, Epel realized that he was already on the ground and utterly defeated. Looking around, he also realized that his magic pen was no longer in his hand!

Lotus helped him up and he began to search for the pen vigorously before seeing her outstretched hand, "It is the rule that you only need to disarm the other person. Isn't that correct, Rook-senpai?"

"A-Ah, yes!" Rook responded as he shook his head in bewilderment before smiling brightly, "That's correct! You've won the match!"

"W-What just happened, though…" Epel looked around in bewilderment.

"Lotus beat you just by dancing…" Deuce responded as best as he could describe it.

"Huh?! What the?!"

"Didn't I tell you to keep your eyes peeled? Your reaction and planning was too aggressive and eager." Lotus responded with a blunt and firm manner, "Though you did change and improved yourself greatly by the end, your movements were sluggish and your feet dragged when you sprinted towards me. If you had picked up your feet as you had before, I wouldn't have the chance to even touch you. You only take your size into consideration after I got closer. Had you not thought of this sooner, you would've already gained the upper hand before I could react."

"Picked up my feet?" Epel raised a brow before his eyes widen upon realization, "That Jazz walk!"

"Exactly!" Vil frowned in dismay and sighed, "I was hoping you'd realize that major flaw. But, I didn't think that you'd need a battle to spell it out for you…"

"So, I lost just because I couldn't pick up my feet?" Epel raised a brow in doubt before he shook his head, "No, wait. He suddenly appeared before me and I couldn't evade it."

"That's not true…" Deuce shook his head and sighed in defeat, "Your right was completely open for you to evade it. However, it would need an insane amount of flexibility to swerve around his advances. But, Lotus..."

Deuce looked to her in doubt, "You know… How to dance?"

"I know little of other cultures." She responded bluntly, "However, I do know a little of ballet…"

"Eh?!"

"Ballet was an advanced version of an old traditional easter style of dance I was used to practice." She responded bluntly with a huff, "In truth, their style and choreographs are too different. I'm no expert in ballet, but I can dance traditional eastern style dances. Flexibility, choreograph, posture and steps must all be counted and placed into consideration. So much so, that they are engraved into your every action. From the way you walk to the way you simply turn your head, but all of this requires a lot more strength than you initially believe or do you think it is so simple for male ballerinas to lift their partners up? There are those who fail from joints and muscle problems as well. If you had thought that ballet was something as weak as spinning on your toes prettily, then I can tell you know that ballerinas are one of the dances that requires the strongest muscles to maintain a posture and routine over and over again."

"What Lotus danced… was ballet?" Deuce muttered in confusion.

"No." Rook replied with a wide smile on his face, "The dance he performed for one for the women from ancient eastern times. It was a style only the women dance to. However, it is also the most difficult."

Lotus frowned, "True. In the past, only women danced such dances until trendy lifestyles and social preferences and culture made it so that the style nearly went extinct because women couldn't dance without pain in their feet anymore. However, when the countries became modernized, the first style of dance that was picked up after was ballet because it was so similar to such dances amongst many others. However, that day when Epel called Ballet a girly dance, I was recalled of something."

"Huh?"

Rook nodded in confusion, "The dance you performed in the battle wasn't such a dance…"

Lotus nodded, "Over time, these dances grew to hold a smaller place in the eastern countries till it has only become a past time. There are those who had even go ahead and established martial arts twists into such dances."