Here is a list of things Nash would do, in A Real Fight™ before striking first with a sword:

— kick dust into somebody's eye
— attempt to sell them a selection of jujubees as a means of cunning distraction
— throw something, anything
— let's be honest, he keeps knives up his sleeves for a reason
— magic? (maybe not magic)
— run away tactical retreat

But this isn't A Real Fight™ and he is trying to play fair. That's the whole point of this exercise, says his frequently exasperated inner monologue. For all that they were his last resort, swords were also Nash's best weapon. Or they had been, before he'd mostly given them up.

So Nash lunges: a simple move, easy to defend, but difficult to turn to an opponent's advantage. "Alright then," he says. "Ladies first."

He's not sure what he means by that.