Chapter 15 — The Fierce Flower

We both lay there, numb from the match.

Even with the noise crashing around us, everything felt silent after we collapsed.

Dani and Rosie rushed to my side.

Her coach went to her.

The League’s medical team moved in, lifting us onto stretchers.

As they wheeled us apart, Catalina looked over at me—

fire still burning in her eyes.

I had a feeling I’d see her again soon.

The hallway lights burned bright overhead.

I felt myself starting to fade, but the pain kept pulling me back as we reached Daisy.

She moved quickly, treating me with the help of medical staff.

Once the pain was dulled and the worst of it numbed, my body finally gave in.

I closed my eyes, reaching my limit.

I woke up slowly, still barely reacting to anything.

When my vision cleared, I saw Dani, Rosie, and Sunny sitting nearby in the recovery room.

“Coach… how did I do?” I asked.

Dani met my eyes. “You endured—and you won, Lily.”

“You held strong.” Rosie added.

Sunny smiled. “Yeah, it was close—but you pulled it off.”

I gave them a weak smile.

The door opened.

Dani looked up. “Sage.”

“How’s Catalina?” he asked.

Sage nodded. “She’s doing okay. Recovering—same as your fighter here.”

Relief washed through me. I was glad Catalina was okay.

Dani hesitated. “What brings you here?”

Sage met my eyes.

“Catalina asked me to pass along a message to your fighter.”

“She’s glad you listened to the tip she gave you,” Sage said. “And she hopes to fight you again someday.”

“Tell her thank you,” I said. “I’d gladly face her again.”

Sage smiled faintly. “I can see why she had so much fun fighting you.”

Dani nodded. “She fought well. I’m sure she’ll come back even stronger.”

“She will,” Sage said. “I know it.”

Then she turned and left.

Daisy came back to check on me.

She said I was in pretty rough shape, but I’d be okay. I’d need to stay the night to recover, but I should be well enough to leave by morning.

After she finished and left me to rest, the exhaustion finally caught up to me.

I faded back to sleep.

By the next day, I was cleared to leave.

Rosie and Sunny helped me move, taking it slow.

When we got back to the Spirited Grove, the hunger finally hit. I was starving.

Sunny helped make me something light to eat, then guided me back to my room.

I called Pops.

He scolded me for taking so much damage—for letting her surprise me—and told me to keep working on my footwork.

But he was glad I was okay.

And he said he was proud of the grit and heart I’d shown in that match.

I felt the emotion rise, but held it back.

I told him I missed the Iron Garden. Missed him.

Pops said he missed me too.

“Is this what it takes to become a world champion?” I asked.

He paused, then chuckled. “Yeah, Lily. I’ve been beaten and bruised more times than I can count.”

He went on, telling me how the stinging pain after a fight was proof of one thing—I survived another match.

I laughed softly. “Guess I’ll get used to it, then.”

Pops told me I was lucky. With Petal-Tech advances, I’d recover in a fraction of the time compared to his fighting days.

That made me laugh hard.

We talked for a while longer. I told him about Sunny, about my current training, about everything that had been happening.

Then I thought I heard a bark.

Pops said it was nothing.

I heard it again.

With a sigh, he admitted he’d gotten a dog—named Dahlia—to keep him company at the Iron Garden since I’d been gone so long.

I smiled, glad he wasn’t alone.

We ended the call the same way we always did.

“I love you.”

Then we hung up.

I thought about Mary. About Catalina.

They were both strong—dangerous in their own ways.

And it was likely I’d face them again.

The thought settled heavy in my chest.

If it had taken everything I had just to barely win this time…

how would I beat them next?

I knew I needed to keep learning.

To keep training.

Eventually, even the thoughts grew heavy.

I let them go and drifted back to sleep.

I rested most of the day, my body still worn out from the match.

Over the next couple of days, as I recovered, I spent time with Sunny and Rosie around the Spirited Grove—and played with Coconut.

Rosie often sat nearby with her sketchbook, quietly drawing whenever she had a free moment.

Sunny treated her rest days like research—studying fishing spots and techniques, often muttering about places she wanted to try once she had a chance.

When I was resting, I rewatched some of my favorite anime—stories where warriors train, struggle, and push past their limits.

It helped me stay focused—helped me remember what I was working toward.

I watched a replay of the fight.

Seeing myself in the arena, especially in that last round, it almost felt like I was watching someone else.

I asked Dani about parts of the match.

He agreed with Pops—said he wanted to make sure none of us ever took that much damage again, even with Petal-Tech.

Dani also told me the fight had become a highlight match. A lot of people had taken interest in it. People were talking.

Because of how rough the fight had been, Daisy told me I needed a follow-up exam, so we headed back to the medical wing.

The moment I stepped into the Petal Dome, people started coming up to me—asking me about the match, saying they thought I could be an upcoming contender.

I told them it had been close, and it was only my second match.

It was too early to predict anything.

We met with Daisy again. She checked me over and ran a few tests.

“Your recovery’s coming along fine, Lily,” she said.

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. “Good.”

“You still need to take it easy,” Daisy added, “but there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Okay,” I said, nodding.

Daisy smiled faintly. “Hopefully every match after this doesn’t go like this.”

I gave a tired smile. “I hope not.”

After we got back home, I waited until evening.

Once Rosie returned from training and settled in, I went to find her.

“Rosie,” I said, stopping at her door.

“Yeah, Lily?” She set her pencil down beside her sketchbook.

“I wanted to ask you something.”

“Of course,” Rosie said. “Anything.”

I hesitated, then asked, “How do you deal with being the fighter you are… and the presence you have in the League?”

I’d seen it at her match—the crowd chanting her name, the fans, the way people recognized her.

Rosie wasn’t just my senior anymore.

In the League, she was a real contender.

She’d won her match decisively.

I wanted her advice.

Rosie’s expression softened as she narrowed her eyes slightly, thinking.

“Honestly, Lily… I was just like you at first,” she said. “Just trying to win. Just trying to get through each match.”

She looked down for a moment, then back at me.

“Yes, my goal is to beat my sister. But to get there, I had to train. I had to struggle. I had to find my strengths—and face my weaknesses.”

I listened closely, not wanting to miss a word.

“The fans, the title, the presence I have now,” Rosie continued, “I grew into all of that. It didn’t come first.”

She smiled faintly.

“I fight for my own reasons. But at some point, people start wanting to see you win. They cheer for you. They want to see you reach your goals. Some of them even feel inspired by you.”

Her gaze met mine.

“When that happens, you become something more to others. To some extent, it’s a responsibility. One you can carry with pride… or let become a burden.”

Her words settled deep.

“You’ll understand in time, Lily,” Rosie said gently. “And I believe you and Sunny will find your way in the League.”

She gave a small, confident smile.

“Otherwise,” she added softly, “I’d have failed as your senior.”

“Thank you, Rosie,” I said. “That answers a lot of questions.”

I met her eyes, steady.

“I’m lucky to have you as my senior.”

“If I’m going to survive in the League—and build a presence strong enough to help save the Iron Garden—I will.”

I smiled. “And part of that will be because of what you’ve taught me.”

Rosie turned to smile.

“I’m glad you know,” she said gently. “I’ll always be here to help you.”

As I turned to leave, I paused.

“Hey—what were you drawing?” I asked.

I caught a quick glimpse before Rosie flustered, quickly covering the sketchbook. From what I’d seen, it looked like her… but not exactly.

She cleared her throat. “Just a sketch.”

I let it go and headed to get something to eat.

Sunny found me in the kitchen and sat down across from me.

“Hey, Lily. How are you feeling?” she asked.

“I’m okay,” I said.

Sunny smiled, then rubbed the back of her neck, a hint of nerves showing.

“It still feels unreal sometimes. Leaving Thornfield. Coming to Everbloom City. Joining the League.”

“Yeah,” I said. “It really does.”

She exhaled. “I was worried,” Sunny admitted. “That we wouldn’t be able to cut it.”

She looked at me, more serious now.

“But I knew as long as you didn’t give up, I couldn’t either.”

I smiled faintly.

“As your best friend,” Sunny continued, “I couldn’t let you lose your home. Or let you give up.”
She leaned back slightly.

“After seeing your match with Mary, I knew I had to get stronger and win my own match.”

Then she laughed softly.

“And after that fight you had with Catalina, now I’m motivated to keep up.”

I looked at her with quiet gratitude.

“We joined the League together,” I said. “We’ll grow together. And we’ll win together.”

I met her eyes.

“You’re my best friend, Sunny. And you’re your own kind of fighter—your kicks, your style. You’re great in your own way.”

I smiled. “I need to keep up with you, too.”

Sunny’s tension melted away. She grinned, back to her usual self.

“Yeah,” she said with a laugh. “Or I’ll leave you in the dust and become the best fighter from Thornfield in the League.”

“Not without a fight,” I said with a grin. “You could be the best fisherman from Thornfield— and I’ll be the best fighter.”

Sunny laughed, and soon I was laughing too.

Dani asked me to see him once he got back, so I went to the gym area of the Spirited Grove.

He was at his desk, looking over a stack of papers.

“Coach, you wanted to talk?” I asked.

“Yeah, Lily,” Dani said. “I did.”

He leaned back slightly.

“With this win—especially against a higher-ranked fighter—we made a bit more than usual. It’ll help the Iron Garden.”

I listened closely.

“The plan is to get you ranked up as soon as we can,” he continued. “That’s where the League starts getting more generous.”

He glanced back at the papers.

“As it stands right now, between all of you, we can cover the essentials. Keep the Spirited Grove running. Even have a little left over.”

Dani chuckled.

“Honestly? Rosie’s been the one keeping things afloat so far.”

“I’m planning to ask my closest friend of mine Bud Everleaf to take a look at the Iron Garden,” Dani said. “See if he can help fix it up and save some costs.”

He folded his arms, serious now.

“As your coach, my job is to help all of you move up in the League—so we keep the Spirited Grove running, help save the Iron Garden, and get the recognition that comes with it.”

He looked at me steadily.

“To help Rosie grow strong enough to reach Iris’s level—and beat her.”

His gaze shifted slightly, thoughtful.

“To help Sunny show the League how strong fighters from Thornfield really are, while making sure she keeps pace with you and Rosie.”

Then he met my eyes again.

“And to do my job right—bring all of you back safe, every time, and guide your growth the best I can.”

Dani took a slow breath.

“There’s something important,” he said. “Something I know you’ll want to hear.”

My chest tightened.

“After that match with Catalina—and how you fought—they’ve given you a title in the League.”

I felt a mix of nerves and excitement rise in my chest.

“What is it?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

Dani’s mouth curved into a smirk.

“I think you’ll like it,” he said. “It suits you.”

Dani held my gaze.

“Lily,” he said, pausing long enough.

“You’ll be known as…”

He smiled.

“The Fierce Flower.”