Elizabeth wondered what she could have meant and tried to get a better observation of her weapon.

(“Is that why her weapons are so heavy? No, then why could she eff-”)

While wondering what the runes could have been used for, she quickly blocked as a loud explosion echoed throughout the mansion.

Whatever it was had slammed into her arms like a raging bull, leaving a massive welt and damaged bones. Her hands were left shaking and both were rendered numb briefly. Even someone as experienced in pain as Elizabeth had to let out a groan voicing her displeasure.

In the hand of the woman several feet away was the tonfa, but for some reason, the end of it was smoking.

(“So there was a reason for it being hollow, other than weight.”) Elizabeth thought as she looked on. She tried to hide her pain and put her fists up.

It revealed a hollow opening in the tonfa, the covering for it was a piece of paper or maybe a thin piece of metal to help draw away suspicion from a hole. The hole was about three fingers thick and based on what Elizabeth saw, it was a cannon that flung balls of that size at nearly unreactable speeds.

“Tch, I fucked up.” The woman simply stated and she brought another tonfa up.

Elizabeth quickly ran over and ducked solely on instinct when the next shot flew her way. It left a solid hole in her hair, even dragging a few follicles as a souvenir.

Elizabeth’s face was calm but that was only due to the fact she had dodged it.

(“She misfired the first time.”) She thought as she dodged the big metal tonfas directed at her body...

She parried one and landed another kick to the stomach of the assailant. It seemed her rage had dulled her skills.

Is what Elizabeth thought but she noticed a tonfa aimed at her stomach. She quickly parried and the cannonball rubbed against her arm, ripping a sizable amount of her skin off.

She headbutted the assassin and grabbed her in a bear hug trying to squeeze the woman to death.

The woman found it laughable until she started to have difficulty breathing. She struggled against Elizabeth, even attempting a headbutt of her while biting at her face. It took her aiming at the feet of Elizabeth with her tonfas for Elizabeth to let go, with a few bite marks now on her face.

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Elizabeth landed a solid blow to the woman's face after pushing her off but she landed a blow to her stomach as well.

They landed a few consecutive hits before backing off and observing each other.

Elizabeth rubbed her ribs, acknowledging that it wasn't a maybe that they might be broken, but a case of how many were still intact.

Again she couldn't decide whether to praise her Sainthood or damn it for making what would be a simple battle, an exercise in patience.

As the woman watched Elizabeth she spat up some blood and took a tooth out of her mouth, looking at Elizabeth like a scorned lover.

(“I can tell the cannonball I accidentally used my magic on weakened her but, those hits weren't pleasant by any meaning of the word. Fuck, should I leave? I'm not getting paid anywhere near enough for this. And those fuckers at the Association told me this would be “somewhat difficult”. My fat ass, this bitch is easily one of the strongest people I've fought!”)

The strike with the weakened cannonball had slowed down Elizabeth's arms and made her blows lighter, but for this woman with the tonfas, it made her no less of a world-class opponent.

“Listen here you stupid bitch, I'll let you live if you just stay ther- stay the fuck still, you whore!”

The woman shouted as she aimed the tonfa at Elizabeth. Elizabeth continued walking, none too concerned.

“Please fire already, I can tell you're hesitant to fire it based on the fact you didn't do it after we backed away from each other. Do you have limited ammo? If not then fire.” Elizabeth answered as she started running.

The woman would not oblige Elizabeth and felt her current state was enough to even the playing field.

She swung both her tonfas around and aimed both at Elizabeth hoping to frighten her into backing away. Elizabeth met her head-on and rushed into her, striking at the woman's arms instead of the tonfas, now that she could no longer abuse her arms as she felt.

This way of combat left her waiting for opportunities, which led to more blocking, dodging and parrying.

Finally, the woman slipped up and Elizabeth managed to land an uppercut. It sent her to the air but the air time she got from it was ridiculous and based on the contact with Elizabeth, she likely jumped into the air herself.

(“Holy shit that nearly got me, alright I'll just rest up here for a mo-”)

She felt a hand grab her leg and she was promptly slammed back into the ground. She floated nearly 16 ft in the air yet Elizabeth managed to jump that high and catch her.

Her entire body cried out in pain after Elizabeth slammed her against the floor and was momentarily dazed. Elizabeth moved to knock her out unconscious but another firing of the tonfa cannon in her hand fired her across the room, like a firework.

She regained her consciousness in the time Elizabeth chased after her and threw one of her weapons at the approaching Elizabeth.

Elizabeth caught it and blocked the blow heading her way.

They both struggled against each other with the woman being the one pushed back.

(“How!? How is she overpowering me with the full weight of one of the kannatuns?”)

She thought as she gritted her teeth trying to push Elizabeth back.