Scorpion vs Demon

 “Seriously! Fuck!” Raze kicked the dirt below him in a fit of rage. He didn’t have much time to complain, however, because the words manifested in front of them again. This time, the party was inside a colosseum with a medium-sized circle in the center.

"A player has won a trial and will be able to add a challenge for all the players for the second trial. This trial will consist of hand-to-hand combat in the silver ring. The winner will be determined by knocking out their opponent or move them out of the ring. You will begin shortly."

“Not bad. This looks like your expertise, so don’t lose, scorpion.” Raze gave her a scornful look and crossed his arms.

“Of course. I won’t lose no matter how hard it gets.”

The words appeared once more. "What is your wish, victor?"

The beast howled and spoke in growls and speeches that were too warped for anyone else to comprehend.

"The terms have been made. For the remaining matches, the two other player’s fates will be intertwined. Win or lose, you will be in it together. Your attack value will also be temporarily reduced to 200 for this trial."

“Fuck! You stuck me with the shitter…”

“Don’t tell me you actually planned on leaving me behind here? How shrewd of a man can you be?”

“It may have crossed my mind, but now my attacks won’t do squat!”

Lyra put a hand on his shoulder and pointed to herself. “Leave that to me.” Her eyes were full of fiery passion. It was enough to keep a whole room from becoming shrouded in darkness.

Raze snorted. “You? Your punches barely do shit and they take quite some time to even get there. Just sit tight, I’ll figure something out.”

But Lyra had already entered the ring and the beast followed soon after.

“You better not give up just because it hurts a little! Prove to me you aren't some frail and weak-willed woman who used me as an excuse to leave home!” Raze shouted with anger. He then activated his scanner.

What the fuck is this thing anyway? Hmm….?

[Name: Aknoth]—[Class: Speed Demon]—[Level: 162]

[Skills:Speed Step (MAX), Keen Sight (MAX), Slippery Skin (MAX), Mad Dash (MAX), Stunning Howl (MAX)]

[Status: Riled up]—[Attack: 50,000]—[Defense: 44,000—[Magic: 30,000]

The fuck is a "Speed Demon" and that attack value is the same as the scorpion's defense value. She won’t stand a chance.

"Begin!"

The Speed Demon moved faster than the average eye could follow. It was difficult for Raze to even process what happened even with the enhanced sight from his scanner. 

The demon reeled its fist back, a satisfied grin on its alien face. It had sucker-punched Lyra straight in the chest, knocking the wind out of her for only a moment. In the end, she did not collapse or even flinch. She stood her ground.

"Haaaah!" She sent her stinger at him, aiming to pierce his tough skin. But the demon was quick and easily dodged and weaved around her quick strikes before disappearing behind her. 

"CRAAAAAW!" He sent one of his clawed hands at her neck, its speed and strength justifying the danger Lyra would be in if it made contact. Raze grimaced, but she didn't disappoint him in the end. Lyra bent down and let her upper half fall backward to skillfully maneuver around his attack as if she was doing the limbo. Lyra planted both of her feet on the ground with great force and kicked back her body into high gear for a counterattack now that the creature had left an opening.

"Your mine now!" Even though the demon could avoid it, he casually took the punch. It didn't even make a squishing sound. After all, it was akin to being touched by a pillow.

I knew this would happen! Raze thought. There's no way she can keep up.

"He’s really fucking fast. He might have even been holding back in the race," Raze commented aloud.

Lyra crossed both her arms to block his flurry of claw attacks, his nails digging into her skin and drawing blood with every successful hit. Her gauntlets took the brunt of his assault, but the damage to them wasn't pretty. Even then—Lyra didn't get pushed back. She stood tall and vigilant. She was an immovable wall.

The demon let out a shriek at his lack of progress. He lunged right at her face with deep anger in his four eyes. His slit jaws were so dense and sharp, it seemed likely that they could crunch through bone. Lyra didn't move from her position, instead aiming to punch him in the throat as he finished his strike.

The demon tossed aside any form of defense for pure, swift offense. 

However, before he can get his slobbering mandibles on Lyra’s face, it chokes profusely as something squeezes its throat.

“You didn’t think I would not take any opening when you clearly underestimated me because of my attack value, did you? “Lyra wore a stoic expression. The hand that went for his throat hand transformed into a large pincer.

"Get his ass, Lyra!" Raze fervently howled.

"URRRRK SCRAAAAAH!" The Speed Demon flailed his limbs against her grip while trying to claw at her face like an upset house cat. Lyra kept her distance from his lightning-fast attacks while she dished out her own beat down. With her free hand, she drove her metal fist into the stomach of the demon over and over again.

“Kkkkkkeeeeehhhhhh!” A screech akin to a laugh comes from the maw of the speed demon.

“So you still underestimate me for how weak my blows are? I know you can escape at any time, but it's time you pay for looking down on the princess of the Azurespine.”

She picked up the speed with her free fist, slamming it faster and faster into the chest of the beast.

She pounded him over and over, eliciting no response from the demon as it silently took the immense beating.

After maybe forty punches, her attack finally makes headway and smashes into the chest of the demon with the force of a truck.

“SCREEEEK KEEEEEEEH!!!” It howls in pain and disappears from Lyra’s grasp as if it teleported.

 Raze thought he heard the shattering of bones and organs under the might of Lyra's one-sided onslaught.

Maybe I shouldn't get on her bad side...

“Your skin is indeed slippery, but I hope you now understand that you should take me seriously.”

The demon's four yellow eyes focused on her, while bloodlust oozes out of every pore in its body. His jaw opened wide like a shark's and released a large cluster of spit on the floor to clear its throat. It seemed to have finally acknowledged her as an enemy—a worthy opponent. Her sturdy body and rare Skill made her someone that no one could look down on forever. She was forced to be reckoned with when she was able to warm up.

The demon dashed at her again, but Raze couldn't even follow this time. The purple blur darted around Lyra, quickly whipping up a vortex from his efforts. Lyra squinted her eyes, trying to pinpoint where he actually was inside the violet vortex. Even with her enhanced eyesight from being a beast-kin, it was still far too difficult to keep up with his sporadic movements.

I will just have to wait for him to strike first like before, Lyra concluded

From behind Lyra, a purple shadow shot out like a bullet, flying at her with enough force to tear through a giant.

“Oh shit. She’s fucked,” Raze admitted from the sidelines, his eyes attempting to keep up with what is happening.

Just before the speed demon would tear through the top half of Lyra—she vanishes.

“KREEEEH? SCRAOHAAAAAAAAAAAA!” The speed demon flies out of the circle and crashes into the stadium wall.

“What the fuck?” Raze cocks his head at the peculiar sight. His puzzled look is set on the sorry sight of the defeated demon.

“Over here.” A voice pulls his attention back to the center. Where Lyra used to be stood a large blue scorpion the size of a bear As their gazes meet, she transforms back into her original form and exits the arena.

“I knew he would go for an all-out attack since he wouldn't be able to beat me with force with my combo meter that high. He aimed for my head, allowing me to completely avoid him by turning into something around smaller in height.”

“Wow. I’ll give it to ya. That was a pretty sick move.”

Lyra’s cool attitude and formal speech made her next few words fill Raze with satisfaction. “Yes, it was truly, ‘sick.'”

He lightly smacks her on the back. “I will probably never say this again, but good work, Lyra.”

Her body is filled with warmth when her name leaves his mouth. She blushed ever-so-slightly before becoming stoic once more. Lyra trained long and hard in the past, making sure to never allow her deep and less desirable emotions to affect her in any form of battle. She refused to show weakness to her friends and foes alike. She kept the swarming pool of giddiness and satisfaction to herself.

He called me by my name. I am not sure why, but that pleased my spirit. I wonder if I would feel the same if another man did it as well.

Lyra didn’t have time to dwell on it as they were engaged in one more ray of blinding light.