He can practically hear the humming of her little engine. He can see the confidence in the way she sets herself up for the next round. At their first meeting, he'd been tempted to think it might be overconfidence. He knows better now.

He takes this next round very seriously, and they end up locked in a long chain of back and forth motions. He can almost get lost in this rhythm. There's something soothing in simply surrendering all thought and motion to one singular task. But here is where his age and lower stamina start to turn the tides against his favor. She may notice his breathing getting more labored. His timing starting to slip just a half-second or so behind hers. That's all it takes in a match like this. One time parrying just a fraction too slow and she has him.