The taunt ignited the assassin's fury. She snapped her gun up and fired several shots in rapid succession. Lory had already read the movement. A translucent barrier flared into existence, bullets striking it with dull, useless impacts.
In the same breath, Lory surged forward.
A dagger appeared in her hand, summoned from the ring at her finger, and she drove in for the assassin's chest. The speed was overwhelming. The blade bit into the assassin's shoulder instead, tearing flesh as she twisted just enough to avoid a fatal blow.
With a sharp cry, the assassin clamped onto Lory's wrist, stopping the dagger from plunging deeper. She lashed out desperately, trying to force distance with a savage kick.
Lory met it head-on.
Her knee remained locked against the assassin's leg, grinding bone against bone, denying even the smallest retreat. Lory leaned into the contact, reading the tension in her opponent's muscles, then twisted sharply at the waist.
