Karov Le Gall was a pig. That much, Reina could tell even from a few feet away. The man had spent all night on a private booth at the hotel’s five-star restaurant like Dim Mak had said, drinking and eating everything on the menu like it was free, and surrounded by four women clinging to him in a way that made Reina want to look away.

Reina watched them from across the room, sitting in one of the high stools of the Cumulus Bar, nursing a virgin daiquiri that did nothing to ease her nerves. She studied her…target, the man she would have to kill if she wanted to stay in Dim Mak’s life. Certainly, he looked like the kind of rich scum that would have a price on their head, and his boorish behavior didn’t help.

All she had to go on was Dim Mak’s word that this man deserved to die. That he had done enough evil in the world to justify her walking up to him and…no, she couldn’t bear to imagine it.

“Little taste from home for the nerves?” 

Reina had been so focused, she had not even detected the man sitting on the stool next to her, not until he had extended a glass of rum to her across the polished black marble. He was an older black gentleman, and she felt the word was warranted from the way he looked, stunning in a full white tuxedo, with a very attractive bearded face and muscular build.

“I usually don’t pry,” he began, sounding apologetic but equally charming with a heavy British accent, “but I recognize a fellow in the trade, and I made an educated guess at your origin, so rum seemed like a safe bet. Just looked to me like you needed a little calm in you.”

“Wha…what do you mean?”

“You’ve got to learn to blend in for one. The clothes don’t help, and bloody starting at him from twelve feet away in a room full of people and cameras is hardly what I’d call professional.”

“I don’t…that is…I…” Reina went on lamely, trying to keep her cool.

“Hey, it’s all right, not here as competition,” the man said with a hearty laugh. “I know we’re not all friendly in the trade, but I just figured I’d give you a poke to snap you out of it a bit. The way you’ve been staring at the twelfth richest man alive, I mean, I assume, is not cause you’re eager to be one of them girls.”

Reina made a face, making it clear what she thought of such a sight. The man laughed harder. “Yes, I thought not. And since you're not exactly dressed like private security, I'd wager you're who they should be worried about.”

“Listen, I don't know what you’re implying, sir, but I'm just a guest here drinking a normal drink like a normal does on vacation, and just…looking around, cause come on, look at the place! This is fancy!”

“Right,” he said, now sounding slightly more confused. “I don’t think I read you wrong, miss, but you have to be the greenest cleaner I’ve seen in an age. I mean, you come here with no piece on you, looking you’d rather fight the bloke than…”

Suddenly, the man’s eyes widened, and he turned to look sharply at Reina with a very different look; one of caution. “Oh bloody hell, you’re one of hers, aren't you?”

Reina hated how everyone seemed to guess her connection to Dim Mak. “One of what-

“Walk away, girl. You don’t want this,” and the man stood up and left without another word. 

“This is not good, argh!” Reina massaged her temple, trying to think. She didnt know who that man was, would he alert someone of her intentions? If so, maybe she only had minutes to do what she didnt want or lose her one chance.

She had lost both her parents already; all she had was Dim Mak and their small life together. She loved martial arts, and she wanted to continue training, but perhaps it was a dumb dream to think that she could go on without her choosing how to use them. 

Her target yelled something obscene, and the women around him giggled. It infuriated Reina even though she didn’t hear it. She wanted to hate him, to find something to justify to herself what her Sifu had asked her to do.

Reina took the glass of Rum the man had left for her; she drank in one gulp, the fiery liquid burning her throat and giving her a small spark to stand up and start walking towards the booth. If she walked from behind, Le Gall would never see her coming, she could just stand there and do it.

When she was in place, she raised her right arm slowly, as discreetly as she could. No one had yet noticed anything. Reina knew by instinct where to punch, and how hard, and the man’s skull would crush enough to render him brain dead. A second blow would be mercy at that point. 

It all seemed so easy…and yet she couldn’t do it. She couldn't throw that punch. After doing it a million times, this was the one time her arm would not obey her, and she realized she didnt want to. 

“I… I can’t do it!” Reina shouted suddenly. 

This got the attention of Le Gall and his party, they turned to look at her, confused and annoyed.

“I know you suck, but I can’t kill you man.” 

“Excuse me?”

“You’re a piece of work, I believe that, maybe someone else should do it, I don’t know, but it can’t be me. I’m sorry…not to you, this is your lucky day, I guess, but for me this is…yeah.”

Reina ranted on, and being hyperaware now, she could feel to approaching footsteps of what she assumed were his bodyguards, but not the ones from the person who reached her first.

“I didn’t know what to expect from you, but you’re as subtle as your jacket.”

A burning pain erupted on her back as someone kicked her there with such force to send her flying into another booth, landing excruciatingly against the table. The guests there were jumping out of their seats as her body sent all their food flying.

Reina moaned in pain, but slowly staggered back up and saw that it had been Kara who had kicked her. She still had her leg impressively high in the air, and was still wearing that ridiculous white fur boa around her. 

“What the hell, lady?! You can’t just hit people with those buff monster legs of yours!”

“我现在就把你踩死,” Kara replied in Mandarin, looking predatory and smirking that same cocky smirk from before.

“What was that?”

“I’m gonna step on you till you die now.”

“Well…that is threatening,” Reina replied, returning the smirk as she cracked her back, knowing full well what was about to happen.

They both walked closer to each other, sizing the other one up. Kara let her boa simply fall off her into the ground, like she was in an action movie doing a reveal. It was cool, she thought privately, but she wasn’t going to show it.

Now they were inches from each other, their bodies touching slightly as they got right in each other’s faces. Kara looked confident, but Reina gripped her fist and was ready for her.

In the blink of an eye, Kara spun and gave a horse back kick upwards to her face! Reina barely reacted in time to dodge it, and responded with a kick of her own toward her exposed leg, but somehow Kara managed to use it as a boost to spin in the air and land perfectly a feet away.

This time, Reina went on the offensive, throwing punch after punch at her, which she blocked with a rhythmic flurry of her hands, before hitting back with kicks so fast one finally connected. Reina used her entire body weight and both arms to receive a kick and stop it, and still, she felt the impact.

She had been right, those legs of hers were dangerous; her entire fighting style seemed to have been focused on them, with her arms mostly for defense. Still, she felt an acceleration in that moment, her past worry forgotten, and all she wanted to do was laugh.

"Not bad monster thighs," Reina said, bordering on bragging, "but if that’s all you got, then I’ll say it in Chinese so you understand…your Kung Fu is a piece of Shí!”

Kara looked like she wanted to facepalm all of a sudden. “…you’re saying rock. It’s pronounced shǐ.”

“Well, shit, your language is beautiful but hard!”

Reina rushed at her, trying to gather speed to surprise her, but Karasaw it coming and closed the distance before she was ready in one jump, grabbing her by the arm and throwing her against the large glass wall that separated the restaurant from the terrace. 

The glass held, barely; she could feel the cracks behind her as she put her hands on it to steady herself back up. Before she could look back, she felt another strong blow on her stomach, pushing her back against the glass even harder, further fracturing it. Then another, a kick to her face that seemed like a black blur, leaving only pain. 

Kara bombarded her with kick after kick until finally, the glass gave way, and she was sent flying into the outside area. The guests all screamed and rushed out in a panic, but Reina didn’t even see them. Her vision was blurry, and her chest was on fire. She just wanted to lie there on the wooden floor.

“I have to say, I expected better from my replacement.”

This snapped Reina out of her dizziness enough to ask, “Y-Yo..your what?”

“You have the technique, the skill, but where is your will?”

“I mean…it’s probably back there somewhere…oww.”

Reina tried to straighten up, but her body rebelled at the attempt. Kara was now standing right in front of her, looking down at her with both anger and pity.

“You stupid little girl,” she spat out angrily. “She must have failed you worse than me if you came this unprepared.”

Reina chuckled, “Oh, I don't know, sounds like we both got issues to me.”

Kara growled, bent on one knee, grabbed Reina by the collar of her jacket, and lifted her just a little above the ground. She raised her fist slowly, just like she had with Le Gall before. Was she aiming for a killing blow? Maybe she deserved it after trying to take someone’s life.

She closed her eyes and waited, but the blow never came. When she opened her eyes again, she saw why. Dim Mak was behind Kara now, arriving as quietly as she had, and holding her arm back with one hand.

“Stop, my daughter,” Dim Mak said flatly.

Kara didn’t even turn to face her. “To which daughter are you speaking…mother?”

"To you, Wu Kai Le.”

“It’s Kara now.”

"How western of you.”

"Let go of my hand now.”

“It’s still soft,” Dim Mak said critically.

“Would you like to compare it with my foot?”

“Did she call you mother?” Reina asked, still feeling out of it. 

“Yes,” Dim Mak replied simply.

“…oh, so THIS is why people watch telenovelas. I finally got it. Gracias.”

“I will explain everything,” Dim Mak said, “but avoid making jokes while one of your ribs may be broken.”

Dim Mak released Kara’s arm, and she immediately stood and faced her. Even as Reina still processed the new information, it was clear that all the anger that Kara held was directed at her mother.

“Why did you come back here? Why did you train another one?” Kara demanded, her fist shaking.

“I did more than that with her,” Dim Mak said, more than a little defensive. “I raised her like I raised you, so be a little nicer to your meimei.”

“Her what?”

“Little sister," Dim Mak said, "now don't interrupt, she might attack you again.”

“I want you both out of my hotel, and you to stay out of my life!”

Dim Mak frowned, disappointed, but placed her hands behind her back and started calmly pacing around Kara.

“Yes, I know how important this place is to you, you fought very hard for it, and you may keep it…If you agree to fight for my title.”

“Why would I ever do that?”

“Because of me," said a new voice, heavy and Russian.

Le Gall stepped through the broken glass, unbothered by the scene, and in fact, smiling broadly at it as he clapped his hands in delight.

“You were right, Sifu, they are good!”

Kara yelled something in Chinese that was unmistakable swearing, and directed it at her mother.

“Yes, yes, I trained him as well…briefly,” Dim Mak replied, annoyed.

“I am here at your mother's invitation, Miss Kara. She wanted to see if you both were up to it.”

Despite the aching pain, Reina got up and slowly limped towards Dim Mak. She looked at her curiously, and though Reina knew she could have easily stopped her in her state, Dim Mak did not block Reina’s punch. It wasn't her best, but it still must have hurt. Dim Mak’s cheek was visibly bruised, but she had not moved an inch.

“Are you satisfied now?”

“You twisted, sick…” Reina began, but her anger stopped her from finishing a full sentence.

“If you’re also going to call me a puta, then I truly raised two foul mouth daughters.”

“Don’t call me that right now.”

“You act as though this was the first time I tested you.”

“Killing someone is not a test!” Reina yelled.

“It is for me.”

Le Gall looked between them with amusement, clearly enjoying the family drama. His security guards waited at a proper distance behind him, all with their guns drawn, but he waved them away.

“I know you all have a lot to work through, clearly,” Le Gall said, “ but we're all here for a purpose. Our Sifu wants to pass her title, and only the very few of us who trained with her...and are still alive...are worthy of carrying on her name.”

“You are a joke, Le Gall,” Kara spat out.

“I know many think that, but they don’t know what you didn’t until now. What you do know, however, is how much money I have, and how easily I could buy this hotel from you if I wanted.”

“Ah, I see…this is why you brought him here, why you even swallowed your pride and trained him…so that you could ask him to do this to me one day.”

Dim Mak said nothing, but her silence spoke the truth. Kara cursed under her breath and went to stand at the edge of the terrace, probably trying to keep herself from hitting anyone like Reina did.

“Miss Kara, you probably know my reputation for assembling little soires between fighters, and today I invite you both to the most significant and exclusive tournament ever put together.” Le Gall spoke like a true businessman, always trying to sell you something, and making even a bad deal sound like a boon.

Kara said nothing, looking displeased but listening. “If you agree to participate," Le Gall continued, "you have my word that I will leave your hotel in your hands for good. I’ll even buy you an entire second one if you win.” Le Gall sniggered, but moved on before he truly provoked her. Now he turned to Reina, palms spread wide in openness, which only put her more on her guard.

“As for you, the youngest of us heirs, we all saw your doubt just now…you are perhaps not ready? But the choice remains with you. If you join us, win or lose, I will pay for whatever future you desire. You can be free of this life if you don't want it…but only if you fight, truly fight.”

"How gracious, do I even have a choice?"

"Of course you do," Le Gall laughed. "You made one when you decided not to kill me. Let's call that...not well thought out on your part. Our Sifu told me she feared you wouldn't dare, so maybe think of this as a second chance to try again. "

Dim Mak avoided looking at her; perhaps she did feel some guilt over the whole thing, but she had made her own choice in the matter. There was no turning back now for either of them, or Kara. She had orchestrated a situation where they would have to choose and fight. Reina didn't know if she could forgive her for that.

"Where is this tournament even going to be?" Kara asked.

"My boat," Le Gall said, innocently, "oh, and...we sail tonight."