The lion blurred towards her, its amber eyes glowing softly as it attacked.
Akira grinned, blocking the first swipe on her vambrace, the force driving her arm sideways, then she used the deflection to spin to its flank.
With a soft grunt, she punched, her fist driving into the lion's ribs.
The lion had anticipated the attack, and flexed its muscles in response.
Its hide absorbed most of the impact from her punch, the thick fur and dense muscle dispersing the force into its body, but the lion still grunted and shifted away.
Using the little distance between them, it turned its head towards Akira, opened its mouth, and roared.
Unlike its previous roars, this one was localized in one direction only. At Akira.
The sound hit her like she'd run into a wall, sending a concussive wave that rattled her vision and sent a spike of pain through her ears.
Her knees trembled, and her sense of direction blurred for half a second. But even with that, she never kept her eyes off the lion.
