Infernal Academia

Chapter 28 - Suyas' Big Day: Part 3 (Toe to Toe)

Alcohol was a strange substance.  It dulled the mind and befuddled the senses, and yet somehow, it gave Cobalt just the nerve he needed to duck out of the way of Izzbelle's opening swing.  Dropping to the bloodied floor of the combat ring, her oncoming fist sailed cleanly over his head, just narrowly grazing one of his horns.  But as ready as he felt to take the Oni on, he had failed to realise just how outmatched he was.  As he tried to get to his feet, his opponent lashed out with her other hand, grabbing the Incubus' arm and twisting it behind his back.

"GRRAAAAAH~!"

Another thing that Cobalt had failed to remember was just how strong she was.  As effortlessly as could be, the Oni clutched his arm tight and swung him clean over her head, like he was little more than a ragdoll.  He sailed through the booze-soaked air before being roughly slammed against the floor.  Shockwaves of pain shot through his body, but as addled as he was, the sensation was somewhat numbed.

Freeing himself from Izzbelle's grasp, Cobalt jumped back to his feet and stumbled back, trying to create some distance.  His heart was hammering fast, but his thoughts just weren't keeping up.  All around him, the Sulfur Bloods yelled and whooped, baying for blood.

"Come at me, dumbass!  Come on!" Izzbelle roared, pounding her fists together.

The Incubus swallowed hard, doing his best to try and remember what he learned in Applied Demonics, all those years ago.  When caught in a situation without their Leather Whip to hand, a Lust demon's next best bet was their legs, able to deliver powerful kicks.  But it was common knowledge that Succubi had the weakest bodies compared to all the other kinds of demons.  Surely the same logic applied to Incubi...?

An answer - of sorts - came to Cobalt in the form of an oncoming haymaker courtesy of Izzbelle, who had taken advantage of his brief absentmindedness.  

She struck with all the force of a freight train.  It felt like her knuckles were comprised of pure concrete, smashing into the side of his already-bruised face and sending him down in a shower of blood and spittle.  His head connected with the floor, feeling as though his brain was rattling around in his skull.  The pain was agonising, and yet somehow it didn't get to Cobalt.

Teeth gritted, he planted his hands against the floor and suddenly swept his leg as Izzbelle.  Though his sidelong kick did nothing to stop the Oni's advance, it jarred her enough to allow him to get to his feet and continue his assault.  He rammed his knee into her stomach, but that too was like a brick wall.  Grabbing his shoulders, Izzbelle violently headbutted her teacher, heavily stunning him and allowing his body to flop to the floor once more.

"Get up!  Get the fuck up!" Izzbelle roared, her voice echoing distantly.

His world was spinning all around him, rocked by the Oni's thunderous strikes.  The howling of the crowd bled into the ringing of his own ears, intensifying into a cacophony that hurt his already pounding head.

Why the Hell did he agree to this?  Izzbelle was a powerhouse, even among other Oni.  He didn't stand a chance against her!

Wiping the blood from his mouth, Cobalt grabbed the ropes at the edge of the ring and shakily pulled himself to his feet.  No, he couldn't let hopelessness pollute his thinking.  Intoxication was already making this difficult enough.

It was then that it struck him.  Izzbelle was strong, there was no doubt about that.  A veritable force of nature, but such forces are indiscriminate.  Imprecise.  She was relying purely on brute force, fighting without strategy.  If he could just manage to stop her charge and deny her the momentum she needed to lay waste to her opponents, perhaps he could yet gain the upper hand.