Brittany was fast. She moved almost faster than Lotte's eyes could follow, a blur like a viper's strike.

  But Fjord was faster.

  He dodged left, then rolled to the side like a circus acrobat, moving with grace Lotte hadn't thought him capable of just a few moments ago.

  Brittany was already turning to chase him with a deadly gleam in her eyes, but Fjord's grin only widened as he called out:

  "Come a little closer."

  The second Fjord said it—

  "CLOSE ENOUGH?"

  He lunged forward like a sprung trap, twisting mid-air to drive his fist straight into Brittany’s ribs with brutal precision. The impact made an audible CRACK, and she stumbled back, wheezing for half a second before snarling, but then he was already moving again.

  A spin-kick aimed at her knee (blocked), a feint left that turned into an elbow swing toward her temple (ducked). Brittany countered with one of those razor-edged scissor blades slicing upward, only for Fjord to catch the blade between two fingers and yank her off-balance by sheer force alone!

  Then came the smirk:

  "You're good."

  And then:

  “...But I'm better.”

  Brittany roared in fury as she wrenched free, and this time? She didn't hold back anymore.

  Cassie whistled low under her breath from where she sat observing.

  Sylvie cackled like mad.

  Even Vilho looked grudgingly impressed.

  Nyx remained still as stone, but there was something new in how tightly gripped that whip had become around clenched her fingers.

  Brittany was fighting for blood, her every attack wild and uncontrolled. Fjord dodged them with fluid grace, moving around her strikes when he could, or blocking them just in time with a raised arm.

  The Cabal members watched in awe as he ducked and weaved through her attacks, his body like a leaf caught in the wind... until he suddenly slammed her back first into the onyx table, her wrists pinned above her head by one hand.

  He grinned, leaning in—

  "Checkmate."

  Brittany thrashed and struggled against the grip, but it was utterly useless. Fjord was too strong, too fast, and the more she struggled:

  "You're only wasting your energy. And it's only making me want to keep you there a little longer..."

  For a moment, Brittany went absolutely still.

  And so did every single person watching.

  The room was so quiet, you could've heard a pin drop.

  And then:

  "You'd better watch it, pretty boy."

  Brittany growled it between clenched teeth, her gaze flashing with sudden heat.

  And then like a flash of lightning...

  Her leg snapped up in a swift, well-placed kick straight into Fjord's groin!

  Fjord didn't scream, he didn't move or stumble or even gasp.

  He simply clenched his teeth, jaw working tight, then grinned even wider.

  "A cheap move," he mused, his voice low and amused. "But you play dirty—and I respect that."

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  Brittany let out a sharp, breathless laugh, her tone dripping with mockery:

  "You respect it, or you're just into it?"

  Fjord chuckled at that, his eyes still locked onto hers, almost like a predator locking onto its prey.

  And then:

  "Wouldn't you like to know."

  Brittany opened her mouth to snap something back, but before she got the chance...

  His grip around her wrists abruptly tightened.

  And he slammed her back-first against the table again.

  Harder.

  And this time:

  It hurt.

  Brittany gasped, her eyes flashing in surprise.

  The room erupted.

  Courtney let out a sharp, disbelieving laugh, "Oh, you are dead—"

  Vilho actually stood up from his seat like he was about to intervene.

  Mathusalem howled with laughter: "HELL YEAH!"

  Sylvie clapped her hands in delight like she'd just seen the best show of her life.

  And Cassie? She leaned forward on the table now, elbows propped up as if watching some particularly entertaining bloodsport unfold before them.

  Brittany’s entire body went rigid under Fjord's weight for half a second... then slowly relaxed again into something else entirely different:

  Her voice dropped low and dangerous:

  "...You've got five seconds to get off me before I carve your face into next week."

  But there was no real heat behind it anymore; more amusement than rage now...

  Fjord only grinned wider at that threat.

  Then deliberately shifted closer still until their noses were almost touching:

  "Or what?"

  The room exploded into chaos.

  Cassie slammed her fist on the table, laughing so hard she nearly toppled out of her seat.

  Sylvie shrieked with glee like a kid watching fireworks go off indoors.

  Mathusalem fell backward off his chair screaming: "IT'S HAPPENING!!!"

  Vilho looked physically pained, like he wanted to strangle both of them himself just to end this nonsense.

  And Nyx?

  Her grip on that whip turned bone-white.

  For once in her life?

  She had absolutely no idea what to do next.

  But Brittany? She stared up at him for one long, frozen second, before suddenly grabbing Fjord by the collar and yanking him down until their lips crashed together in something that was less a kiss and more an act of war.

  The entire room froze.

  Cassie's laughter cut off mid-snort.

  Mathusalem's grin dropped like a rock.

  Malika made a tiny "eep" noise.

  Even Vilho’s eyebrows shot up in shock, something that rarely happens.

  And then:

  Brittany shoved Fjord back hard enough he nearly lost his balance, but not before flashing him one last smug, victorious smirk:

  "Try again when you're ready to lose."

  Fjord wiped his mouth with the back of his hand... and laughed.

  Not angry.

  Not even surprised anymore, just genuinely amused:

  "...Worth it. All right, that settles it. I declare myself the loser of this match."

  The room erupted, again.

  Mathusalem screamed, "YES! BRITTANY FOR PRESIDENT!" while dramatically throwing his arms up like he was watching a championship match.

  Cassie let out an approving whistle, her grin sharp enough to cut glass.

  Sylvie clapped giddily and stage-whispered: "Ohhhh she won-won."

  Brittany leaned back against the table now, crossing her arms under her chest as if daring Fjord (or anyone else) to challenge what just happened.

  Then:

  "...Well?" She tilted head at him mockingly. "You gonna call me ‘your empress’ or something? Or are we done here?”

  Fjord wiped blood from the corner of his lip where she'd nicked him earlier and grinned wider than ever before:

  "I think I prefer ‘Your Majesty.’”

  Brittany blushed, but quickly hid it behind a scowl when Cassie cackled loud enough to make windows rattle.

  But just when it looked like Brittany was about to come up with some smartass retort—

  Fjord leaned in closer, so close, she could almost feel his breath on her ear:

  "Though for the record?"

  Brittany held her breath.

  "I'd be more than happy to lose to you again."

  And he pulled back with a wink that made her pulse jump.

  Brittany's breath hitched, just for a split second, before she shoved him away hard, her face burning red.

  "Tch." She turned her head to the side like that could hide how flustered she was, muttering under her breath: "You're insufferable..."

  But Fjord just grinned wider.

  Because now?

  He knew something no one else did:

  That beneath all those threats and punches?

  She liked this game more than either of them wanted to admit.

  And as if sensing it too...

  Cassie suddenly slammed both hands on the table with an evil cackle:

  "Oh-ho-ho! Someone's got a CRUSH~!"

  The entire room erupted into chaos again as Brittany snarled:

  "I WILL END YOU."

  Fjord only laughed, and didn't move from where he'd settled right back next to his "empress.”

  The next few minutes were absolute madness, as Brittany made a half-hearted lunge for Cassie—who backflipped over the table to get away from her—before Fjord simply grabbed Brittany and dragged her onto his lap instead.

  Brittany let out an undignified hiss of protest when he did and tried to wriggle free, but his arms only tightened around her like a vice in response.

  She shot him a glare.

  "...I bloody hate you.”

  Fjord grinned—unfazed, unbothered.

  "No," he said simply, leaning in just enough to make her pulse jump again. "You don’t."

  Brittany opened her mouth to argue, then snapped it shut with a frustrated growl when she realized he was right.

  And then?

  Mathusalem lost his damn mind, screaming:

  "FUCK IT—THEY'RE DATING NOW! THEY'RE OFFICIALLY A THING!!!"

  Cassie clapped like a seal while Sylvie cackled into her hands.

  Vilho pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered: "...We're all going straight to hell."