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

"There you two are," she greeted with a grin, her gaze flicking between me and my half-sister. "You ladies 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 accents, with banners featuring various awards and accolades won by the various clubs that trained here over the years.

There was an entire room dedicated to weights, where dozens of gleaming machines of chrome and steel stood proudly on display. Another room had row upon row of treadmills and other cardio machines. The gym was huge and spacious, with multiple separate locker rooms for boys and girls. In the main area there were a dozen or more gymnastics mats of different sizes and thicknesses 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 accommodate hundreds of students all at once. There were about a hundred or so students here, all working out and practicing.

I felt a small rush of panic, my breaths quickening as my eyes darted around nervously, feeling out of place. Stella seemed to notice my growing anxiety, because she placed 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 understanding.

"Don't worry," she murmured quietly. "Everyone's too busy getting caught up in their own workout to notice anyone else."

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

"Yeah..." I nodded, forcing myself to relax 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 laughed nervously, still feeling awkward about the whole thing. This whole setup, everything about it, it was so foreign to me.

I had never worked out at a gym before. Hell, before coming 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 and get stronger. To do something like exercise regularly or go 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 wasting either 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 incompetent in front of people who were used to doing stuff like this, and probably did it every single day.

"Ohhh Siennnna!?"

I cringed as someone sang my name in a singsong tone, their voice high and teasing. I slowly turned to see a trio of girls strutting towards us.

The one in the center was the leader. She was a pretty 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 was probably the same age as me, maybe a year older, but she looked way more mature.

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

"Hey Madison," Ichigo said. Her voice was friendly but not exactly 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 trained at my dad's gym for a few years," Ichigo admitted with a slight frown, glancing at the redhead that trailed behind Madison. She wore an expensive, fashionable tracksuit that matched Madison's.

I'd noticed her out of the corner of my eye when Stella had met me in her civilian form for the first time at the lunchroom. 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 wanted to flex on me.

The redhead, on the other hand, had snickered and sneered at my secondhand outfit at lunch. She had bright red hair that she wore at chin length with a pair of cute hairclips. Her green eyes had a haughty and mischievous look, but she was relaxed, like she wasn't too worried about things.

The third of their group was a shorter girl with a cute face, round glasses, and long brown hair that was tied back in a long braid.

The brown-haired girl was in a white sports bra that highlighted her small frame and tight, defined abs, and her black leggings and running shoes were of high quality. Although we were around the same height, she had an air of confidence that made her seem larger than she actually was, and her eyes were sharp and calculating.

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

I blinked and turned to the redhead, confused.

"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 working 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 comments 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 later, and I understood where she was coming from, and I think she got where I was coming from, too.

But I still wasn't entirely 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 glanced over to the girl with glasses and gestured towards her. The brunette nodded, walking forward and extending her hand to me with a confident smile on her face. I noticed her nails were well manicured and neatly trimmed, with a light sheen of clear polish on them.

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

I moved to shake her hand, but Stella suddenly reached out and blocked me, glaring daggers at Lucina.

"Don't," Stella said icily.

"Wha...?" I stared at Stella in confusion.

Lucina looked at Stella 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, and yet she spoke with a slight edge of contempt. "I have no ill will towards any of you. And yet you seem to hate me for some reason, Matsudaira."

"Stella...?" I trailed off.

"I know their types," Stella spat, her gaze fixed on Lucina.

Lucina raised an eyebrow.

"Do tell," Lucina replied coolly.

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

Lucina sighed. "You seem to have quite the preconceived notions of me, despite us not knowing each other at all. It's unbecoming 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."

Stella narrowed her eyes at that.

Madison quickly walked forward, hands held out placatingly. She stood between the two of them, and looked at Stella.

"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 intention."

Stella glared at her. "You've been a bitch and I don't like it when you make fun of Sienna. And if this is some kind of game you're playing, 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 one bit."

Madison frowned, tilting 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.

Lucina shook her head, clearly annoyed at 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," Stella growled. "I've dealt with it far too much already."

Lucina scoffed. "Do not compare me to your past acquaintances. Your ignorance knows no bounds, does it? And your presumptuousness as well."

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

Stella's face flushed in anger. She stepped forward aggressively, her hands clenching 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 Stella's glare from being locked on Lucina.

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

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

"Please," Lucina laughed. "Your accomplishments mean nothing to me. A little girl playing Judo is hardly intimidating. And our family's stations aren't so far apart, are they?"

Stella scowled, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

Lucina took a step forward. Stella was a good half a foot taller than her, but she showed no fear, her gaze locked on the taller woman.

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

She looked Stella directly in the eye.

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

Stella's expression became even darker, if that was possible.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"What of it?"

"I've seen your performances," Lucina replied dismissively. "They're quite impressive, but not nearly as much as I'm sure you think. You are also years out of competition. And I've heard plenty of rumors about your arrogance and conceit. It would seem that my assessment of you was correct. Your ego has gotten the best of you."

Stella didn't respond, simply staring back at her with fury in her eyes. Madison looked at Stella with concern, while the redheaded girl just looked bored and annoyed at the entire exchange.

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

The tension between 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 Lucina.

"Are you done posturing yet?"

Her tone was mocking and disrespectful, her words clearly directed at Stella and Lucina. She had an excited grin on her face.

Lucina turned to look at her, glaring at her.

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

Sammy ignored her, staring straight ahead. She smirked.

"So, I've been wanting to meet the famous Stella 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, and gestured for Stella 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 distance between them in a flash in a fighting stance, and suddenly, she was within striking range of Stella.

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

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

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

Sammy suddenly lunged at her with a powerful right straight, which Stella dodged easily, before retaliating with a quick snapping left hook counter at Sammy's chin.

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 knee towards Stella's midsection, and she grunted, wincing as she reflexively dropped her hands in an X-block. As Sammy's foot planted for a knee, Stella jerked to the side in a lightning-quick foot sweep as she planted, unbalancing her. Stella quickly threw her elbows up and snapped Sammy's hold.

The two faced off, neither landing a solid blow on the other.

"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 fucking mouth at Lucy? I want a proper fight," Sammy grinned, gesturing towards the large sparring mats in a room not too far away.

Stella looked like she was going to say something, then she stopped and glared at her. Then she sighed and rolled her eyes.

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

The girls and I exchanged confused glances. Sammy's smirk widened. "Great. I'll meet you there."

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

The mats were thick and soft, perfect for practice. There were racks of training gear, and the entire place had an air of seriousness to it.

The tension between Sammy and Stella 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, glaring at each other.

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

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

"Who said anything about that?" Sammy scoffed.

"I've met a lot of people like you in the past. You think you can get away with anything, just because you're rich and popular, don't you?" Stella growled.

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

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

Stella continued. "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 needs to 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 Stella was. She was usually so cool and composed.

Stella stepped forward, taking a deep breath.

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

She turned to 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 an end to it. Right here and right now."

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

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

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

"Come on. Let's see what the little princess has up her sleeve."

Stella just scowled, her eyes cold and determined.

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

Sammy dodged, slipping less than an inch to the side to avoid the punch before coming back up with a hook of her own. Stella leaned back from it and countered with a swift elbow to the chin. Sammy blocked, raising her arm just in time.

They separated briefly before Sammy launched another attack. She threw a flurry of punches, but Stella easily dodged each of them, bouncing back on her feet. Her eyes narrowed in concentration as Sammy planted her weight, throwing a low kick aimed at her ankle.

Stella quickly raised her lead leg over the kick, throwing her own high kick in a counter, and I winced as Sammy made a motion like she was combing her hair, parrying the counter kick and yanking her off balance. Sammy rushed forward and tackled Stella to the ground.

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

Sammy landed on top of Stella, straddling her, pinning her shoulders to the mat, and began raining down blows. But Stella blocked each one, raising her arms and covering her face. She bucked her hips and twisted her body, rolling Sammy over and reversing their positions, using the momentum to land on top.

I could see Sammy's eyes widening in surprise, and I could feel the air around them growing thick and heavy with tension. Sammy flowed with the roll, planting her foot in Stella's midsection and throwing her to the ground.

Stella rolled, and they stood back up, circling each other warily.

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

Stella didn't respond. She was panting slightly, but her face was still calm and determined.

"You've gotten soft, haven't you, Matsudaira?" Sammy teased. "The one who won Juniors so many years in a row, the great Stella Matsudaira. I thought you were supposed to be the best. But you're just another overconfident, egotistical, bratty bitch. No wonder you're washed up already."

"Shut up," Stella growled, stepping forward.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sammy smirked and launched 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 launched a flurry of punches at Stella. Stella dodged, weaved, and blocked, her movements fluid and precise.

She ducked beneath a high roundhouse kick, countering with a low hook to Sammy's ribs. The other girl grunted and stepped back, her eyes narrowing. But Stella wasn't done yet.

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

But Sammy recovered quickly and countered with a vicious kick to the body. Stella 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 inches. The two separated and began circling 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 exchanged blows, dodged, blocked, and attacked each other with frightening speed and precision.

I felt like a child who'd never thrown a punch 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 intensity and ferocity of the fight.

Sammy feinted a low kick, then lashed out with her fist. Stella parried and countered, 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 planted her foot as she regained her balance, 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 connected squarely with Stella's solar plexus. Stella staggered back, her arms instinctively covering her face to guard against any further attacks.

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

Sammy was already in her face, throwing punches that were faster and harder than anything I'd ever seen from a normal human, a barrage of strikes aimed at Stella's face, neck, and chest. Stella 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 Stella's eyes.

I watched, horrified, as Sammy's attacks became more vicious, more aggressive, and threw kick after kick at Stella's leg that resounded like baseball bats. Stella countered by crowding into spammy with a series of vicious blows, her fists blurring as she landed a five hit combo high and low, causing Sammy to rapidly step back and put distance between them.

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

Stella's leg snapped up, catching her square in the stomach with a vicious sidekick. As Sammy stumbled backward from the impact, Stella rushed forward and grabbed her shirt collar.

She spun her around and wrapped one arm around Sammy's neck, the other gripping her shoulder tightly. Stella levered both their bodies forward, and kicked out at the back of Sammy's knee.

I'd seen Stella land similar combos and throws on the other 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 sickening.

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

She planted a hand on the ground and rolled over her own head, pulling Stella off balance.

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.

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

She rolled to the side at the last possible second, narrowly avoiding the strike. Sammy hit the floor with a heavy thud, her face twisted into an animalistic snarl of rage.

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

Stella twisted around, entangling Sammy's legs with her own. I stared in awe at the impressive display 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 Stella bent at an impossible angle, trapping her ankle with 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 on her stomach and Stella wrapping her legs around her midsection, and locking the redhead's leg into some kind of strange pretzel shape, with Sammy's foot trapped beneath her armpit.

Sammy twisted again and managed to free herself. She spun away, turning around almost 360 degrees to dive for Stella's midsection.

Stella was already standing up with a visible shakiness to her legs, and I saw her eyes widen in surprise as Sammy's arms wrapped around her torso. She tried to push her away and throw her legs back but it was too late; 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 Stella's neck caught with Sammy's forearm across her throat, with her head levered against Stella's. It looked like the arm she had under Stella'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 Stella's neck and shoulder down onto the ground, and I felt my blood run cold as Stella yelped in muffled pain.

Stella kicked her legs out, flailing but still visibly trying to stay calm and focused.

I'd seen enough.

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

My mind was blank. There was nothing left 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 Lucina as rushed and slammed into Ichigo, knocking her down. I moved to rush around them, but Lucina jumped up and blocked me with an extended hand. She was standing between them, her arms folded, a look of disinterest 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," Lucina insisted, glaring 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 anaconda choke! She's done!" Ichigo shouted.

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

Stella struggled to free herself, her legs kicking and flailing wildly as Sammy twisted into a fetal position, keeping Stella'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, Stella stopped moving.