Before my consciousness fully faded, I managed to grasp my knife and drive it into my leg, the cold steel slicing through flesh to keep me awake.
"Ngggh!" The searing pain erupted through my leg, a fiery jolt that made me clench my teeth and fight through the agony.
"Oh..." the woman observed with a mix of surprise and intrigue. "You're using a knife to stave off unconsciousness. Quite the tactical move. But are you sure that's a smart idea?"
It wasn't. I was acutely aware of that. By stabbing my leg, I had sacrificed my speed and mobility, but without that desperate measure, I'd have been finished.
I rotated the knife in my hand, preparing for the next move, and dropped into a fighting stance.
"What's that going to do?" she sneered, her eyes narrowing.
"How about you find out?" I retorted.
We both lunged at each other with lightning speed. She swung her kukris at my upper body, aiming to cleave me in two. I dropped to my knees, skidding across the floor, and aimed my knife at her leg. The blade met her tough clothing, unable to penetrate. In a seamless motion, she ran up the wall and executed a high backflip, her movements fluid and precise.
During that brief moment, I snatched my blade back and rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding her descending kukris. She landed with a crash, her kukris smashing into the floor where I had been just seconds before, sending shards of debris flying.
I charged at her with my blade ready, aiming to strike before she could recover. But just as I closed in, she swung one of her kukris to block my attack. Her grip faltered, and one of her kukris flew from her hand, clattering to the ground with a metallic echo.
"Why are you suddenly so fast?" she exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock.
It wasn't that I was moving faster; it was my ability to adapt to my opponents. That was how I was trained. Every movement, every attack, I learned and adjusted to. However, this adaptability only worked if the enemy stuck to predictable patterns. If she changed her strategy, it would take time for me to adjust, and that moment of uncertainty could be deadly.
"Well, either way, you're done," she said with a confident smirk.
As I'd anticipated, she immediately switched to a new attack pattern. Her remaining kukri spun like a blur around her arm, and in an instant, she was moving with a blinding speed.
"What?!" I gasped, struggling to track her movements. How could she be this fast? If I could just manage to keep up and evade her strikes, I might adapt. I needed to stay on her heels.
We clashed again, trading blows with relentless intensity. Her punches were swift and precise, each one aimed to exploit any opening in my defense. I countered with powerful strikes of my own, aiming to wear her down. Every hit, every dodge, and every block felt like a high-stakes dance, neither of us willing to give an inch.
She caught me off guard with a sudden knee to the gut, knocking the wind out of me. I doubled over in pain, but as she moved in for the finishing blow, I swept her legs out from under her, sending her crashing to the floor. She recovered quickly, rolling to her feet and launching herself at me with renewed fury.
Our movements became more desperate, more brutal. She landed a solid punch to my jaw, making stars explode in my vision. I shook it off and answered with a roundhouse kick that connected with her shoulder, sending her spinning. She was back on me in an instant, her fists a blur as she aimed for my head.
I managed to deflect most of her strikes, but a few slipped through, each one stinging like hell. I responded with a flurry of punches, driving her back. We were both battered and bruised, but neither of us was willing to back down.
With one final, simultaneous strike, we both connected solidly, sending each other reeling. We stood there for a moment, panting heavily, staring each other down with fierce determination.
"Why are you making this so complicated?" she said, her voice dripping with irritation. "If you'd just drop dead right now, we wouldn't be stuck in this exhausting charade. Besides, even if I lose here, you're still fucked. You're wanted for being part of an insurgent group. Most of the Silver Blades have either been caught or killed, so there's no escaping now. Maybe I can make an exception.
How about you kneel down and suck my foot, and I'll capture you alive? What do you say?"
How did she know I was with the Silver Blades? Not that it mattered at this point. I raised my middle finger and said, "Fuck you."
"Heh. Figured as much," she said with a smug grin before launching toward me with another surge of speed.
Her speed was overwhelming, and I was barely keeping up. She danced around me, her fists connecting with painful precision. Each punch felt like a hammer blow, sending shockwaves through my body. I tried to block and counter, but she was too fast, too relentless.
"Had enough yet?" she taunted, landing another brutal hit to my ribs that made me gasp for air.
I stumbled, struggling to find an opening. Every move I made was met with a swift, punishing response. Blood trickled down my face, and my vision blurred. I couldn't keep this up much longer.
Then, just for a moment, I saw it—a small opening. Summoning every bit of strength I had left, I twisted my body and threw a punch with all my might. The air seemed to tremble as my fist cut through it, aiming straight for her.
The impact was explosive. She staggered back, her eyes wide with shock before she crumpled to the ground. The force of my punch had knocked her out cold. I stood there, panting heavily, my vision darkening at the edges.
With the last bit of my strength spent, I collapsed beside her, the world fading to black as exhaustion claimed me.