Stel and I made our way out of the locker room and headed to the entrance, where Ichigo was waiting for us, leaning against a pilr. She smiled and waved us over when she spotted us, pushing herself upright.

  "There you two are," she greeted with a grin, her gaze flig between me and my half-sister. "You dies ready?"

  I looked around, taking in the massive state-of-the-art gym for the first time, and I felt like an imposter.

  The ceiling was at least 15 meters high with massive skylights that filled the space with natural sunlight, with polished stone and hardwood floors. The halls outside were painted a rich royal blue with gold ats, with banners featuring various awards and accodes won by the various clubs that trained here over the years.

  There was aire room dedicated to weights, where dozens of gleaming maes of e and steel stood proudly on dispy. Another room had row upon row of treadmills and other cardio maes. The gym was huge and spacious, with multiple separate locker rooms for boys and girls. In the maihere were a dozen or mymnastics mats of different sizes and thiesses stacked along the wall, and the parts of the floor was marked off for various activities like sparring and martial arts practice.

  It was a huge, well-equipped facility that could aodate hundreds of students all at ohere were about a hundred or so students here, all w out and practig.

  I felt a small rush of panic, my breaths quiing as my eyes darted around nervously, feeling out of pce. Stel seemed to notice my growing ay, because she pced her hand on my shoulder and squeezed lightly, drawing my attention to her. Her hazel eyes, so like my own, were warm and reassuring, filled with kindness and uanding.

  "Don't worry," she murmured quietly. "Everyooo busy getting caught up in their own workout to notiyone else."

  She was right, I realized with relief. Nobody seemed ied in us or even paying any attention at all, everyone focused on their routines and exercises.

  "Yeah..." I nodded, f myself to rex and calm down. "Yeah, you're right."

  "Besides, it's not like you have to do this alone. We'll be with you," Ichigo chimed in, grinning brightly. "We'll make sure you stay motivated and keep going."

  I ughed nervously, still feeling awkward about the whole thing. This whole setup, everything about it, it was sn to me.

  I had never worked out at a gym before. Hell, before ing here, I had only exercised at all because it was mandatory in middle school. I had always been so small, so weak, that it never even occurred to me to try aroo do something like exercise regurly o to a gym, that was for other people. I'd learned well and enough that food was too precious and money was too tight for me to be wastiher on stuff like that.

  It was surreal. And I was nervous as all heck, even with my friends and my newfound half-sister with me. The fact that the Power Fitness club had invited us to train with them before didn't make things better, because I didn't want to look weak or inpetent in front of people who were used to doing stuff like this, and probably did it every single day.

  "Ohhh Siennnna!?"

  I ged as someone sang my name in a singsong toheir voice high and teasing. I slowly turo see a trio of girls strutting towards us.

  The one in the ter was the leader. She retty blonde, with bright blue eyes, pale skin, and a figure that looked like she'd just walked off the cover of a magazine.

  The way her tight, designer workout clothes hugged her curvy body only emphasized that fact, showing off all the hard work and dedication that she put into maintaining her physique.

  She robably the same age as me, maybe a year older, but she looked way more mature.

  She also was also incredibly popur. Like, super popur, because she had the entire world hao her on a silver ptter. She was one of those kids whose parents owned a big pany with more wealth than I could even imagine and had been given a bck card. We'd gotten off the wrong foot but...

  "Hey Madison," Ichigo said. Her voice was friendly but ly inviting.

  I had gotten to know Ichigo well in the past few weeks. Ichigo was the friendly sort and I was the opposite. Even so, Ichigo seemed a bit put off.

  "You two know each other?" I asked, and she nodded.

  "Madison trai my dad's gym for a few years," Iitted with a slight frown, gng at the redhead that trailed behind Madison. She wore an expensive, fashioracksuit that matched Madison's.

  I'd noticed her out of the er of my eye when Stel had met me in her civilian form for the first time at the lun. I knew now that Madison was trying to reach out and be friends, but at the time I thought it was because she was a queen bee and wao flex on me.

  The redhead, oher hand, had snickered and s my sedhand outfit at lunch. She had bright red hair that she wore at length with a pair of cute hairclips. Her green eyes had a haughty and mischievous look, but she was rexed, like she wasn't too worried about things.

  The third of their group was a shirl with a cute face, round gsses, and long brown hair that was tied ba a long braid.

  The brown-haired girl was in a white sports bra that highlighted her small frame and tight, defined abs, and her bck leggings and running shoes were of high quality. Although we were around the same height, she had an air of fidehat made her seem rger thaually was, and her eyes were sharp and calg.

  "Is that Sienna?" The redhead asked, smirking.

  I blinked and turo the redhead, fused.

  "Oh cut it out, Sammy," Madison replied, rolling her eyes at the redhead, before looking me over and grinning. "Yeah, it's totally Sienna. Hey, Sienna! You're w out with us?"

  I was taken aback by her friendliness, not sure what to make of it. The first time we met, she'd made some ents that really highlighted how poor I looked. They weren't meant to be mean-spirited, but they still rubbed me the wrong way.

  We'd talked it out ter, and I uood where she was ing from, and I think she got where I was ing from, too.

  But I still wasirely sure how to deal with her.

  "Uhm..." I said awkwardly, not really knowing how to answer.

  Madison seemed to take that in stride though. She gnced over to the girl with gsses aured towards her. The brue nodded, walking forward aending her hand to me with a fident smile on her face. I noticed her nails were well manicured aly trimmed, with a light sheen of clear polish on them.

  "It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Lua Reina," she said.

  I moved to shake her hand, but Stel suddenly reached out and blocked me, gring daggers at Lua.

  "Don't," Stel said icily.

  "Wha...?" I stared at Stel in fusion.

  Lua looked at Stel with a cool expression.

  "I'm not a fan of people who are hostile for no reason. What did I do to earn this treatment?" she asked. Her tone was calm, her words polite, a she spoke with a slight edge of pt. "I have no ill will towards any of you. A you seem to hate me for some reason, Matsudaira."

  "Stel...?" I trailed off.

  "I know their types," Stel spat, her gaze fixed on Lua.

  Lua raised an eyebrow.

  "Do tell," Lua replied coolly.

  "Quit it," Stel hissed. "What is yroup's deal here, anyways? What do you want? What are your pns? Who do you think you are, walking around with that kind of attitude?"

  Lua sighed. "You seem to have quite the preceived notions of me, despite us not knowing each other at all. It's unbeing of one such as you, Matsudaira, to judge others like this. Perhaps I am wrong and there's more to you than I've seen, but you haven't given me anything to prove it."

  Stel narrowed her eyes at that.

  Madison quickly walked forward, hands held out pgly. She stood betweewo of them, and looked at Stel.

  "I think we might have started off on the wrong foot," she said soothingly. "I'm sorry if I've done anything to upset you, that wasn't my iion."

  Stel gred at her. "You've been a bitd I don't like it when you make fun of Sienna. And if this is some kind of game you're pying, you'll be very disappointed with how it turns out," she said icily. "You have a history of being mean-spirited, and I don't care for it o."

  Madison frowilting her head slightly, then shrugged and smiled. She seemed unfazed by the hostility.

  Why did I suddenly get a weird sense of deja vu?

  "I apologize if I offended you," Madison replied calmly, though there was an edge of frustration to her tone now.

  Lua shook her head, clearly a how things were turning out.

  "I must say, Matsudaira, your personality in this setting is very different from when I saw you earlier today," she remarked, her voice sharp and sarcastic. "And I must also add, your manners are terrible."

  "Oh, go screw yourself, Reina. I know your type," Stel growled. "I've dealt with it far too much already."

  Lua scoffed. "Do not pare me to your past acquaintances. Ynoranows no bounds, does it? And your presumptuousness as well."

  Madison turo face Lua, her eyes narrowed slightly in warning. "Lucy, knock it off. This isn't the time."

  Stel's face flushed in anger. She stepped fgressively, her hands g into fists, her expression darkening.

  Ichigo grabbed her wrist and pulled her back, giving her a look that screamed 'calm down, you idiot!'

  But that didn't stop Stel's gre from being locked on Lua.

  "You have no idea who you are messing with, Matsudaira," Lua warned. "Be careful who you pick fights with."

  "You are aware of my reputation?" Stel replied frostily.

  "Please," Lua ughed. "Your aplishments mean nothing to me. A little girl pying Judo is hardly intimidating. And our family's stations aren't so far apart, are they?"

  Stel scowled, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

  Lua took a step forward. Stel was a good half a foot taller than her, but she showed no fear, her gaze locked oaller woman.

  "I am Lua Reina, daughter of Marchese Madina Reina," she said proudly, standing up straight and tall.

  She looked Stel directly in the eye.

  "You are the daughter of The Sn, are you not?"

  Stel's expression became even darker, if that ossible.

  "What of it?"

  "I've seen your performances," Lua replied dismissively. "They're quite impressive, but not nearly as much as I'm sure you think. You are also years out of petition. And I've heard plenty of rumors about your arrogand ceit. It would seem that my assessment of you was correct. Yo has gotten the best of you."

  Stel didn't respond, simply staring back at her with fury in her eyes. Madison looked at Stel with , while the redheaded girl just looked bored and a the entire exge.

  I was still stu shock at how badly things had gone, but it was all happening so fast I could barely keep up. Stel and Lua were locked in a standoff, with Madison desperately trying to de-escate it.

  The tensioween them was so thick you could cut it with a knife. I was terrified.

  And then, 'Sammy' yawned loudly, drawing everyone's attention.

  She walked forward, stepping up behind Madison and Lua.

  "Are you done p yet?"

  Her tone was mog and disrespectful, her words clearly directed at Stel and Lua. She had aed grin on her face.

  Lua turo look at her, gring at her.

  "Shut it, Sammy," Lua said sharply. "Stay out of this."

  Sammy ignored her, staring straight ahead. She smirked.

  "So, I've been wanting to meet the famous Stel Matsudaira," she said cheerfully. "The great prodigy. I was so excited to finally face her at nationals, you know? It was kinda upsetting she dropped out."

  She raised her hands, aured for Stel to approach. She spoke in a teasing voice, but her eyes were focused and alert, and she had a wild, feral expression. I didn't know what her deal was, but I didn't like where this was going.

  "Let's see if you're as good as everyone says you are, shall we?"

  "W-wait!" Madison desperately cried, trying to intervene.

  But Sammy was fast. Too fast.

  She closed the distaween them in a fsh in a fighting stance, and suddenly, she was within striking range of Stel.

  I saw Stel tense, her muscles coiling for a strike, and I could almost hear the gears turning in her head, as if weighing the pros and s of fighting Sammy.

  The two were close now, and I could see Stel only had a slight height advantage while Sammy was visibly stockier.

  The decision was taken out of Stel's hands, however.

  Sammy suddenly lu her with a powerful right straight, which Stel dodged easily, before retaliating with a quiappi hook ter at Sammy's .

  Her eyes widened in surprise as her elbow was caught in a tight grip, and she was yanked forward by the head.

  Sammy threw a vicious kowards Stel's midse, and she grunted, wing as she reflexively dropped her hands in an X-block. As Sammy's foot pnted for a kel jerked to the side in a lightning-quick foot sweep as she pnted, unbang her. Stel quickly threw her elbows up and snapped Sammy's hold.

  The two faced off, her nding a solid blow oher.

  "Stop!" I cried out, running up to the two girls, but Ichigo quickly held me back. She shook her head, giving me a look of worry.

  "Don't," she said, shaking her head. "They won't listen. Just stay out of their way. I... I know that girl."

  "To the mats then, if you want to run your fug mouth at Lucy? I want a prht," Sammy grinned, gesturing towards the rge sparring mats in a room not too far away.

  Stel looked like she was going to say something, theopped and gred at her. Then she sighed and rolled her eyes.

  "Fine," Stel growled, before turning away from Sammy.

  The girls and I exged fused gnces. Sammy's smirk widened. "Great. I'll meet you there."

  We walked together, and I could feel the tension radiating from Stel, her fists ched tightly at her sides. We entered a rge, well-lit, matted room not too far away.

  The mats were thid soft, perfect for practice. There were racks of training gear, and the entire pce had an air of seriouso it.

  The tensioween Sammy and Stel hadn't abated at all, and I felt nervous, like the air was buzzing with electricity. The two stood on opposite sides of the mat, gring at each other.

  "Stel, I—" I started to speak, but Stel raised her hand, sileng me. Her gaze remained focused on Sammy.

  "I don't like bullies," Stel stated bluntly.

  "Who said anything about that?" Sammy scoffed.

  "I've met a lot of people like you in the past. You think you get away with anything, just because you're rid popur, don't you?" Stel growled.

  "You think too highly of me," Sammy said dismissively.

  "I know your type, you've got some kind e against someone else and you're looking for a pung bag." Stel spat, her expression darkening even further. "Maybe it's me. Maybe it's Sienna. Maybe it's Madison. Maybe it's someone else."

  Stel tinued. "I don't care what it is, but I know how people like you operate. You try to make yourself feel bigger and more important by putting other people down, don't you? And I won't stand for that."

  "Maybe that's me, maybe it's not," Sammy shrugged, "but you're a little shit who o learn how to watch her damn mouth. That's why I challenged you here. So let's see if you've actually got what it takes."

  I blinked, shocked at how angry Stel was. She was usually so cool and posed.

  Stel stepped forward, taking a deep breath.

  "Let's do this," she replied, a dangerous edge creeping into her voice.

  She turo face us. We were standing off to the side of the mat. She spoke softly, and I had to strain to hear her words.

  "I've been through enough shit this week. If anyone's gonna try to start drama, then I'm going to put ao it. Right here and right now."

  "I..." I trailed off, not sure what to say. "Stel, you don't have to do this."

  "It's okay. She wants a fight? She have it."

  Sammy raised her arms in front of her, and began boung around on the balls of her feet. She seemed excited and eager for a fight. She gri us.

  "e o's see what the little princess has up her sleeve."

  Stel just scowled, her eyes cold aermined.

  "Are we gonna fight, or are you just going to talk shit all day?" Stel snapped, and then she lunged forward, her fist flying in a sharp jab aimed straight at Sammy's face.

  Sammy dodged, slippihan an inch to the side to avoid the punch before ing back up with a hook of her own. Stel leaned back from it and tered with a swift elbow to the . Sammy blocked, raising her arm just in time.

  They separated briefly before Sammy unched atack. She threw a flurry of punches, but Stel easily dodged each of them, boung ba her feet. Her eyes narrowed in tration as Sammy pnted her weight, throwing a low kick aimed at her ankle.

  Stel quickly raised her lead leg over the kick, throwing her own high ki a ter, and I winced as Sammy made a motion like she was bing her hair, parrying the ter kid yanking her off bance. Sammy rushed forward and tackled Stel to the ground.

  I heard Madison and Lua gasp in unison, and even I felt my heart skip a beat in arm.

  Sammy nded on top of Stel, straddling her, pinning her shoulders to the mat, and began raining down blows. But Stel blocked eae, raising her arms and c her face. She bucked her hips and twisted her body, rolling Sammy over and reversing their positions, using the momentum to nd on top.

  I could see Sammy's eyes widening in surprise, and I could feel the air around them growing thid heavy with tension. Sammy flowed with the roll, pnting her foot in Stel's midse and throwio the ground.

  Stel rolled, and they stood back up, cirg each other warily.

  "Yood, I'll give you that," Sammy smirked, wiping a thin trickle of blood from her lip. "Not as good as I expected though."

  Stel didn't respond. She anting slightly, but her face was still calm aermined.

  "You've gotten soft, haven't you, Matsudaira?" Sammy teased. "The one who won Juniors so many years in a row, the great Stel Matsudaira. I thought you were supposed to be the best. But you're just another overfideistical, bratty bito wonder you're washed up already."

  "Shut up," Stel growled, stepping forward.

  The two girls circled each other, eyes locked on each other. Stel had her fists ched, her knuckles turning white.

  "You think you're better than everyone, don't you?" Stel spat, her eyes fshing with anger.

  "No," Sammy answered, smirking. "But I know you're just like all the rest of the losers in this pce."

  "You don't know shit," Stel said coldly. Her eyes were burning with rage. She looked at Sammy with pt.

  "Maybe," Sammy shrugged. "Maybe I do know some shit, and you just refuse to listeher way, it doesn't ge the fact that you're a spoiled little princess."

  "Stop talking," Stel growled. "And start fighting."

  Sammy smirked and unched forward. She was fast. Too fast.

  I watched with my heart pounding in my chest, my hands gripping the side of the mat tightly, as Sammy unched a flurry of pu Stel. Stel dodged, weaved, and blocked, her movements fluid and precise.

  She ducked beh a high roundhouse kick, tering with a low hook to Sammy's ribs. The irl grunted and stepped back, her eyes narrowing. But Stel wasn't do.

  Stel threw a series of punches, her left jab nding squarely on Sammy's jaw. Sammy staggered backwards, but Stel didn't let up. She threw another jab, followed by a right cross, and Sammy stumbled, her guard faltering.

  But Sammy recovered quickly and tered with a vicious kick to the body. Stel looked like she read it from a mile away and blocked with a downward elbow and swung a wide hook, missing Sammy's jaw by ihe two separated and began cirg each other, eyes locked in a silent battle of wills.

  The two of them were good. Way too good, and it showed. They fought like they'd been fighting their entire lives, and maybe they had been. I had seen my share of martial arts movies, but nothing could prepare me for seeing it in real life.

  I watched with awe and terror, as the two of them exged blows, dodged, blocked, and attacked each other with frightening speed and precision.

  I felt like a child who'd hrounch before in her life, and that wasn't too far off.

  I was terrified. For myself, for my half sister. But more than anything, I was terrified of the iy and ferocity of the fight.

  Sammy feinted a low kick, then shed out with her fist. Stel parried and tered, throwing a powerful front kick, pushing her back.

  But Sammy wasn't finished. She moved like water, her strikes flowing into each other seamlessly.

  Sammy pnted her foot as she regained her bance, spinning around on her heel.

  She barely had time to react as Sammy rode the momentum into a spinning wheel kick, and then a leaping sidekick that ected squarely with Stel's sor plexus. Stel staggered back, her arms instinctively c her face to guard against any further attacks.

  Lua was standing nearby, her expression aloof, though I noticed she had a faint smile.

  Sammy was already in her face, throwing puhat were faster and harder than anything I'd ever seen from a normal human, a barrage of strikes aimed at Stel's faeck, and chest. Stel bobbed and weaved, dodging most of them. The ones she couldn't avoid, she blocked with her arms and forearms.

  I saw a glint of excitement in Stel's eyes.

  I watched, horrified, as Sammy's attacks became more vicious, mgressive, and threw kick after kick at Stel's leg that resounded like baseball bats. Stel tered by crowding into spammy with a series of vicious blows, her fists blurring as she nded a five hit bo high and low, causing Sammy to rapidly step bad put distaween them.

  Stel danced left and right in a mesmerizing zig-zag pattern as Sammy gasped for breath, threatening a kick. Stel grinned as she rushed in, sensing blood. She telegraphed another hook to the body, before she nded a three-punbination to the head that ended with Stel's palm smming into Sammy's , breaking her rhythm entirely. Sammy staggered, dazed by the force of the attack.

  Stel's leg snapped up, catg her square iomach with a vicious sidekick. As Sammy stumbled backward from the impact, Stel rushed forward and grabbed her shirt colr.

  She spun her around and ed one arm around Sammy's neck, the ripping her shoulder tightly. Stel levered both their bodies forward, and kicked out at the back of Sammy's knee.

  I'd seen Stel nd simir bos and throws oher cadets during the training exercise, but never with this kind of ferocity. The visceral realness of a bare knuckled brawl without transformations or superpowers was siing.

  To my total surprise, Sammy twisted and threw her legs up as she was falling, and they ed around Stel's upper torso like a vice.

  She pnted a hand on the ground and rolled over her own head, pulling Stel off bance.

  Her grip around Sammy's neck loosened and she fell down hard as Sammy used the momentum of the roll to throw her onto her back.

  Stel flowed, kipping up and kig a leg at Sammy as she chased the momentum, leaping into the air with her legs outstretched, trying to stomp on Stel's midse.

  She rolled to the side at the st possible sed, narrowly avoiding the strike. Sammy hit the floor with a heavy thud, her face twisted into an animalistiarl e.

  "Sammy, enough!" Madison yelled. "Stel, please don't! Let's just end this here. Please! It was all a misuanding!"

  Stel twisted arouangling Sammy's legs with her own. I stared i the impressive dispy of grappling as she levered Sammy into the ground, flowing with the momentum of her stomp attempt. Sammy instantly dropped into a roll, twisting her body to the side, her hips rising off the ground.

  But Stel bent at an impossible arapping her ah a scissor of her legs and twisting it to the side, her legs flowing around her, and then they both hit the ground again, this time with Sammy oomad Stel ing her legs around her midse, and log the redhead's leg into some kind of strange pretzel shape, with Sammy's foot trapped beh her armpit.

  Sammy twisted again and mao free herself. She spun away, turning around almost 360 degrees to dive for Stel's midse.

  Stel was already standing up with a visible shakis, and I saw her eyes widen in surprise as Sammy's arms ed arouorso. She tried to push her away and throw her legs back but it was too te; Sammy drove her down onto the floor, and the two girls fell to the ground. I felt my heart leap through my chest as I saw Stel's neck caught with Sammy's forearm across her throat, with her head levered against Stel's. It looked like the arm she had uel's neck was grabbing the other arm's sleeve as she dropped her weight down onto the ground.

  And with a sadistic grin, she flipped to her back, twisting 180 degrees. The momentum drove Stel's ned shoulder down onto the ground, and I felt my blood run cold as Stel yelped in muffled pain.

  Stel kicked her legs out, filing but still visibly trying to stay calm and focused.

  I'd seen enough.

  My heart pounded in my ears, my blood r in my veins.

  My mind was bnk. There was nothi but a cold emptiness in the depths of my being.

  "Okay, that's enough!" Ichigo shouted, rushing to break up the fight.

  "Stop!" I screamed, rushing up to them, tears streaming down my face.

  Only to be caught by Lua as rushed and smmed into Ichigo, knog her down. I moved to rush around them, but Lua jumped up and blocked me with aended hand. She was standiween them, her arms folded, a look of disi on her face.

  "Stop! Please!" Madison pleaded desperately. "This is getting way out of hand!"

  Madison reached for them, her face twisted into a grimace. Sammy's head snapped up and she looked at Madison with a wild look, and Madison froze.

  "Don't get in their way. It'll be worse if you do," Lua insisted, gring at me. "I won't let you."

  "Get off!" I cried, thrashing around in her grip, but it was no use, her grip on my arms was iron.

  "Samantha! Let go of that damned anada choke! She's done!" Ichigo shouted.

  "H-Hah! If this bitch is dohen she tap herself," the redhead shouted back with a gasp of exertion. "But she's too proud, isn't she?"

  Stel struggled to free herself, her legs kig and filing wildly as Sammy twisted into a fetal position, keeping Stel's neck pinned down to the floor, her weight bearing down on the girl. Sammy's arms were locked tightly around her neck, choking her.

  Her hands scrabbled desperately at the floor, trying to get purchase on something, anything.

  I could see her muscles straining as she struggled to free herself.

  Her attempts at freeing herself grew weak, and her body shook with exhaustion.

  And then, Stel stopped moving.