Mordred took in a deep breath as she walked down the hallway. Although it was a walk she made more than a dozen times before, her brow was furrowed and her teeth clenched behind her pursed lips. She glared into the cage while her gloves were checked. When the door opened, she marched up the steps and nodded to herself as the crowd cheered her arrival. Her team cheered her on as she raised her hands in her corner, head high as her music faded to welcome Shiki's walkout.
Shiki stalked down the aisle with the same cold, chilling air around her that carried wherever she went. Her dark eyes showed no emotion and her pale face no wrinkle as she approached the steps. She bowed before entering the cage and immediately went into her corner. While Mordred paced back and forth in her corner like a lion, Shiki did little more than swing her arms to loosen her muscles and keep her blood pumping. Their eyes remained locked throughout the announcements, neither wanting to break contact with the woman they were about to fight.
Frankenstein took in a deep breath as the referee asked if Mordred was ready. Mordred nodded and raised her gloves. Shiki followed suit and met her in the center of the cage. They touched gloves and bounced around in the center. The first few seconds slowed to minutes in Frankenstein's eyes as Mordred and Shiki tested each other with feints and quick jabs. Her fingernails ground against the cage riser as Shiki pushed forward, backing Mordred to the edge of the cage.
"Don't get too close to the cage!" Lancer shouted. "Keep circling away from her power
hand!"
Mordred gave no visible acknowledgment of Lancer's call, but Frankenstein knew she heard it and would follow. Just as Lancer advised, Mordred skirted away from Shiki's right side, her hands up as her eyes remained on the center of Shiki's body. She stepped forward and feinted a punch. Shiki bit on the feint and threw a jab. Frankenstein let out her breath as Mordred ducked under the punch and retook the center.
"Don't let her clinch with you!" Boudica shouted. "If you're going to grapple, get her away from the fence!"
Mordred kept moving as she and Shiki traded strikes. She landed a pair of jabs to Shiki's face in exchange for a kick to her calf, a blow that made Mordred's eye twitch. They circled each other again. Neither threw a strike for several moments until Mordred took a step forward. Shiki brought her leg up in a snap, the same motion that preceded the end of their last fight. The mere raise of her knee sent Mordred back and her hands up to her face.
"She can't get in," Scathach muttered. "Shiki has the advantage at a distance if they stay standing."
"I know," Boudica whispered. "Mordred! You have to keep her in the center!"
Mordred nodded while keeping her eyes on Shiki and bounced from one foot to the other. She and Shiki orbited the cage center as they threw feints and single strikes. Frankenstein glanced up at the clock. Two minutes passed, and neither woman had the tide flowing their way. Both feinted strikes and kicks, landing a sharp jab or leg kick now and then, but the halfway point came with a simmering crowd.
Frankenstein's eyes widened as Mordred ducked for a takedown, only to meet an uppercut. Lancer jumped up and shouted for her to raise her hands. Mordred shook off the blow and kept her guard high, but Shiki chopped away at her legs and dug hooks into her side. She winced but kept her hands up as Shiki mixed jabs and straights aimed at her nose and eyes. They circled the cage as Mordred dodged blows and Shiki followed like a swordfish on a line, keeping with her every step as she sought a way to break her defense. Once more, Mordred tried a takedown, but she pulled her head away when she caught Shiki posturing for another uppercut. The last minute of the round crawled as Frankenstein drummed the riser until the bell sounded. Shiki and Mordred touched gloves before departing to their respective corners.
Mordred sat on the stool and took in deep breaths as her team got to work. Frankenstein put an ice pack on her back while Lancer and Boudica alternated in giving instructions. She nodded with each line, her eyes narrow as she took in their advice. Twice she glanced up at Shiki's corner. Shiki's eyes remained distant even as she fixed them on her coach, Touko Aozaki. As the last few seconds of the rest period neared, Mordred let out a deep breath, her elbows on her knees as she readied herself for the next round.
"You're doing great," Frankenstein with an encouraging tone and smile. "Fight smart; you'll win."
Mordred grinned at Frankenstein's remark. It sounded, to her, almost as a command at first. She knew it was Fran's way of encouraging her, and it gave her an extra boost as she kicked her legs up off the stool and readied herself for the next round. Shiki seemed to float off her chair as the referee called for them to stand. When the bell rang, they both took the center of the cage.
As much as the first round made Frankenstein shiver with anticipation and nervousness, she had to press her hands against the riser to keep them from shaking. Mordred kept her head moving as she moved in close. She got in range just enough to land jabs against Shiki; not close enough to get caught in her clinch, not far enough to get caught by a kick or straight punch. Her strategy paid off for half a minute before Shiki started kicking her legs. One straight kick hit Mordred's knee, and she buckled. Frankenstein's breath caught in her throat as Lancer jumped up and shouted instructions.
"Stay calm and focus on balance!" he yelled. "Keep your hands high while watching her hips!"
Mordred's hands remained high and near her chin as she dodged left, right, and backward. As much as she tried to move, Shiki stung her with a dozen strikes. Her back pressed against the fence. Shiki stood before her, feinting strikes with every limb as she waited for Mordred to make a move. Frankenstein kept her eye on Shiki, watching her shoulders, knees, and feet.
"Bounce!" Frankenstein called. Lancer raised an eyebrow as he looked her way, but Frankenstein failed to notice. "Then elbow!"
Mordred remained in place as if trying to process what she just heard. As a jab forced her to slip away, her back bounced off of the mesh. She pursed her lips and bit down on her mouthguard as Fran's advice took root in her head. Shiki moved forward again, prepared to counter an advancing strike from Mordred.
Mordred stepped forward once, baiting Shiki to prepare a counter-strike. She threw her weight with one foot on the fence and jumped forward from the mesh. The extra force created a fault in Shiki's timing, and she threw a straight punch too late as Mordred's right elbow sliced over the top of her eye. Shiki staggered back as Mordred regained her composure in the center, taking in a deep breath as the crowd clapped at her rally. Blood streamed down the side of Shiki's face. The gash from Mordred's elbow ripped deep into her skin, and the referee kept his eyes on Shiki as she reengaged against Mordred.
"Good call, Frankenstein," Scathach said, her eyes on the fight as Mordred and Shiki fought to control the center of the cage. "How'd you know to call for that?"
"Mordred backs cage a lot," Frankenstein replied in a quiet voice. As much as she felt comfortable around Mordred, she couldn't bring the same volume or clarity with most of Chaldea's other members yet. "Knew Shiki would know; wanted to throw off Shiki's game."
Scathach nodded while Lancer clapped her shoulder. "Good call, miss," he said. "Still another round and a half to go, though."
Frankenstein kept still, giving little acknowledgement as her eyes darted between Mordred and Shiki. Mordred kept her ground, feinting shots at the cut above Shiki's eye while following up with body strikes and leg kicks. Shiki's demeanor remained frozen. The only hint of annoyance on her face was a constant blinking as the blood pooled in her eyebrow before leaking into her eye, obscuring her vision.
As the final seconds of the round hammered down, Mordred and Shiki circled the cage, parallel with the fence as they kept light on their feet. Mordred glanced at the clock. Eleven seconds remained in the second, and the clacker one later signified the impending end. Shiki, eyes narrowing at Mordred's momentary distraction, lunged forward for a punch to Mordred's body. She pulled back as Mordred locked back to her. Her back bounced against the fence at nine seconds left. When the clock reached eight seconds, Mordred stepped forward and threw an elbow with her right arm. It hit Shiki's forearm as she blocked it.
When the clock ticked from eight to seven, an idea flashed in Mordred's mind. Her elbow remained against Shiki's guard as she went low and twisted her body. Mordred threw all of her weight into a wild spin, throwing her left elbow with the momentum. It clashed against Shiki's cut. Blood splattered over Mordred's arm and Shiki's face as the crowd erupted. Shiki's vision grew blurry as she clinched with Mordred, her arms shaky and jaw clenched as her blood flooded her eye. They remained tied up, throwing punches with no technique as they fought out the last five seconds. The round-ending horn blared through the arena, and the crowd cheered as the two women nodded at each other.
Mordred returned to her corner with her head high and a grin. She took in a deep breath on the stool, leaning over with an elbow on one knee and the other hanging between her legs. Though bruises dotted her body, head, and limbs, she laughed as Lancer knelt down and said, "Good work, lass."
"Thanks," Mordred said between breaths. She wrapped an arm around Fran's shoulder as she applied ice to Mordred's back. The blood and sweat on Mordred's arm seeped into Fran's shirt, but she paid no mind as Mordred leaned her head towards her. "You gotta corner me more often, Fran. I hope that's what you meant by 'bounce'."
Frankenstein smiled and nodded. "Exactly," she remarked.
Mordred's grin widened before she returned her attention to Lancer. He began to give her advice on how to progress in the last round, but he paused as the referee came up to them.
"What's going on?" Lancer asked. "Rest period over already?"
"No; you might not even need it," the referee replied. He gestured toward Shiki's corner. Blood kept pouring over her eye despite a thick coating of vaseline on the cut. Shiki crossed her arms as a doctor examined the wound. She shook her head as the doctor called the referee over. Her chilled expression showed cracks of frustration. The three conversed while Mordred's teammates glanced at each other with confusion. Several moments later, the doctor shook his head and the referee waved his hands, calling off the fight.
"No way," Mordred mumbled through her teeth. The referee jogged back to her corner.
"The doctor said that it isn't safe to continue," he explained. "This fight is done, Mordred. You're going to be announced as the winner."
Mordred sighed. She peeked past the referee and saw Shiki talking with her teammates. Her hands were on her hips, back straight and calm demeanor back in place as she nodded. "Just as it was getting good."
"At least we got the win," Scathach remarked as Mordred got to her feet.
"Good job, Mordred," Boudica said as the referee called for the two fighters. Mordred nodded at her before joining Shiki and the referee in the center. Shiki glanced at Mordred, nodded, and stared off into the crowd as the announcer prepared to read off the result.
"Impressive showing, Pendragon," Shiki complimented, her eyes floating in the audience. "Although we're going to have to settle this down the line."
"You got that right," Mordred said with a smirk. "We can't leave this one to one."
Shiki smiled. "Let's hope our next battle is for the belt."
Mordred nodded, raising her hands as the announcer made her victory official. The crowd, though tempered by the fight's end, clapped and whistled as Mordred reveled in another win. Fujimura arrived, microphone in hand, to congratulate Mordred. She stood aside as Mordred hugged and shook hands with her teammates. Her longest embrace lasted with Fran, who held Mordred aloft her shoulder for a brief moment.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am here with Mordred Pendragon!" Fujimura shouted into the microphone. Mordred nodded to the warm applause of the audience. "How does it feel to even the score with Shiki Ryougi?"
"I've never had a better feeling after a fight," Mordred answered, her hands on her hips. "But I do wish the end would have come differently. I wouldn't call it a fluke, but we need to run it back one more time. She isn't my next opponent, though; I'm ready to fight Artoria for the belt." The crowd erupted at the mention of Artoria's name. Through Mordred's career in mixed martial arts, Artoria held the gold of Grail Wars with an iron fist.
"I know that many people think you've earned your shot, myself included," Fujimura said. "However, if you had to fight anyone before her, who would it be?"
"Kotomine, you already know that I should be fighting for the championship," Mordred sneered. "That being said, I don't care if I have to fight one more person first."
"Even if that person was one of your teammates?" Fujimura asked. "Say, Frankenstein?"
Mordred and Frankenstein exchanged glances. While Frankenstein could not hide her confused, concerned look, Mordred feigned amusement and wrapped an arm around her. "We've tussled more than a few times after our cage fight," she joked, riling up the crowd further and making Fran blush. "And if we were gonna meet in the cage again, I guarantee it wouldn't be nearly as exciting as any of those."
Fujimura blushed, scratching the back of her head. "Well, in any case, we can't wait to see you compete in Grail Wars again. Mordred Pendragon, everyone!"
Mordred bowed like an actress on stage. She and her teammates posed for photos before leaving for the locker rooms. Once she changed into her short jeans and tube top, she threw on her red leather jacket and piled into their car. When they arrived back at the hotel, Mordred immediately took off her jacket and tossed it onto a nearby chair. Her body sunk into the bed as she collapsed on the mattress.
"Holy crap," Mordred sighed. "I need to take a vacation."
Fran nodded, silent as she sat on the edge of the bed. She stretched her arms and lied down with her hands folded over her stomach. Mordred stripped down to her underwear and rolled under the blankets, laying her head against the pillow. Her loud yawn shifted Fran's gaze in her direction.
"Sleeping, Mordred?" Fran asked.
"Yeah, that fight took a lot out of me," Mordred replied. "I won't mind if you wanna watch a movie."
"No; I'm okay," Fran said, shifting her eyes away. "Just wanted to say goodnight."
Mordred smiled as her eyes closed. "Goodnight, Fran," she said the second before her phone buzzed. Her eyes squinted out of tiredness and annoyance as she checked the message. The profile image of its sender showed Ritsuka flashing the "peace" sign, her orange hair in its one-sided ponytail.
Congrats on another win, Mordred! the message read. I've started the transfer of your money for this fight. Anyway, that's not what I wanted to text you about. I'm planning on taking some of Chaldea's fighters on a trip to Okinawa in a month. You in? Frankenstein too?
Mordred let out a hissing chuckle that broke into a full laugh. Frankenstein glanced at her, head cocked as Mordred showed her the message. "It's like a prayer being answered!" she remarked. "Hell yeah, I'm in! You wanna go too, Fran?"
"Mm," she replied with a nod.
"Great," Mordred said as she sat up and messaged Ritsuka. Once she hit send, she put the phone back on the nightstand and collapsed back onto her pillow. "Alright, I'm gonna try falling asleep again. 'Night, Fran."
Frankenstein nodded as Mordred's eyes shut. She remained at the edge of the bed, staring at the blank television screen. Time and again, she saw Mordred's older sister on that screen holding the Grail Wars belt above her head in victory. Even before her father instilled her competitive drive, long before she met Mordred and knew her story, she projected herself in the cage's center with the belt around her waist. The passage of time and her shifting relationships hadn't deterred her ultimate goal. Fighting Mordred to fulfill it, pressed down on her mind as she lay down beside her, turning to her sleeping face as she contemplated the path of life as a fighter.