Aria had been defeated, and for several moments afterward, she honestly could not understand how it had happened.
She had been convinced that she had the advantage. Based on how the fight had gone up until the final exchange, she had believed that she was in a position where she could control the pace and eventually secure the victory.
Somehow, however, that advantage had suddenly slipped away from her before she could even react properly.
It felt almost like standing on solid ground while being completely certain that your footing was stable, only for your body to suddenly lose its balance and fall before your brain even had time to understand what had gone wrong.
"That was a good fight, Aria-san," Saki said, holding out her hand toward Aria.
The gesture was simple, and there was nothing complicated behind it. Saki merely wanted to help her opponent back onto her feet after the match.
