Severing Time & Space

Accepting a Loss

Hou Jingshu could not help but watch the battle taking place in shock. This was beyond anything she had seen from Wu Meiying before. It made her realize something important and disheartening.

"She's been going easy on me this whole time, hasn't she?" Hou Jingshu said. Her voice was a soft murmur.

I can't believe how much stronger she is than me. Am I really so weak that she felt the need to go easy on me?

"It's not that she's been going easy on you, but that she's not willing to use lethal force in a simple spar," he told her. His eyes hadn't left the battle taking place. It was like he was captivated by Wu Meiying's beauty and grace in battle. "If you and she were to step into a ring like this, she would go at you with everything she had to win just like she is now."

Hou Jingshu gave him a strained smile. "If she went at me with everything she had, I'm afraid I wouldn't last ten seconds."

"Well... maybe," Wu Jian admitted. He ran a hand through his hair and turned to Hou Jingshu. "Wu Meiying has been training with me since she was six. You only started training last month, so of course there's going to be a large difference in strength and skill. If you want to reach her level, then you just need to work harder."

Hou Jingshu knew there was truth to Wu Jian's words. She took a deep breath and hardened her resolve.

"You're right. I can't afford to mope around if I want to catch up to you and Wu Meiying. I'll train hard, so one day I can stand beside you both as equals," Hou Jingshu said.

I won't lose heart. I'll keep training and getting stronger. Just you watch, Wu Jian, Wu Meiying. One day, I will be your equal.

"And I'll help you," Wu Jian added, unable to hear the girl's inner thoughts.

"Thank you."

Giving the burnette one last smile, the two turned their attention back to the arena match.

***

Wu Meiying and Zhou Lihua were breathing heavily by this point. Their battle had gone on far longer than either of them anticipated, and they were running out of energy.

"You are... a very... worthy opponent," Zhou Lihua said in-between ragged breaths.

"S-so... are you." Wu Meiying smiled as her shoulders heaved. "The only... only other person... who has pushed me... this far... is Wu Jian."

They gained their second wind soon. Zhou Lihua smiled.

"Hmmm. I look forward to battling him next."

"Don't get ahead of yourself. You still have to beat me."

"Then that's what I'll do."

After catching their second wind, the two clashed once more. Wu Meiying's high kick was avoided when Zhou Lihua ducked and launched a sweeping kick at her foot, but she had predicted this, leapt over the attack, and aimed a kick at her opponent's head. It was dodged when Zhou Lihua rolled across the floor.

Rather than come back up, she shifted into a handstand and kicked at Wu Meiying, forcing the girl back. She rose back to her feet, twirled around, and launched a spinning kick that nicked Wu Meiying's Tai Chu-fu, then spun in the other direction as she closed the distance and threw a kick from her left. That attack was blocked by an arm, but Zhou Lihua hooked her leg around the arm and pulled Wu Meiying off balance.

"Nnggh!"

Wu Meiying's eyes widened as she was pulled right into a knife thrust that caught her in the throat. She gagged and stumbled backward. Raising a hand to her throat, she was only able to avoid the next attack because a premonition appeared before her of Zhou Lihua ending the fight with a kick to her face.