Venus wastes time trying to remove the shank from Shepard's head. She doesn't realize that's what it amounts to until Maximus is almost on top of her, until she doesn't have that extra milisecond to find her katana or really yank enough to get the split arrow out of Shepard's skull. She drops back, avoiding the brunt of Maximus' attack. The blade rips through the air with an almost feminine swish, a noise too demure for the fact that it cuts off a braid and takes one of Venus' ears with it.

She hurls herself at his hips, looking for the part where his body bends to make him buckle. Her legs are strong, they propel her. Unarmed, she swings one hand up to try and rake his eyes out, the other grasping for his wrist to block the sword from another blow.