𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 { 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 | 𝟏 }

Chapter 36:A competition

She's always looking for a wilder ride

And she'll be fucking with her phone all night

She calls me 'Girlie'

-Alexandra Savior (Girlie)

✧✦✧

Thatch pov

"It seems Shanks has competition." Valkiria smirked.

I couldn't exactly tell what I've just done was a good idea or not. Not at the moment anyway. Valkiria laid next to me, her head leaning on my bare shoulder. Her against mine felt cold...either that or my skin was cold. I can't tell. Is that a metaphor for something, or am I just overthinking everything again?

"Competition against Shanks?" I questioned. She chuckled as she sat up to look at me. My blush returned. "You're definitely better than him at this..." She said softly, before twirling a piece of my hair between her fingers, "And to think that you're a virgin..." "This wasn't your first?" I asked. "Unfortunately no." Was all she said.

'I wasn't her first...but eh I guess having her as my first is a score.'

"Thatch, my darling," she called, "can you make a tiny promise for me?" She asked. "Of course." I smile. She winks, "You can't tell Shanks about this. Or Kora." At the mention of Kora, I averted my eyes from her, and I sat up. Valkiria followed suit, and she put a hand on my shoulder, "Are you okay?" She asked. "I had a fight with Kora the other night..." I murmured. "About what?" She asked. I was silent for a moment before I said, "I can't even remember what we were fighting about." I lied. "Are you going to fix it up?" She asked. "I better cause I need to go on a double date with her, and a couple of other friends."

"How about...I go with you instead?" She offered. I looked at her, "Really?" I asked. "It'll be better this way. Besides..." she touched my arm, "it'll be fun." She giggled before winking.

'Why the fuck not, Kora can't control me.'

I smile, "Sound like fun." Valkiria's eyes lit up and she hugs me, "Yay!" My flusteredness lead me to tumble, but she ended up stealing a kiss from me, "Oh you lovely darling!"

Kora pov

I sat in my room, with Anahera getting me ready for my showdown against Seline. Because this was an official Mardelna Showdown, both Seline and I are to wear battle kimono. Ridiculous, but that's the code. I even had to have my hair clipped back.

Anahera's hands were shaking as she hastily tied my silver obi. "Anahera." I call. "I'm sorry if this is all messy-" "Anahera-" "I'll fix it up!" "Anahera-" "Oh goodness-" "ANAHERA!" Anahera froze. "I-I am sorry I-I just..." Anahera sighed. "What's wrong?" I asked. "I'm worried about you, my Lady." She admits as she averts her eyes from me, "This fiend..this..this woman! She's bad news. I..." she looked at me in the eye, "I know that you're doing this for a reason, My Lady. But I'm just...I'm afraid that this woman will end up hurting you-"

Anahera gasped when I hugged her. I could feel that she was shaking. "You're the best Mother I could ever ask for. I'm so happy that you're worried about me. Anahera, I am nervous. And I am scared. But for now, I have to forget about my fear of being banished. I have to win this. For you, for the servants, for Father, and for myself. But please...do me a favour, and just be strong for me. I can do this...I have to. I've gotta do this one alone."

I could feel Anahera slowly hug me, some of her tears getting onto my kimono. "Just come back to me alive." She whispered weakly. I smile softly as I tried hard to fight back tears, "I will, I promise. Now please help me with my kimono."

✧✦✧

Third pov

In the Mardelna fighting dojo, Kora and Seline sat on pillows directly across from each other. The dojo was one of the more bigger areas of the Mardelna mansion. The floor was made of tatami, and on the walls, was the initials of the past Mardelna Shogunate leaders in Japanese.

Seline wore a white fighter kimono that had red and pink Sakura design, with a black obi tied around her waist. Like Kora, Seline's hair was clipped back. Kora wore a black kimono with a golden dragon, pink chrysthanhemum petals and silver smoke, a silver obi tied around her waist. The pair of them also only wore two toed socks.

Diagonally across from them, sat Akira, Adele, Astor and Anahera. They sat on a small wooden stage, with pillows underneath them. Akira was to be the overseeing Shogunate of the match, so that he could see who was deemed worthy as the next Shogun for the Mardelna clan. Was it to be Chevallier Seline? Or Mardelna Kora?

"The rules are simple." Akira starts, "You must get the opponent to admit total utter defeat. But before the champion can reign as Shogun..." Akira held out a gold medallion that had the Mardelna family crest (the chrsythanthemum) on it, "The winner will be deemed Shogun once they attain this medallion from me. You cannot win without this medallion. Your life depends on it."

'So I've gotta knock Seline unconscious before I can even grab the medallion...I need to be quick; on my feet at all times.'

"We have one condition here: there are to be no guns in this fight. If a gun is being used, you will be banished. If you call for help, it'll result in dishonour and banishment. If one of you injure me, then it'll result in the banishment and execution of that person."

Seline and Kora looked confident. Kora knew what she was doing. She's trained in Savate and Aikido to know how to execute attacks brutally. Apart from fighting, Kora knew that her street smarts could always help.

'However, I dunno what this woman is like as an opponent. She's strong though, she could subdue me easily just before. I can't take her lightly. One must always be careful.'

"Stand!" Anahera commands. The two women stand, staring dead at each other in the eye. Seline has a smirk, while Kora had a serious game face on. "Ready!"

'You're going down, Seline.'

"Fight!"