Ashley felt both daggers entering her chest, slightly flexing her sternum and getting firmly stuck. The audience gasped. All that really registered was her opponent's weapons becoming immobilized, and within the single second it would have taken Jennifer to get the leverage to pull them back out, Ashley brought her elbows down on her wrists.

Jennifer's grunt and the faint sound of breaking cartilage were followed by the loss of both her grips, and greater pain in Ashley's chest. Bringing each sword tilting to the opposite side, she could see a plea in her suddenly terrified face as Jennifer backstepped, feeling unexpected pity for the once-proud fighter as she followed her.

With all her strength she swung both swords horizontally, their blades sliding on one another like scissors as they closed on Jennifer's neck, barely slowing down while breaking her spine. Blood sprayed on Ashley's face and chest as her sword-arms were thrown limply to the sides. Jennifer's eyes lost focus as her head toppled backwards, releasing blood in two tall jets and diffuse leakings and hitting the ground behind her.

They both fell to their knees, but Jennifer's body collapsed to the side, blood pulsating out into a growing puddle. The audience cheered loudly, stood up and clapped, Ashley smiled and tried to laugh but couldn't breathe. She dropped her swords and caught her fall on the warm twitching torso, reached with one weak arm towards the head, and lifted it as her own fell down into silence.