My teeth clenched against the searing pain as I retaliated with a desperate roundhouse kick, catching him off balance and sending him stumbling backward. My limbs shook, and my vision blurred, but I pressed on.
The man regained his footing, his dagger poised for another attack. He came at me again, slashing toward my abdomen. With a last-minute sway, I narrowly avoided the fatal strike. And with summoning part of my remaining energy, I delivered a precise knee to his midsection, forcing the air from his lungs.
"What the hell are you doing?" I asked, before seeing that sinister grin of his twist into a masochistic smile. "You pervert…"
