“What do you mean my challenge was denied?!” Samantha yelled at the secretary. There was an administrative staff and a building containing that personnel. They were only ever visited by students issuing official challenges, though, so it was usually very quiet in the building.

“Exactly what I said,” the secretary told her calmly. “Your challenge request was denied. She already has a challenge scheduled for this weekend, and we have a rule against challenging someone who is already scheduled for a challenge. You’ll have to wait two weeks before issuing a challenge.”

Samantha was about to start yelling again, but Thea put a hand on her shoulder and said, “Stop, Samantha. She’s right that there are rules like that. Let’s go. We’ll find another way.”

It was annoying, and Samantha was frustrated beyond belief, but she let Thea lead her out of the building and towards the dorms. Her phone beeped, and she looked at it quickly.

He won’t let me do anything about it. - K

Don’t worry. I’ll figure something out. - H

Don’t be reckless. - K

Samantha put her phone away and stopped walking, staring up at the Thomas dorms and shaking her head. “Thea, what else can I do? I can’t challenge her, I can’t sub in for Emmett… Am I going to have to watch him die?”

Thea didn’t have anything to say, having already realized that was likely the only thing left to them after she got the news. But she had let Samantha hope that Kaguya could pull some strings, and let her rage at the secretary for a while when she learned that it wasn’t possible. All she could do now was just be there for Samantha.

Samantha stayed there for a while, and then shook her head as she settled her expression. “No. I’m not going to let him die.” She turned and started to walk off. Thea started to follow her, but Samantha waved her off. “Don’t worry about me. Go look after Emmett.”

Samantha stormed around the campus for an hour before she went to the dorms to grab her glaive and Bo staff. She looked up the arena sign outs on the school webpage and saw they were all empty for the next three hours, so she quickly signed one out for as much time as she could and hurried over to it.

Gianna watched as Samantha worked herself ragged in the middle of the arena, seeing her forms falter more and more the longer Samantha kept going. But she didn’t move in to stop her, just watching instead. She could tell Samantha knew she was struggling, her expression wild but focused as sweat dripped from her face and arms. Samantha’s shirt was saturated as well, sticking to her in all kinds of delicious places.

Too bad Kaguya isn’t watching this, Gianna thought with a grin. But she quickly lost that grin and shook her head. Kaguya shouldn’t see Samantha like this. It would probably hurt her since she wasn’t able to help. Souma was currently trying to keep an eye on Monica to see if he could figure out her plan, but she hadn’t done anything except her normal routine. It was like the girl didn’t even care she was about to take a life.

Samantha finally faltered in a stance and dropped the glaive before she fell over, luckily away from the blade so she wouldn’t end up cutting herself. Gianna watched her lay there for a moment, and then walked towards her, kneeling down and looking into Samantha’s face.

“You’re gonna kill yourself doing this if you’re not careful,” she said softly. Samantha huffed and looked away. “I guess that’s one way to avoid seeing Emmett’s fight, dying before it happens. Hard to get in the way of it if you’re dead though.”

“I can’t get in the way of it. I’ve already tried, and that didn’t work.”

Gianna nodded. “Yeah, but you should’ve known ol’ Kazegami would get in the way of your challenge any way he could. That shouldn’t have been your Hail Mary to begin with.”

“I don’t have any other plays,” Samantha grumbled.

“You do, actually,” Gianna said as she sat down. “Tag team.”

“That’s not a thing!”

“It is, actually. I mean, it’s an illegal thing, but it’s a thing. The whole fight would be void if you jumped in and started to fight Monica when it looked like Emmett was going to lose.” Gianna paused for a while before shrugging. “But I guess who cares? If you’re not willing to break a few rules to save what’s important, then that’s all there is to it.”

Gianna stood and started to leave, but paused when Samantha spoke finally. “Break some rules, huh?” Gianna smirked and left, grabbing Souma from a shadow as she passed him.

“Someday you’ll have to tell me how you can tell where I am when I’m in the shadows,” Souma grumbled, letting her drag him along. “You think she’ll jump in?”

“Oh yeah. That girl is all fire and instinct when it comes to those important to her. Honestly, she probably would have done it anyway even if I hadn’t planted the idea, but she’ll be more prepared this way.”

“How? It’s not like they let the audience carry their weapons.” Souma shook his head. “I’m pretty sure Thea is going to kill me if she finds out I helped kill both of her step siblings.

“Don’t worry so much, boy!” Gianna told him, smacking him on the back. “Your little girlfriend won’t be losing both of her step siblings, I promise! One, maybe, but not both.”