Using his radar and targeting systems, Tony quickly locked onto Selene below. Watching her dart through the forest with astonishing speed, he couldn't help but mutter, "That's fast... Definitely seeing some new stuff here."
Without hesitation, Tony Stark dove toward her.
BOOM!
He landed with a classic Iron Man entrance, blocking Selene's path.
Selene frowned slightly at the sight of the armored man. Instinctively, she pulled out her dual pistols—only to silently holster them again. Even if Iron Man was based in New York and she in London, she knew full well that guns wouldn't do a damn thing against him. If she wanted to win, she'd have to dismantle both the man and the suit.
"This beautiful lady—I'd really rather not get rough," Tony said smoothly. "Hand over the gold coin representing your ticket."
Seeing her put away her weapons, Tony thought to himself, Smart woman. Too bad this isn't the time or place—might've liked to get to know her.
But instead of surrender or a coin, what greeted Tony was a blur of motion—and a thunderous collision.
BAM!
Selene, with near-teleportation speed, slammed into Tony before he could react, sending him flying.
The impact had force, but her attack failed to inflict real damage thanks to the armor's protection.
Tony lay on the ground, trees behind him snapped from the impact.
"What the hell?"
"Seriously? A vampire with this kind of speed?"
"J.A.R.V.I.S., analyze her weaknesses."
Standing up, Tony muttered, "Now you've pissed me off."
He immediately fired two repulsor blasts from his palms.
BOOM! BOOM!
But Selene, despite having just acquired her superspeed, moved with expert agility. As soon as Tony raised his hand, she vanished again, dodging both blasts. The explosions took out a couple of trees behind her instead.
"Sir," J.A.R.V.I.S. replied, "according to online myths, vampires fear sunlight, crucifixes, and holy water—usually Vatican-issued."
Tony hovered into the air and grumbled, "And how exactly am I supposed to simulate sunlight right now? Or pose like a cross to scare her off?"
As he spoke, two compact missile launchers emerged from his shoulders, packed with mini-rockets.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A barrage of micro-missiles shot toward Selene.
"You think she's gonna turn into a bat and fly at me?"
"Even if she does, sir, I can still track her," J.A.R.V.I.S. assured.
As they spoke, the micro-missiles exploded one after another.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Each one chased Selene relentlessly, tearing apart the surrounding forest.
Selene pushed her speed to the limit, dodging incoming fire. But Tony's upgraded payload seemed never-ending, with missiles raining down in waves.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Eventually, the shockwave from one of the blasts sent Selene flying.
…
In the audience, both the vampire elders and Tony's companions were watching the battle unfold on the screens, tension rising.
Marcus turned to Soren and asked, "With all those weapons—even missiles—shouldn't that Iron Man guy be disqualified?"
Soren shook his head. "Elder, the rules never banned heavy weaponry."
"Selene also brought her own guns and melee weapons."
Marcus nodded. "Then she'll have to rely on that insane speed to drain his ammo. Unless… she's got a new form or gained the ability to fly after her last evolution. Otherwise, she's at a big disadvantage."
Everyone could see that after the initial strike, Tony hadn't set foot on the ground. He maintained aerial dominance and poured down firepower from above.
While the vampire side was visibly anxious, Pepper Potts looked more relaxed—though she still voiced concern.
"Isn't all that firepower overkill? He might just blow that vampire up."
Happy replied uncertainly, "I don't think so."
"She's a vampire, and a powerful one. If we hadn't seen that slow-mo replay, we wouldn't even know how she sent Tony flying."
"And if there were a real life-threatening situation, the organizers would step in. They promised all contestants' safety in the rules."
Pepper nodded and turned her attention back to the screen.
Over at the Golden Dagger Club, the mood was far more agitated. Seeing Tony and Selene clash, they felt a creeping sense of dread.
With other contestants still hunting for targets, everyone's attention naturally turned to the flashy duel.
Golden Dagger's Sean clenched his jaw. "We underestimated this."
"Our boss only has cold weapons. Against those two? No chance."
Everyone in the club had noticed—while they weren't sure about the mysterious scientist, they knew their boss couldn't hold a candle to either Iron Man or Selene.
What baffled them even more was how strong Selene actually was. Had she shown this level of power earlier, they'd have never escaped her grasp.
Meanwhile, Smith Dole handed off hosting duties to Fox and flew into the sky above the island to observe the battle firsthand. If either side showed signs of lethal injury, he'd intervene immediately.
…
Still airborne, Tony looked down at the soot-covered Selene and called out:
"Selene, that was just an appetizer."
"If you can't fly, I suggest you hand over your coin and end this now."
From the exchanges so far, Tony had deduced that Selene lacked flight capabilities—making his control of the skies an unbeatable advantage.
Selene wiped the ash from her face and replied, "I don't believe your payload is limitless."
Tony's back panels slid open, revealing racks of tightly-packed, high-yield explosives.
"My ammo count is beyond your imagination."
"This was actually meant for someone much bigger."
…
(End of Chapter)
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