I charged at the obvious threat: The woman in glasses and the one with X-scissors.
My other dagger flashed in my hand, reflecting the moonlight as I closed the distance. The woman in glasses didn't even flinch. She just adjusted her glasses calmly, like I was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
I appeared before her in an instant, my dagger moving sideways in a calculated strike. My legs slid between hers as I prepared to take her hostage—
But the next instant, she was far away.
No... it wasn't her who was moving.
It was me.
"Ahcckk."
Blood spurted from my mouth as my back hit the ground with a loud, bone-jarring thud. The impact knocked the wind out of me completely.
My legs shot up involuntarily from the force, then fell back down hard against the dirt.
I felt it immediately, a strong grip pressing down on my neck, choking off my air supply.
My fingers instinctively twirled the dagger in my hand, repositioning it so the pointed edge faced sideways.
