Mia and Elizabeth said they'd take it easy on me, but maybe our definitions were different, as I was cornered the moment we set foot in the arena.
Everything happened incredibly quickly. One moment we were bowing respectfully to each other; the next, I lifted my chin and found Mia standing before me, less than a step separating us.
She stomped the ground, and an ear-bursting boom echoed.
The only window I had to raise my guard was the microsecond between her perfecting her stance and driving her fist up into my stomach.
I blocked with both arms.
But she still blew me away.
Before I could hit the ground, she was already on my face again.
This time I was ready, and her second strike didn't connect.
As the momentum pushed me away, I wrapped our fists in water and linked them with a short chain.
I threw my fist down, sending her punch off course. Using the momentum, I turned in the air and landed a sideways kick on her chin.
