Episode 17: Big Bad Wolf

Miyamoto takes a deep breath. The entire stadium falls silent in anticipation. His breathing that was rhythmic, deep, and mesmerizing pulled Lisa's attention to Miyamoto's blade. The blade was bright and caringly clean that reflected the stadium's green field. The further she stared into the blade, the more that the details of the reflection become more vivid. From the blue cloudless sky to the stark white walls of the stadium. Finally, the details become so clear that she could see her own reflection. A reflection that captured how enraptured she was with the blade. The details of the reflection were becoming more vivid by the second. Lisa's eyes widen as she leaps back, barely avoiding the cold beautiful sword that came for her throat. Sweat rolls down Lisa's brow as she thinks. 'What was that? It felt like I was just hypnotised. I couldn't even react. If it wasn't for my miracle, I would have died.'

Miyamoto's eyes narrow as he rushes forward to Lisa. His blade slices through the air like a white streak of light. Lisa's gasp for breath as her miracle once again takes control. Miyamoto swings his blade downward with full intention to split Lisa clean in half. Lisa spins to the left of his swing and, using the momentum of her spin, retaliates with a kick aimed at Miyamoto's head. As the kick etched closer and closer toward Miyamoto's head, an uneasiness fell over Lisa. As if in response to this unease, Lisa's miracle pulls her kick back at the last second. Miyamoto regains his upright position as a faint yet clear smile forms ever so slowly on his face. "Even though I'm disappointed with you, I am quite impressed with your miracle. Few warriors have the foresight to pull back from a death trap like that. However, I do not think you'll outlast me."

Miyamoto gleefully points in Lisa's direction. Lisa confused looks over shoulder. Her jaw drops as she sees's her bank. The number has now fallen to three-hundred thousand flat. Lisa's legs become jelly, barely holding her up as she thinks. 'That was only two moves. How did it cost over one-hundred thousand?'

Miyamoto smirks viciously as he loosens his grip on his hilt, wearing a more relax stance. "It seems you cannot comprehend the amount of skill you need to survive just one of my attacks, girl."

Miyamoto leans in Lisa's direction, his katana pointed toward his prey. Lisa's eyes glow violet as Miyamoto dashed toward her, swinging his blade. Lisa couldn't see any of Miyamoto's movements, only white flashes of steel, and though she couldn't see her miracle took control and by the skin of her teeth, she dodges every attack. In and out, Lisa's vision blurs. She can feel every muscle in her body twist and turn to the point of tearing, yet she has no control. Her miracle has fully taken control now and even if she wanted to deactivate her miracle, she couldn't. If she deactivated the miracle, she would, without a sliver of a doubt, die painfully. Pain is the worst yet best indicators of human limit. The most committed person will still break from pain. Even knowing that she would without a doubt die if she deactivated her miracle, the pain of her body ripping and tearing to perform feats way past her limits caused a single thought to stray into her head. 'It hurts. I have never felt pain like this before. I don't know how much longer I can handle this pain. Why am I pushing myself to this extent for a dumb test? A test is not worth betting my life on."

In that second of doubt, Miyamoto's blade swings aimed for Lisa's throat his grip on his hilt so loose that only two fingers held the blade. Lisa's body jolts backwards avoiding the attack. Miyamoto grabs the hilt with his left hand that was previously unoccupied as he spun, building momentum for an even greater attack. Before his blade could reach its target, Miyamoto stumbles. "N...ot...no...w." Miyamoto falls to his knees, to Lisa's surprise. Miyamoto's arms shake as his sword falls to the ground. Miyamoto looks down to his right hand that had ripped open from the sheer force of his swings. "I'm sorry granddaughter."

Mai's pink eyes fall dark as she falls to the ground. Lisa places her hands on her knees as she struggles to catch her breath. She pants as she looks behind to see the number one-hundred twenty-five thousand in her bank.

An orange streak slices the air and Lisa's miracle reacts by swinging at it. Her fist penetrates to the orange streak with ease. Lisa finally comprehends the situation as she looks up to see her right arm in Duke's chest. "What are you doing?"

Duke smiles ever so faintly. "We have thirty seconds. I am gonna get as much practice with my miracle until that time limit ends."

Three spikes pierce Duke's torso, grazing Lisa. Lisa pulls her arm from his chest as she leans past Duke to see Ryan. However, before she could even react, Duke leans down to bite her throat. Lisa dodges and kicks Duke in the face, ripping half of it off. Smoke steams off of Duke accompanied by a shallow growl. The smoke clears to reveal that all the wounds the Duke had received were now healed. Duke's growl revealed his large animal like fangs. "Sorry Lisa, everything in my is telling me to kill you." Duke rips off his tattered tan shirt, revealing his muscular body. He leans back before howling. "Let my prey feel my savagery!"

"BIG BAD WOLF!!!"