Karen S./Astrid A. - Dragon Slaying And Other Misendeavors (Part 2)

[Devilish53]

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Standard Match
Amazon Classic Match
Open Challenge - Karen's Opponent Is Initially Unknown To Her
Victory by pinfall, KO, Submission Or DQ

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Unlike Karen's previous encounters, this amazon classic did not start mutually and respectfully.

Astrid had staked her claim in the ring with a forceful shove, and naturally Karen had lost it. Her temper, that was. This was her ring, not vice versa; a lesson Karen intended to teach. And with the bell signalled by a referee who was halfway out of the ring, class had begun.

Though despite the fact the set-up for this amazon classic was unlike the others, Karen opted for the time tested opener to her matches. Rather than sprint in with intent on a painful collision, or move in with a desire to slip around to Astrid's blind spot, Karen came from her front. A fact she made no attempt to hide - with her massive arms raised up high, to fully demonstrate her intent. Naturally, the sway to her gigantic chest was notable, to say the least.

Save for claiming a dominant victory, no greater thrill could be found for Karen in the ring than from outright overpowering her opponents, via a test of strength or otherwise. No time like the present, it seemed, as Karen came forward with intent on a lock-up.

And had Astrid opted to meet front to front as she had when she first arrived in-ring, she may have found a shocking sensation against her. For despite her appearances, what with the curvy rear and excessive chest, Karen Starring was all power. She could often be outwitted, and was often out manoeuvred by speedier foes. But overpowered?

'Rarely' was a understatement.

Though the crowd held reservations over such a fact as Karen came in, given her foe. A foe rippling with outright muscle, and a physique that matched Karen in height and weight with a negligible difference. It was unlikely that Astrid would have opted for the chesty front-to-front collision as her 'greeting' a mere moment ago, had she not been confident she could hold her ground. Or shove Karen back.

Not to mention the fact that there was always the chance that Astrid opt otherwise against engaging the chesty Karen head on; a feat that would have been somewhat easy to accomplish given how high Karen's arms were.

Whether she did though of course, remained to be seen.

[skip-stop]

Oh, it seems Astrid overestimated her rival's calmness a little. It wasn't the first time she had heard questions on the level of "who the hell are you?". And it was starting to look like some kind of trend. Perhaps Karen wanted to get into the blonde's head in this way and scare her. But, as Astrid herself said, she was not one of the timid ones. So she not only snuggled up to the blue-haired woman even more, but also teased her a little when she started talking into the microphone that Karen kindly held for her.

It was at this moment that Karen lost patience and pushed Astrid in the shoulders, forcing the blonde to take a few steps back. The microphone was thrown aside and the referee girl, who clearly did not expect such a sudden development of events, began to wave her hands, signaling the start of the match.

Ding-Ding-Ding.

Astrid straightened to her full height and had a cheeky smile on her face. Finally, the verbal sparring, if it could be called that, came to an end. Despite the fact that she had to speak much more often here than it was in MMA, she was still a person of action. Should she be sorry that she had to provoke the blue-haired woman? No. She came here for the match. And she didn't see her fault that she had to push Karen to start taking it at least a little more seriously.

"That's what I'm talking about, huh," she said.

The Golden Dragon took a fighting stance and got ready. Karen was the first to start moving forward. And as soon as she took the first step, it immediately became clear exactly how she wanted to start this match. Her hands were raised high, as if challenging the long-haired blonde. Everyone in this hall, including Astrid, understood perfectly well that the blue-haired woman wanted to arrange a test of strength.

Lavender eyes glittered in the spotlight. Thanks to her debut, many managed to remember that Astrid was once the MMA champion. And it wasn't hard to guess that her bread and butter were punches and kicks. And the question was very logical. Was there at least one reason for her to enter this test of strength instead of trying to send a fist into the face of this blue-haired woman?

"Finally," Astrid said in a slightly trembling voice, "at least someone here has balls."

They could see that for a moment her smile widened, and a fire lit up in her eyes. The Norwegian woman's heart began to beat faster. She never refused a challenge. And she had a weakness for strong women. The whole point of her existence was to find the most difficult challenges. Find and overcome them. And only during the matches could she feel real passion. When two strong women try to destroy each other in order to find out which of them is worthy of calling themselves a real woman.

Does anyone still have doubts? Astrid took a confident step forward and threw her hands up in order to connect her palms with Karen's palms and intertwine their fingers. The Golden Dragon tensed the muscles of her arms and legs, starting to press on the blue-haired woman. Her lavender eyes were directed into the blue eyes of her rival. Perhaps many people in Astrid's place would have refused the strength test. But she was made of a different material. And there was only one thing she was going to do right now. She was determined to bring her opponent to the knees using her bestial strength!

[Devilish53]

It was never a case of keeping cool with Karen Starring.

There'd be no retaining of a calm state with this amazon; no, Karen losing her temper was still a case of when, not if. And naturally the more the encounter went against her favour, the more her temper would control her. Had she put genuine effort into learning how to control it, she'd of been atop of the wrestling business as a whole by now.

With the time for talk long and gone (though there was sure to be trash talk aplenty, at least when Karen held the top position) the thud from the collision of frames damn near sent a shockwave out into the masses. Karen as ever did not hold back - had Astrid stepped to the side for even a moment, the darker haired woman would have gone barrelling hilariously into an empty space. But to do so, Karen deemed, was an admittance of cowardice; a fear from matching up head on with her stocky frame. And given the way this blonde held herself both physically and verbally, Karen didn't think her the sort.

Fingers would slot seamlessly together as Astrid took Karen's cue, with the lock-up being as even as could be. Neither held the advantage prior to their top heavy frames meeting yet again, with Karen's fully outstretched form matching Astrid's almost perfectly. To have been over the top of a slightly smaller foe would have given her a monstrous advantage, but it was one she would not find this day.

Biceps bulging and thighs flexing without end, Karen reared into Astrid more so with unrestrained strength. She didn't simply want to drive into this woman. Nor did she simply want her rearing back, back first towards the ropes or a corner. She wanted her outright crumbling to her knees; within seconds if she had her way.

Needless to say, Astrid's muscular form held the power to not only withstand Karen but hold her back. Attempts by the more furious amazon to rear into Astrid would be akin to a child pushing upon a stone wall.

But such could be said likewise, as the blonde heaved into a figure that simply refused to budge.

For whilst Karen Starring could be held at bay, if barely, in a contest of pure power, there was next to no give against her in search of ground. Though the eyes of the crowd were certainly focused, as the possibility of the latter occurring for the first time most certainly became apparent...

Then again, said gazes could have easily have been planted upon the matching bosoms, which damn near mushroomed to cartoonish levels as their two owners heaved into one another!

[skip-stop]

Who seeks shall find. Astrid has always believed in these simple, but at the same time strong words. And that's what she's been doing all her life. An endless search for challenges to test whether she is strong enough to call herself a worthy descendant of the great Vikings. In Europe, she did everything in her power. And when the possibilities became too limited, the long-haired blonde moved to Japan. Because it was here, in her opinion, that the strongest and best women were.

Astrid wasn't the kind of person who believed absolutely everything she heard. She always preferred to personally verify the truthfulness of something. And now, when she saw how confidently her rival was approaching her, the last doubts left the Norwegian woman. It really was what she was always looking for. And that was what she always wanted. Could anyone imagine exactly how Astrid felt at that moment? No, for sure no. Because she, like no one else, was glad of the opportunity to meet face to face with this blue-haired woman.

As soon as their palms joined and their fingers intertwined, Astrid felt all the power with which Karen came to her. Oh, there was no point in denying it, it was really impressive. The Golden Dragon tensed the muscles of her arms, responding to the onslaught of her rival. After a few moments, their voluminous breasts pressed into each other and this time it really could have the impression that these balloons would burst soon.

"You're stubborn, aren't you?" the blonde thought.

Under the loud shouts of the audience, two women fought for the right to receive the leadership. And none of them was going to back down. Despite the fact that Astrid's jaw clenched tightly, she continued to smile. The muscles on her arms were strained so much that they could see the swollen veins. She tried to do everything possible to get Karen down on her knees. But her opponent was doing exactly the same thing. Both women were like two statues, neither of them was going to yield to the other. Astrid tilted her head forward, pressing her forehead against the forehead of the blue-haired woman.

"Your boobs are good," Astrid said through gritted teeth, "but not as good as mine."

She could just keep pushing her opponent, thereby turning it into an endurance test. But that would be too slow. That's not why Astrid is here. And the Golden Dragon's flame was too hot to slow things down. Taking a deep breath, the descendant of the great Vikings put even more strength into her arms.

The long-haired blonde was going to squeeze her opponent's fingers and palms harder. Due to Karen's powerful resistance, she couldn't even try to take a step forward, but she could still lift herself up slightly on her toes. In this way, she was going to increase and concentrate the pressure. The Golden Dragon's arms began to tremble due to the strain. But her determination was visible in her eyes. Astrid was going to direct that pressure from top to bottom. She really didn't have a goal to get Karen to go to the ropes, no. This confrontation should end with only one thing. One of them should be on their knees. And the Golden Dragon was determined to direct all the fiery power and fury to make Karen become the one who would be on knees!

[Devilish53]

Stubborn could easily have been Karen's surname. Astrid had figured that much in the brief moment she had met the busty amazon. Not that the darker haired of the two ever put effort into hiding the fact. And boy if Astrid wasn't learning just how stubborn Karen was in this show of might.

For whether it broke down every muscle she had going forward in the match, Karen would simply not concede. Not in a contest of this variety. Not in the opening lock-up of all things.

And not to a woman of this nature; one that would have been a pea in the pod that Karen herself lived in. It no longer mattered to Karen that Astrid was of a big, busty variety, nay. This woman had a personality - a confidence - that Karen simply had to stamp out. She simply couldn't bare it.

Hypocrisy be damned.

"My boobs are the fucking best.." Karen shot back. She rarely referred to her bust in any shape or form, despite the prominent nature of the subject at hand. But in this scenario, she couldn't keep her mouth shut. For had Astrid referenced any other part of Karen's frame, she'd of likely rebuffed her in the same way.

Mashing heads in a similar manner to their rubbing busts and abs, Karen slowly but surely felt Astrid begin to rise. Had she gone too fast, the blonde could have risked a loss of footing - something she didn't even come close to. Evidently, Astrid had done this before, just as Karen had.

Perhaps many a time.

But rather than match her, with feet raising to keep the two frames level at all times, Karen held her ground. If anything, she began to slowly go lower, which was a risk in itself given that had Astrid summoned godly strength from nowhere at that very moment, Karen's body would have risked giving way altogether. A wise choice it was then that Karen opted to bend with her head and shoulders tucking forward, as opposed to willingly letting her legs crouch into space she'd never gain back. But at a pace to match her blonde foe, Karen was prepared for the onslaught of power that came with having the higher position in a test of strength. From Astrid's position she had the aid of gravity - to push directly down was a considerably easier task than pushing from where Karen was. Though Karen hadn't lowered herself simply to make it more of a challenge.

Slowly but surely, Karen looked to slide her obscenely large chest a little under Astrid's own. A motion that would be coupled with Karen's knee sliding slowly between the blondes legs, though Karen never intended to have that thigh of hers go all the way through for a takedown or otherwise.

Position willing, and her entire body shaking from the exertion of trying to hold Astrid at bay all this time, Karen attempted the impossible.

She began to lift.

Pulling up and up from her poor angle, that was made considerably more advantageous by the slotting of her bust and thigh, Karen was banking on Astrid's arms never folding even slightly. For had they done so, Astrid would have been back to her feet near instantly.

But had she held her stance - defiant and unyielding as she was, Karen was looking to force Astrid slowly off of her toes, and partially over a shoulder.

It didn't matter if those arms wouldn't buckle. Not when she was airborne.

[skip-stop]

"Pfft, only in your dreams, Karen, huh," Astrid chuckled.

The long-haired blonde couldn't miss the opportunity to tease her rival a little. She wasn't one of those people who spent long hours in front of the mirror, worrying about makeup or hairstyle. But Astrid would be lying if she said she wasn't proud of her appearance. A magnificent bust and a strong ass, given to her by nature, were the objects of her pride. Right after her unusual golden hair. The descendant of the great Vikings almost perfectly combined natural beauty and strength.

Today she was lucky to encounter another owner of voluminous breasts and iron muscles. It was a real gift for the audience. And, there was nothing to hide here, the Norwegian woman also liked this context. When there are two strong women with outstanding looks in the ring, it always becomes something a little more than just a match. Even if no one talks about it out loud, the fact remains.

But do not forget that in addition to the contest of the best breasts right here and right now there was a test of strength. Using her wild power fueled by the inner flame, Astrid continued to increase the pressure with every second. It seemed that she managed to gain an advantage after she raised herself on her toes, directing the pressure from top to bottom. With great difficulties, but she began to overcome her rival. Karen gradually sank lower.

And when it seemed that Astrid had almost achieved her goal, the blue-haired woman changed the position of her legs, simultaneously pressing her shoulder and tits to the middle section of the Golden Dragon. This almost completely stopped the onslaught of the blonde. Thanks to this position, Karen was able to use her legs much more effectively. Astrid let out a low growl. Even though she liked the confrontation, it was starting to annoy her a little.

"Let's see how much longer you can last."

She took a deep breath in order to channel all her strength into her arms. She usually preferred to restrain herself in order to conserve energy. But now, feeling the excitement and tenacity of her rival, the Golden Dragon saw no reason to hold back. She wasn't going to back down and lose this test of strength. If she had to, she would push Karen until the her opponent's muscles could no longer withstand the pressure.

However, even before the Norwegian woman could use all her strength, something happened that no one expected. Instead of trying to return to the starting position, Karen used her legs to straighten up to her full height. Considering the fact that her breasts and shoulder were pressed against Astrid's middle section, she literally lifted the blonde above the mat. And in this she was helped by the fact that the Golden Dragon continued to keep her arms tense.

If Astrid had been a lightweight, then surely the blue-haired woman would have thrown her over herself like a feather. But due to Astrid's considerable weight, this process was not fast. And although she was very surprised by this turn of events, the moment she was in the air, she had enough time to somehow fix the situation.

Karen managed to throw the Golden Dragon over herself. But instead of collapsing on the mat like a sack of potatoes, the blonde bent her legs, which led to her landing on her knees behind her opponent's back. This landing was not pleasant. Considering the height to which she was lifted by the American woman, as well as her own weight, a very painful resonance of pain passed through Astrid's knees. After the fall, Astrid seemed to bounce off the mat. Once back on her feet, the blonde's face twisted for a moment due to pain and irritation. She staggered because of the pain in her knees, but managed to keep her balance.

"Fine, then let's move on to a real fight," she thought.

Whatever it was, but with this action, Karen ended their strength test. And now nothing stopped Astrid from using a different approach. Not wanting to waste time and slow down the pace of the match, the Golden Dragon was determined to turn around to face her opponent, and then take a hard step forward. Her arms were heavy after such a tense confrontation. The muscles were filled with pain. But that was no reason to stop. And the best proof of this was that right now she was going to use her right hand and send a heavy forearm smash into the chest of the blue-haired woman!

[Devilish53]

The two were impossibly alike. Egos. Retorts. Even their with lax attitude towards their good looks. Astrid didn't seem the sort to spend hours a day in front of a mirror applying makeup. And Karen? She couldn't remember the last time she had even considered buying a beauty product. Outside of the raven dye that sat upon her blonde locks. The only thing left to compare between the two was arguably the most important, at least given the context of where the two were; that being how Astrid's own wrestling style compared to Karen's own. Though admittedly, there was little room for much difference on women of these builds.

It was very much likely that Astrid possessed more technique and skill than Karen; it was almost impossible not to, given Karen's preference for the simple if effective. Perhaps imploring the use of more tactile holds than Karen herself even considered using, one could easily imagine Astrid outmanoeuvring foes of equal or even lesser power; but the basis between the two surely remained the same. Terrible slams, brutal powerbombs, sadistic torture racks. The thought of the two comparing arsenals, perhaps even in effort to one-up one another, only resulted in more audience members near slipping off the front of their seats in eager anticipation.

And now that the test of strength was over, it was time to see just how these two wrestled.

Winning through ingenuity over strength, Karen heaved Astrid up and over with a final roar as the heavy breasts of the blonde near glided past her face. The moment her body was able to relax - given there was no more pressure against it - that seemed to be it for Karen. She could only imagine the heap Astrid had fallen in behind her - ideally upon her head. But to look and see the aftermath of her self-described 'genius' move would have been to imply that she cared. Or felt the need to rush.

"Easy as fucking that..." She'd laugh to herself, with a look to her face screaming of overconfidence. A few steps forward with a swagger to her step told the story - she couldn't even fathom Astrid rising any time soon. Never mind outright landing to her feet.

Needless to say, the look upon Karen's face when she did finally opt to turn her gaze to bare witness to a fully standing Astrid was a priceless one.

As was the one upon Karen after she had been struck with what felt to be a sledgehammer - right to her heavy goods!

Head coming up and back as her mouth let loose a gasp, Karen's eyes were lucky to not bulge clean out of her head. With the wind knocked out of her and her ego all at once smashed, Karen barely stayed standing as she stumbled back against the ropes with her left arm draped over the top.

Had she been prepared, it would have been interesting to see how Astrid's raw power compared against Karen's stocky front. Not that the blonde could even slightly be blamed for taking the strike that she did.

Karen was practically begging for it through her strutter alone.

[skip-stop]

It wasn't hard to guess that Astrid wasn't used to anyone trying to lift her at all. Of course, she was not the heaviest woman alive, but, nevertheless, not every rival could decide on such a step. It seems that the Norwegian woman was not mistaken when she said at the very beginning of the match that Karen has balls. This blue-haired woman made the Golden Dragon feel more and more like a flame was burning inside her.

Every fighter perceives the fight differently, this is a fact. For Astrid, it was the best part of her life. Someone could call her addicted and there would be some truth in that. She adored this unusual feeling. She loved to look into the eyes of her opponent. She loved pure confrontation. She loved the erotic subtext. And although it could be attributed to masochism, she loved to give and receive hits. There was something inexplicable about it. For her, it was a way to find out who would have enough strength to stay on their feet at the end. A real drive that she would never change for something else.

All this pushed her harder to kick Karen's ass. The passion ignites. And Astrid was going to take a direct part in this. Her opponent was good, damn good. If she had acted a little faster, the Golden Dragon would hardly have been able to react and bend her legs in order to stay on her feet after the fall. The blonde understood that she should be more careful. But that didn't stop her. Astrid's desire to increase the pace of the match was visible to almost everyone. Especially after her forearm slammed into her opponent's chest.

She heard the air leave Karen's lungs. Astrid's steely muscles really weren't a joke. And there was no inflated conceit in this. She knew that her blows were like a freight train. And this train never stops if there is an obstacle on the way. The blue-haired woman staggered back. If it wasn't for the ropes, she probably wouldn't have been able to stand on her feet. But that wasn't the main thing. The main thing was that now that there was no air in her lungs, the Golden Dragon had an opportunity.

Astrid's eyes turned red for a moment, although, of course, it was only a trick of the light. The long-haired blonde did not wait for good weather. As soon as Karen got close to the ropes, the Golden Dragon rushed forward. She clearly knew what she needed to do. A match with such a serious opponent is a real gift. And today I didn't intend to hold back. Astrid intended to take the maximum speed.

"Raaaahhhh!" her battle roar filled the arena.

Astrid was going to extend her right arm to the side, and then, at the last step, direct this arm forward. She wasn't here to show off for the cameras. Need proof? Well. Right now, she was going to hit her rival with a wild and powerful lariat! Astrid was aware of her actions. And she knew that if successful, her opponent's body would literally flip over the ropes, leaving the ring!

[Devilish53]

Astrid struck at Karen as if trying to hit something on the other side of her - a key feature to her strike that told you this wasn't Astrid's first rodeo. Not that anyone had to be told, given the blonde landed on her feet with catlike reflexes, before punching the air out of Karen's frame. With a strike that wasn't only impressive, but a sight to behold. And not merely because of the satisfying image of Karen Starring being given what-for.

"Tchh..." Karen near choked on her own gasps as her arms came up, covering her own bust as to both soothe it and halt the jiggle. Those in the front row would receive the best view, given it was hardly a surprise Astrid's chest shot made the top heavy Karen shake to and fro.

Her back near falling against the ropes, Karen's rear grazed the middle rope as her arm stayed hung over the top. Albeit not for long.

Astrid was strong - scarily so, but Karen had not made the career she had from being struck down so easily. She pushed to her feet likely quicker than most with her eyes locking back on Astrid. It was a good thing she opted to as well, given her blonde was already making motions to clean Karen's clock yet again.

Tensing up as if first considering an attempt at tanking the blow, Karen all at once abandoned her stratagem to instead duck forward. For not only an uncharacteristic attempt by Karen to dodge an attack coming right at her, but a rather unusual follow-up.

Arm of Astrid ideally grazing the top of her short locks, Karen only looked to take but a single step past Astrid should her duck have been successful. Without even turning her frame, Karen looked to rear her hip and rear up and out, with her beefy leg pointed up at the end of it. Had she been of a more dexterous sort, she might have been able to pull off a sudden super kick to Astrid's head or shoulders.

Possessing the inflexible frame she had though left Karen's foot at best hitting the torso of Astrid, albeit she didn't care which side. Had Astrid opted to turn and face Karen instantly following her lariat attempt, it may have been vengeance on Karen's part for the chest shot she herself had just received, what with Karen's boot likely pinging off of Astrid's heavy bust. Though if Astrid's momentum had been such that it carried her straight forward into the ropes, Karen wouldn't at all complain at landing a clean shot right to the middle of her back!

Even if the end result on her own part was the same. That being Karen falling to a knee the moment her leg came back down, given she wasn't at all used to trying such a kick!

[skip-stop]

Astrid knew that from the side, for many, she seemed to be nothing more than a wild beast that blindly rushes to attack. Yes, she wasn't going to deny it, sometimes it happened, especially in those distant times when she had just started her career as a fighter. Now she recalled those moments with an ironic smile. Neglecting technique, she relied solely on her impressive strength. She preferred to go forward, attacking the opponent with all ferocity. Although, of course, more than once it ended very badly for her.

But if a fighter does not notice mistakes and refuses self-development, then such a fighter will never be able to move forward. And such a fighter will never reach the top. The Golden Dragon still possessed truly incredible physical strength. But she has long ceased to be that blind beast who only knows how to use only brute force. Right now, she was rationally using every attack. For a woman of this size, she moved quite easily, this was her advantage over many other heavyweights. But her most important strength has always been her excellent instincts, which helped her make decisions during the fight.

And now she was sure of the correctness of the decision she made after her forearm crashed into the chest of the blue-haired woman. Without hesitating for a second, the Golden Dragon began to approach her opponent. Once upon a time she heard a very funny comparison. During one of the training sessions, her father told her that a fight was like poker. And a self-respecting fighter should be able to read the opponent as well as a poker player should be able to follow the cards and emotions of other players. The Norwegian woman saw that after her blow there was no air in her opponent's lungs. And therefore a fast but powerful attack was the only right decision. Stretching out her right arm to the side, the Golden Dragon prepared to ram her opponent.

Lavender eyes widened when Astrid's arm found nothing but emptiness and maybe a few tips of blue hair. It looks like her instincts failed her this time. More precisely, there was no doubt about it, since her attack could not be called anything but a fiasco. Karen more than successfully evaded the lariat. Now Astrid had problems. If she'd had time to think about it, she probably wouldn't have found it funny. No matter how strange it may sound, but it really started to look like a trend, since she had only once managed to get a starting advantage in the match in this ring.

However, she had other things to worry about right now. Since she was unable to transmit momentum through her blow, she continued to move forward due to inertia. The problem was that there were ropes right in front of her. Astrid crashed into them and immediately realized that now her body would be directed in the other direction. Perhaps she can use it, she just needs to turn around in time and take advantage of the speed that the ropes will provide her. It sounded like a plan. Therefore, the Golden Dragon did her best to turn around at the moment when the ropes pushed her away.

BAM. Astrid didn't even have time to take two steps in the opposite direction. Her opponent's boot crashed into her chest. In the blink of an eye, the blonde's lungs seemed to be filled with burning gasoline. Astrid's eyes widened at the sudden pain. This kick was no less powerful than the ones that Charlotte constantly threw at her. And although she had experience with such things, the Golden Dragon was definitely not ready for such a turn of events.

"Kha! Kha! Kha!" she coughed loudly and painfully.

Along with the cough, the air almost completely left her lungs. For the audience, it was probably something like a deja vu effect. Just like Karen a few moments ago, the Norwegian woman backed away and her back pressed against the ropes. She tried her best to take a breath, but she couldn't to. She grabbed the top rope with her right hand to stay on her feet, at the same time covering the place of impact with her left hand. First she has lost the test of strength, now she has lost the exchange of blows too, since her opponent's kick was certainly several times more powerful than her forearm strike. And even despite the pain and the lack of the ability to breathe normally, Astrid caught herself thinking that it looks like she should start building a strategy not on the fact that her attacks will be successful, but on the fact that her attacks will be unsuccessful.