It's an even fight

Valerie maneuvered herself as Anya approached. She had sparred with her many times before - this was a familiar opponent. Or rather, she would be familiar, were it not for the fact that her memory was still not fully back yet. She would try to recall the best way to defeat her opponent, but until then she would need to rely on her instincts for this fight.

Anya went on the offensive immediately, letting loose a few punches at her upper body. She managed to parry them with some effort. Her opponent was not holding back - was her mind completely lost to the training? She moved back a couple of paces, putting temporary distance between herself and Anya. Perhaps she could look to counter her ultra aggressive opponent at the right moment.

Anya didn't let her catch her breath. She came in again, angling for a blow aimed at her neck. She braced herself to block the blow. Unexpectedly, Anya feinted, aborting her strike midway. Instead, she used her other hand to land a punch on Valerie's side, dangerously close to her liver.

Valerie felt the wind go out of her stomach. Her vision blanked for a second as she wheeled away in pain. This wasn't good. She shook herself out of her pain-filled haze. This wasn't training - her opponent wasn't Anya, her former mentor. This woman was her enemy, who would show her no mercy.

Anya didn't let up, smelling an opportunity to gain the upper hand. She lunged in Valerie's direction, attempting to grapple her.

Valerie managed to duck in the nick of time. However, this time, she didn't simply retreat - instead, she slammed her shoulder into her opponent's stomach. Anya let out a groan as she was almost thrown off her feet, barely managing to get down on a knee in time and stop Valerie's momentum.

The two women disengaged. The blows went back and forth for a while, both looking for weaknesses in their opponent's technique and finding themselves evenly matched at every opportunity. They wore each other down, until finally, they stood in front of each other, panting in exhaustion.

This was it, realized Valerie. She saw Anya, her face red and her breath heavy. Neither of them had much energy left. The next few seconds of the fight would decide the victor.