Chaldea's gym buzzed in the early morning hours as the young fighters taped their fists, stretched on the mats, and warmed up with light calisthenics. All shared the same topic on their lips. They glanced toward the front door as the clock ticked closer to the start of the morning training session. Lancer, Boudica, and Scathach discussed the training plan for the day in a corner away from the rest of the group. Their conversation paused as the door opened and a hush washed over the gym. Boudica cleared her throat, prompting them to continue as the rest of the young fighters' eyes slid to Mordred. She stood in the doorway for a second, scanning the room with a glare and a scowl. All she offered with an annoyed snort as she made her way to the locker rooms.

The training session went on as normal, though Mordred threw hammering strikes and clutched her partners with vice grips while grappling. Nobody said a word of it. Mordred's stiff training continued through the session, and she kept her same glare as their coaches called the official end. She was the first in the showers and the first to leave, leaving her gear bag in the locker room as she stomped up to Ritsuka's office. Ritsuka looked up from her desk as Mordred pounded the door repeatedly.

"Come in!" she called, fearing for the door's life. Mordred sauntered in with a sharp look in her eyes, sighing as she took a seat across from Ristuka. "Did training go well today?"

"Yeah, I guess," Mordred replied as she crossed her arms and rested one leg over the other. "So, this fight happening or what?"

"We're still negotiating, but it looks like the fight can happen in as soon as four months," Ritsuka replied. She shuffled through her papers and handed a document to Mordred. "This is the current offer from Grail Wars."

Mordred blazed through most of the lines. She mumbled the few words that caught her eye and flipped to the other side. As she absorbed the bits she scanned, she came down to the promotion's terms. The date, conditions, and price of the fight were among those listed. Two items jumped off the page when her eyes fell over them.

"They're putting this high on the card," Mordred remarked. "What makes them think she and I are a good co-main event?"

Ritsuka shrugged. "Maybe because of your name and the bond you two shared." Mordred looked from the paper with a glare in her eye, and Ritsuka grimaced and bowed in apology. "Sorry; the promoter has a thing for fights with that kind of background."

"Kotomine Kirei," Mordred muttered. "I dunno how you manage to deal with that guy." She slid her thumb under the second item which gave her pause. "He wants us to be part of a press conference?"

Ritsuka nodded. "Comes with being the co-main. I tried to talk Kirei out of it, but the man's unmoveable."

Mordred sighed and shrugged. "Fine by me," she said as she handed Ritsuka the paper. "Just tell me what I need to sign."

Days after Mordred signed off on the contract, she and Ritsuka began the preparations

for their training camp and travel. She and her team sat down in the Chaldea building's media room to review Frankenstein's ten fights. Her record of eight wins and one loss mirrored Mordred's record, holding one more victory. Every fight where Frankenstein raised her hand in the end concluded in a similar way: she would land a tooth-cracking shot and pummel her opponents on the ground. Mordred and her team winced at some of the finishes of the fight. Ritsuka put on Frankenstein's only loss, a contest against a Greek fighter named Atalanta.

Mordred leaned forward as the fight clocked ticked. "You said this Atalanta is a striker, right?"

Ritsuka nodded. "Typically, at least."

"Huh," Mordred mumbled as she shifted in her seat and crossed her arms.

"It's called 'mixed' martial arts for a reason," Scathach remarked. Mordred mouthed a "yeah" as the gears in her head churned.

"Yo, think your friend is still available?" Mordred asked as she watched the fight trickle to the end. Scathach grinned and nodded.

Mordred's fight camp began a week after. Her bank account shriveled as she brought Quetzalcoatl and added a second training session each day. Every morning came with sore muscles and a new bruise, but she returned through the doors with her fire burning just as bright. During the last two weeks of her training camp, she and the team packed their bags and headed overseas. It was the first fight Mordred would compete in outside England or Japan. They touched down in Hawaii, squinting their eyes at the summer sun.

"It's been a while," Ritsuka remarked. "Last I came here was for a festival." She and the team took their rental car to their hotel. Mordred threw her bags onto her bed as Ritsuka sat on hers to unpack. Scathach and Lancer waved as they went to their own rooms while Quetzalcoatl and Boudica took to theirs.

"You got us that gym?" Mordred said as she flopped onto her bed and splayed out her limbs. The air conditioner chilled the sweat on her skin.

"Yeah, we can use it anytime starting tonight," Ritsuka said as she looked out the window, stretching her arms.

"Cool." Mordred kicked off her boots and shuffled under the blanket. "Just wake me up in a few hours."

"No problem," Ritsuka said as she arranged her belongings, thinking of where to put them in the room. "Try to get used to waking up early, though. Next week's press conference will be kinda early."

"Screw time zones," Mordred mumbled as she closed her eyes to sleep off the jetlag. The day after let her settle back into her training routine. A reporter or journalist would come by on most days, asking her a handful of questions before or after she finished her training session. She answered through grit teeth and a scowl, answering with as few sentences as she could. When training sessions ended, she went around the island with her team. Scathach and Lancer showed her to bars around the island. Boudica and she went to restaurants and toured local historical sights. Quetzalcoatl jogged on the beach and streets with her. Ritsuka led her around shops and markets, taking in the local goods and clothes on sale. When they returned to her room, she had a new red bikini while Ritsuka wore a new orange floral shirt and white shorts.

Ten days of training and relaxing came to an end at seven in the morning. Their twelfth day in Hawaii was the start of a three-day frenzy - the press conference that day, the weigh-ins tomorrow, and the fight the day after. Mordred rolled out of bed, showered, and donned her outfit for the conference. Her black suit, white shirt, and dark tie with a ruby jewel on the knot hugged her body. She and her team arrived with their heads held high. A production crew member ushered her to the hallway, waiting with half of the fighters included in the conference. The other half stood in a different hallway, kept apart from their opponents.

As the cameras began rolling, a man-made his way down the hallway. He stood eye-to-eye with the tallest fighters, standing more than a foot over Mordred. His long brown bangs fell over empty dark eyes, though he wore a calm smile as he walked. A dark coat billowed behind him, casting a shadow over his dark suit. Light glinted off the gold cross hanging from his neck. Mordred knew the name "Kirei Kotomine" from his role as the head of the Grail Wars organization. The two never previously crossed paths, Ritsuka having handled the negotiations with the man. Kirei smiled at Mordred as he passed with a cold aura in his wake.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mordred Pendragon," he said in Japanese.

"So you're the big man in charge," Mordred said, grinning as he smiled. "Nice to meet you, too." He offered a hand. She felt ice slip down her back as she shook it, jumping at his touch.

"I'm very happy to have you with our promotion. Only the best fighters are able to even knock at our doors."

"Yeah, well, I'll kick them down if it means fighting for the title."

"I would expect nothing less of Artoria Pendragon's little sister." Mordred's grin shook at his words while his smile remained set in stone. "Conflict is humanity's primal instinct. How will you follow your instincts, Pendragon?"

Kirei nodded once to her and made his way to the stage. He announced the start of the conference and welcomed the fighters on stage. Mordred made her way to her seat, resting her elbows on the table as she ran her finger on the back of her nameplate, smirking at how many people would see her name painted on the other side. She and the other fighters sat on a three-tiered stage. Her seat rested on the highest tier, setting her away and above the crowd. A sea of journalists, reporters, and bloggers sat before the fighters, some of whom she recognized from the interviews she gave. As Kirei began the conference with questions for the main event fighters, Mordred scanned the other fighters.

Frankenstein's white dress blossomed among the suits and sportswear sported by the other fighters. She sat on the opposite end of the second row. Her amber bangs covered her eyes all the way around the side. Mordred eased her eyes away and returned her attention to Kirei and the audience. The questions continued for the two headlining fighters, Fergus mac Roich and Hektor, until one Mordred heard her name called.

"There have been rumors that you and Frankenstein used to train together in Japan," he said. Mordred's eyes narrowed as she leaned back in her chair. "What sort of feeling do you think you'll have stepping into the cage against a former training partner? Is there animosity or-"

"First off, that's a load of crap," Mordred interrupted, slapping one hand to the long table. "Frankenstein and I never, ever trained in Japan. We hung out a bit, yeah, but whoever told you that is an idiot, a liar, or both." She eased back into her chair and let her hand fall from the table. Her eyes remained sharp as she looked to the rest of the crowd. "Look, I'm not the one who called for this fight, and I don't know why Fran did, but if she wants a fight, she'll get what she wants."

"Then, Frankenstein," he said as he bounced his question. "Is there any particular reason you chose to call out Mordred Pendragon?"

Frankenstein sat still in her chair. "It's what I had to do," she replied, the mic amplifying her whisper-like answer for all to hear. Mordred snapped up her microphone and brought it to her scowling lips.

"What the Hell do you mean you had to?" Mordred almost shouted. "You barely contact me for months after leaving, and then all of a sudden you wanna fight?"

Frankenstein's fists clenched on the table. She whirled her head around, eyes burning as she matched Mordred's glare. "Father knows what's best for me," she growled, her voice quiet yet rumbling. "He wants this; so do I."

Mordred shook her head and tossed her microphone back on the table, creating a screech. The press conference continued another half hour before Kirei called it to a close. The Chaldea team returned to their hotel with little spoken about the conference itself. While most of the team went out, Mordred kept to her room that night. She kept her dinner small that night in anticipation of the next day's weigh-ins. Despite the exchange at the conference, Mordred slept a full eight hours that night.

She arrived at the weigh-ins the next day with Ritsuka and Boudica. The warm Hawaiian air brushed her skin as she stepped onto the scale clad in only a sports bra and compression shorts. Her eyes remained up as the scale balanced out to several pounds under the weight limit. Mordred grinned as the result was announced, flexing for the outdoor crowd. Frankenstein came onto the scale moments after Mordred stepped off, coming in exactly at the limit.

Kirei stood between the two as Mordred and Frankenstein stood face-to-face. Frankenstein stood with her head low, eyes covered by her bangs. Mordred crossed her arms and glared up at Frankenstein. Camera shutters clicked in the audience as they stood as statues. A cold air descended past the summer heat as Frankenstein raised her head, showing Mordred a pair of lustrous yet somber eyes.

"The fight is now official," Kirei announced. "Frankenstein vs. Mordred Pendragon." He stepped back as Frankenstein offered Mordred a hand. Mordred glanced down and sneered. She posed for the crowd once more before heading off to the changing rooms. Frankenstein watched on as Mordred disappeared behind the curtain, her fists clenched and teeth gnashed behind her sealed lips. Ritsuka and Boudica greeted Mordred as she returned from the stage.

"Are you feeling good?" Ritsuka asked.

"Yeah," Mordred replied with a nod. "Let's go over the plan one more time tonight."

"Of course." Ritsuka glanced to the side as Mordred craned her neck from side to side, taking in a deep breath. "Nervous for tomorrow?"

"Nervous? Nah," Mordred answered. "Just getting my head right for what I'll have to do tomorrow."

Thanks for all of the recent reviews, everyone! Thought I'd try to get this out before Kkabib vs. Gaethje.