Stronger Together chapter 221

The banquet itself was a fairly dull affair. Not in the sense that  nothing happened, it was a room full of fallen angels after all, but in  the sense that I just didn't care what they were doing. I mostly talked  to Yang while keeping an eye on the other champions, but once they  introduced us we sort of become inconsequential. It was like all the  lords had carted out their prized horses to show off before the big  race, but you didn't talk to the horses after you gaped at them, they  were horses, they were just there to be ogled.

Which came  off as slightly self pitying even in my head, but fuck these guys, I'll  pity myself if I feel like it. Yang seemed to catch the slight annoyance  on my face and rolled her eyes. Leaning over she whispered to me. "I'm  pretty sure it's rude to scowl in disgust at a banquet. Plus it could be  dangerous. They might kill the chef or something." I blinked, slightly  disturbed. That actually made an unfortunate amount of sense. I tried my  best to look more up beat. Luckily the dinner didn't last too long  before Lucifer stood to address us again.

A single glance  silenced the whole room and he smiled genially. "Greetings friends, I  hope you are enjoying the festivities. Today is a magnificent  achievement. For the first time in the history of our realm all infernal  beings sit under one roof, preparing to march to battle as one host. We  are legion indeed. But just as this is an opportunity, so too is it a  test. As we all know it takes more than just desire to lead. Ambition,  intelligence, and an eye for talent are only some of the qualities my  war leader must possess. And so I bring to you this tournament, for the  best and brightest of our world to put themselves to the test."

There  was a burst of applause but Lucifer just flicked a hand and everyone  shut up again. "The tournament starts tomorrow of course, but before  that I thought we could enjoy some entertainment. Dinner and a show as  it were. In that vein I propose a small exhibition match between two of  our champions. Of course this event is for all of you, so you may choose  the champions you wish to see face each other on the field of battle.  So, what say you? Who will be your combatants tonight. Choose wisely."

I  winced, that was annoying, I really hoped they didn't pick me, there  was no real benefit to getting chosen and a whole bunch of downsides. I  would have to hold back probably, and even if I was pretty sure I would  still win it would be a ton of attention for no gain at all. Which of  course meant I was the first fucking person they picked. Because fuck  you too universe. I was called up to a square of cleared marble in the  center of the banquet tables (which had been here all along meaning that  asshole had been waiting for this) and Sharina was called up after me.  Great, I was going to be beating up the dumptruck princess in front of  everyone.

Honestly I was tempted to just put my metal fist  through her chest as nonlethally as possible and hope goldies were  tougher than they looked, but I needed at least the big man to look  favorably on me if I was ever getting out of here so I settled in for  the long haul and resigned myself to smacking her around a bit, as  shitty as that made me feel. Sure I'd kicked plenty of ass in my day,  but I usually did it for a reason. Today I was jumping to the tune of  the devils "how high" and it didn't feel great. I at least promised  myself that despite having to show off I would at least humiliate her as  painlessly as I could.

Sharina however did not seem to  share that compassion, because when she saw me across from her she  sneered. "Well look at you. I've never seen a half formed who took the  concept so literally. I suppose its fitting though. Your unsightly  metallic appearance and my own luxurious sheen. A noble metal versus a  base as it were." She smirked cruelly. "Would you like to beg little  iron freak? I can't say I have reason to spare you but if you dance for  me in a funny way I may end your suffering quickly." I blinked. Trash  talk, huh, guess some things were universal.

I narrowed my  eyes at her, carefully analyzing her appearance and bearing to hone in  on her most embarrassing weakness and expose it for all to see. Then I  remembered I had no clue how to do that kind of thing so I switched to  petty insults. "You're short and your butt is way too big. Plus that  dress makes you look fat." Now it was her turn to blink. In confusion.  "You deaf too? Explains a lot. I'd have ruined my ears years ago too if I  had a voice like yours. Don't know how you can stand to hear yourself  talk. Have you considered just pretending to be mute? You're all shiny  and your face is at least ok. Bet people would eat up the whole living  ornament thing. You could stand in people's garden."

It  was almost comical, watching her eyes widen in rage with each passing  word. She could kind of dish it out but the princess really couldn't  take it. I smothered a smirk. Well so much for taking it easy on her. I  was already humiliating her in front of everyone the least I could do  was put her down fast and hard to end this travesty before she had to  feel too ashamed about it. I cranked my lightning and force aspects. I  figured the time for subtle was a while ago so wind wasn't what I  needed. As my mentor would say, fuck subtle.

Watching  her slowly unfolding hissy fit was pretty funny but honestly I had  better things to do. I turned to Lucifer, which was still insane, I was  talking to the DEVIL. "Excise me your...uh princeliness. Do I need to  hold back? I wouldn't want to end her before the tournament proper and  deprive your magnificent test of a combatant." I was maybe laying it on a  bit thick, but from the shameless ass kissing toadying I'd seen from  some of the infernals I'd come across in my time here I basically  assumed there was no such thing as having your nose be too brown. Sure  enough the big cheese looked more amused than anything as he took in my  arrogant proclamation.

And  it was a proclamation. One I had made loudly enough for everyone here   to hear clearly very much on purpose. Sharina was trembling with  murderous anger now, and I was starting to worry I was giving her an  aneurism out of sheer noble hissy fit rage. She didn't attack though.  Presumably interrupting the head honcho of hell before he answered a  question was a no no in polite infernal society (an oxymoron if there  ever was one). Lucifer smiled, seemingly doing so in a sped up rate of  motion since I had made the mistake of forgetting I'd just cranked my  lightning aspect. But you don't get to be the devil himself by  collecting bottle caps.

My  speed didn't even seem to register as he matched it with no apparent  effort or even motion. He just...was going faster. I definitely did not  want to fight him. Like ever. The prince of lies smiled warmly. "Of  course the test has already begun. If you can best her then by all means  do so." I smiled and turned back to Sharina, expecting to have to act  on that statement myself, but I shouldn't have bothered. Sharina was  already in my face, literal claws coming for my throat. Apparently I  knew what goldies did now, or at least what this one could do. She was  fucking FAST.

Luckily  I was also fast, and whatever her gold ass nails were made of, it  wasn't as hard as godsteel. I put my arm up in front of my throat and  there was a literal shower of sparks as her attack tried to crave out my  trachea. The good thing about putting your arm in front of your neck to  block is that if you use your bicep to take the hit, it positions you  perfectly for a bitch slap. And slap I did, backhanding the crazy girl  with my metal arm and officially no longer caring about holding back.  That throat claw had been an attempted kill, I was going to smash her  head like a watermelon if she wasn't careful.

Sh  was careful, she did a graceful handspring back out of the way, and my  hand actually shattered the sound barrier when I lashed out, but she  made it safely to her feet a yard or so away. I snarled a bit. My  fucking arm hurt, those claws couldn't do much real damage but they had  split the skinlike top layer of my limb. I felt a few drops of dark  liquid mercury like metal well up, but some of my power focused into the  limb closed it up using godsteel energy. Sharina was glaring at me  angrily, but I saw a hint of wariness in her expression.

Since  my physical power had been shown I decided to switch it up to throw her  off and shifted from my force aspect to wind. As expected she rushed me  again, but this time she raced right through my insubstantial form. Her  eyes widened as she sailed right through my body.With all the speed I  had available I turned as she flew by, wrapped my arms around her  stomach, and switching back to my force aspect with an ease I'd never  had before all the recent training executed a textbook perfect german  suplex. Her head and upper body smashed into the hellish marble with a  crash and I backed off.

My  timing was good, because I absolutely avoided getting eviscerated by  scything claws EVERYWHERE when she broke out of the ground. I could  swear she got at least three times faster, but maybe she'd just been  holding some in reserve. Luckily I was nowhere near her anymore so she  just kind of looking like a toddler throwing a tantrum. It got a lot  less amusing once she noticed me standing there snickering at her and  unleashed that maelstrom of slashed on my unsuspecting body. Well, I was  actually super suspicious of pretty much everything here, but still,  ow.

My  clothes were shredded and my blood fell like rain. Oddly metallic and  shimmery blood might I add. Despite that I took up a stance and started  fighting back. Klurkor was mainly designed against human enemies so clas  weren't exactly common, but there were several kryptonian weapons that  mimicked them that I was able to keep up once I got in my groove. The  fight went on longer than expected. Sharina was slippery as fuck on top  of being fast, not literally but she had a habit of never letting me  land solid blows or get a grab.

Eventually  though she started running out of gas, slowing down slightly, while my  body was still forced into its peak speed of perception by the lightning  magic running through my network. Once she slipped it became a war of  attrition with her on the losing side, slowly being whittled down by the  occasional blow that landed too fast to dodge. After about twenty  minutes she presented me my first clear opening and I smashed my metal  fist into her jaw, effectively knocking her the fuck out but not killing  her. I sighed with relief as she fell, my muscles aching, and turned to  Lucifer. It did not reassure me that the Devil was smiling.