Like a bolt from the blue

[skip-stop]

Even though Lily was somewhat wondering if Keiko would be able to keep up that speed, she didn't look over her shoulder or anything. The main goal of the Englishwoman was her workout, everything else was of secondary importance. However, soon enough, when the brunette heard the sound of approaching footsteps, it became clear that the blue-haired woman was not at all confused by such a running speed.

It seems that this woman belonged to a rather rare type of people who were perfect in everything without exception. Usually, those who possessed considerable physical strength were not good enough in speed. Lily was the opposite type. She didn't have truly outstanding physical strength, but she more than made up for it with high speed. Keiko, in turn, apparently had no problems with either strength or speed.

"It's a workout," Lily replied, hearing her new acquaintance's question, "no more, no less."

Lily was very bad with humor. What kind of sense of humor can you talk about when you are practically deprived of the opportunity to even smile? Therefore, she took Keiko's question as if it was a serious question. In any case, the Englishwoman slowed down, reducing the pace of running by about half, but still maintaining a decent speed. It was necessary not for rest or something like that, but for the body to experience stress, because this is the only way to prepare it for a real fight, where there is practically nothing constant. Lily glanced at her fitness bracelet to check the remaining distance.

"After a hundred meters, another acceleration for five hundred meters," she said, "after that, it is necessary to overcome another five hundred meters at maximum speed."

Since she had covered most of the distance before meeting Keiko, it was time for the final of that training session. One more acceleration, and then the maximum effort in order to reach the finish line. The essence of this was more than simple. At the end of the match, when you and your opponent are exhausted, you have to find the strength to finish the match. Therefore, the last five hundred meters had to be overcome at all costs, sparing no effort in order to give everything to the maximum. It's time for the first acceleration. The Englishwoman's amber eyes sparkled, her lungs filled with air and she again significantly increased her speed, rushing forward.

[Frodouken]

“To be honest,” she huffs-and-puffs while responding to Lily’s serious reply, “I don’t run as much as I should, so thank you very much for letting me join.” Keiko maintains her pace, thinking how good the improvement feels. It hurts, but in the good way like any workout! She notices that her new bud keeps looking at her bracelet, having a feeling she’s the type of girl to think ahead about almost everything.

Man she’s cool. She’s handsomely pretty. Aw this girl is cute!

Thoughts of admiration run through her, distracting the dragon from toughness of the run. In the past it worked like this for her too. Running through buildings, up stairs, after bad guys. All of them she had zero thought of how her cardio is doing. She saw a clear target or path and just ran for it with all her might. As this was workout setting however, it slowly creeps to her mind as she finds the woman speeding up and herself getting winded.

Lily accelerates again to her shock, afraid to fall behind. A new mindset of “i gotta keep up” stuck in her head, despite her tiredness, she sprints past her pain with the wind flowing through her hair. Her hair gets a bit messier with her hairband lowering, but pays no mind to it. The dragon keeps “flying” towards her target, eventually getting beside her again.

[skip-stop]

After the second acceleration, Lily began to feel pain filling her entire body. The pain was not only in the muscles, but also in the lungs, every breath began to seem like a torture. But that was exactly the point of this training. She viewed such training as a reflection of any match. It is towards the end of the match that you experience the greatest fatigue and the greatest pain. Therefore, in training, as in the match, you have to focus and find the strength to overcome these pain and fatigue.

Without slowing down even for one second, the brunette continued to move forward. The distance meter on her fitness bracelet was gradually decreasing, she was approaching the last line, after which she had to make every effort to run the remaining distance and complete the workout. And although Lily was focused solely on the result, she did not forget that Keiko was behind her.

Even though the blue-haired woman managed to surprise the Englishwoman several times, now Lily was sure that her new acquaintance was left some distance behind. She had never been in the habit of overestimating herself and her capabilities, but Lily approached almost all things from the side of logic. And, knowing her speed, she refused to believe that someone could beat her in this. However, then she heard steps right behind her again. Lily didn't even notice how her lips pursed slightly.

"She's stubborn..." thought Lily.

This time the brunette still turned over her shoulder to look at the Japanese woman. The fact that she kept up the pace was still something amazing for Lily. And logic here was a bad helper to look for an answer. But perhaps there was no need for logic now. After Keiko was able to catch up with her for the second time, something stirred a little inside Lily. She couldn't describe it because she wasn't sure what it was. But she was sure of something else.

"No, I won't let you overtake me..." sounded in the Englishwoman's head.

It was at this moment that her fitness bracelet started making beeping sounds. And that said only one thing. The last five hundred meters. Lily's gaze moved forward again. Pain and fatigue bound her body, trying to make her slow down. For a moment, the brunette closed her eyes, and when she opened them, lightning seemed to run through her amber eyes.

Putting all the remaining efforts, Lily directed all the energy into her legs, rushing forward at the maximum speed available to her. And in order to ensure her body with strength, she used what she did not always use even during matches. Relaxing her lungs, she took the sharpest and deepest breath possible, using both her mouth and nostrils. Oxygen filled her lungs, and then her blood. It was a dangerous technique, because such a rush of oxygen can lead to loss of consciousness. Even during matches, she didn't use it more than twice in a row. But now Lily seemed to come alive. And the reason for this was that she wanted to finish first.

At the end of the match, the fighter is faced with one and the same choice. You or them. At the end of the match, you have to do everything possible to become the one whose hand the striped shirt will raise, despite the pain and fatigue. Lily was one of those who goes forward to the very end. And now, in order to cross the finish line, she was ready to squeeze every last drop out of herself.