Faced with Selina holding a sword in one hand, Tony didn't charge in with his suit but instead fired two repulsor blasts from his palms.
Selina had no choice but to dodge. She noticed Tony's chest glowing brighter—if she dared to block the repulsors head-on, she'd be greeted next by the chest-mounted laser, strong enough to pierce her body and leave her seriously wounded.
Boom! Boom!
The two blasts hit the stage, sending stone and debris flying. Clearly, Tony's repulsors packed a punch.
Seeing Selina dodge, Tony was a bit disappointed, but still advanced in his suit. With armor protection, he wasn't concerned about her sword—as long as it didn't strike directly at the arc reactor on his chest, it couldn't pierce his defenses.
And if she did try to stab the arc reactor, she'd see what a melting laser blast could really do. A wound to the abdomen could heal, but Tony wondered if a vampire could regrow an entire arm.
As Tony charged in, Selina flipped her sword and slashed at his chest.
Boom!
Tony didn't block the blade. Instead, he fired another repulsor at it.
Clang!
The sword snapped in half. The broken tip spun through the air and embedded itself in the stage floor.
Using that brief opening, Selina spun the sword hilt in her hand and threw it like a dagger straight at Tony's arc reactor.
At the last moment, Tony's reactor lit up and fired a laser beam.
Zzzzz!
The hilt was vaporized midair, turning into molten droplets.
Now the two were at close range. Tony fired all four thrusters to boost forward, grabbed Selina's shoulder, and slammed her down, dragging her across the stage.
At the same time, he charged another repulsor in his free hand to fire at her.
But Selina reacted fast. Grabbing Tony's wrist, she twisted it aside.
Boom!
The blast missed, exploding on the ground instead.
Selina then pulled her legs back and kicked hard into Tony's abdomen.
Thud!
The force sent Tony flying. Freed from his grasp, Selina flipped to her feet and immediately chased after him, unleashing a smooth combo of blows on his armor.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Each hit landed heavily, the sound of fists on metal echoing across the arena.
Thanks to J.A.R.V.I.S., Tony managed to block the assault. He stopped using the repulsors and instead formed a focused laser beam.
As the beam powered up, Selina grabbed his wrist and aimed it skyward.
Then she punched him hard in the chest, forcing him back several steps.
As Selina closed in again, Tony ordered:
"J.A.R.V.I.S., set the attack diameter to the entire ring."
Tony crouched, brought his wrists together, and unleashed a sweeping red laser that sliced across the entire stage.
Selina reacted instantly—dropping flat to the ground the moment his arms moved.
Had she been even 0.3 seconds slower, she would've been cut in half.
Snap!
Two chips popped out from the backs of Tony's hands and were immediately destroyed—the laser had overloaded them.
The audience had no idea they had just been moments from disaster.
Only Bruce Banner looked deeply shaken. He knew that attack could've pierced even the Hulk's skin.
Up in the stands, Smith Dole also looked uneasy. Thankfully Tony had limited the attack range. Any wider, and things would've gone horribly wrong.
Tony, seeing Selina dodge again, was growing frustrated. Speed-type opponents were a pain.
Before he could react again, Selina dashed at him. Her speed left afterimages trailing behind.
She reappeared before him, her hand vibrating rapidly, then stabbed toward his chest.
Clang!
A metallic clink rang out. The attack hadn't worked as expected.
Tony scoffed:
"What's this?"
"Are you cosplaying as The Flash?"
Tony had seen the DC Universe films. That's why the public sometimes joked he and Smith Dole were like Superman and Bruce Wayne.
But the next second, J.A.R.V.I.S. spoke in his ear:
"Sir, the chest plate has been damaged. Defense level decreased."
Selina hadn't achieved a full Flash-style phase-through attack, but she had managed to break through the armor's defenses.
Tony's expression changed.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., analyze her attack pattern."
"Scanning…"
Selina noticed the crack in his armor and attacked the same spot again.
She could've targeted the arc reactor, but every time she aimed for it, a sixth sense warned her: if she struck there, she'd be hit by a devastating laser powerful enough to melt off her entire arm.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Three successive high-speed strikes. Tony's chest plate cracked further, glowing red in J.A.R.V.I.S.' internal model.
"Recording complete."
"J.A.R.V.I.S., it's your show. Begin counterattack."
Just as Selina prepared to strike a fourth time, Tony raised his arm and blocked.
Her palm struck his forearm instead.
Tony retaliated with a point-blank repulsor blast to her abdomen, sending her stumbling backward.
He followed up immediately—swinging his arm in a hammer punch to Selina's face, then another repulsor shot, and finally a knee strike to her midsection.
Under J.A.R.V.I.S.' control, Tony moved far more swiftly and efficiently than before.
The sudden change in tempo caught Selina off guard. Her momentum was broken.
Thankfully, her regeneration was strong. Though battered and bruised, none of her injuries were fatal.
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My P@treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][www.p@treon.com/euridome]
[Thank You For Your Support!]