Ramon stood on the elevated stage of the arena, his breath hitching slightly as a flicker of genuine disbelief crossed his features. He was processing the devastating kick he had just received from Max, a strike that had carried far more weight than he had anticipated. Even though he had reacted in time to raise the reinforced arm of his exoskeleton to block the blow, the raw, unadulterated power behind it had vibrated through the high-grade metal frame. It traveled through the actuators and into his own flesh, leaving his actual arm feeling slightly numb and heavy.
He looked down at his mechanical limb, wondering if he didn’t have the protection of the exoskeleton, how much that single kick would have damaged him. It might have even been powerful enough to shatter the bone in his arm instantly.
What was worse for Ramon was the realization of what had happened in the small moments he had spent lost in those thoughts. While he was momentarily stunned, Max had gone on an absolute rampage against Darius. He had delivered powerful hit after powerful hit, a relentless barrage of strikes that left the leader of the Black Hounds struggling to breathe. Max hadn’t stopped until he had delivered a final, crushing blow that sent Darius crashing to the floor. Now, as Darius lay motionless, it didn’t look like he was going to get back up to help anytime soon.
"I’ve been a fool this entire time, haven’t I?" Ramon said, his voice echoing in the large arena hall. He placed a hand over his face, a slow, jagged smile spreading beneath his fingers. "I should have known after all the trouble you’ve given me that you were never just going to be an easy opponent for me to face, even if it came down to pure combat. Yet here we are. There’s something clearly different about you, Max."
Max didn’t waste time with a verbal rebuttal. He simply tensed his fists, his muscles coiling like a spring, and moved forward.
"I know there is," Max claimed, his eyes locked on the scientist. "It’s because I’ve already risen to the top once, and this time I’m rising to it again to tear it all down with my own two hands. I have to do things differently this time."
Ramon couldn’t help but scoff at the words. Initially, looking at Max, he barely looked like more than a kid who had just finished high school. He wondered how a boy of that age could possibly know what the true world of the Underworld was like. But the eyes said it all; they were serious and cold. To Ramon, that gaze was the only explanation he had as to why someone could consistently get in his way this entire time.
"Things don’t always go to plan. You should know that," Ramon countered, his suit’s chest piece humming. "You’ve disrupted mine, so I guess it’s time for me to disrupt yours."
Max charged in just as he had before, closing the distance in a blur of motion. He jumped into the air, throwing out a punch that Ramon blocked with a heavy, metallic clang. Max continued to throw out hits, each one backed by the surge of energy from his recent boost, but Ramon continued to block each of them relatively easily. The exoskeleton hissed with every movement, absorbing the shock. Then, Ramon threw a kick of his own.
It was a wide, sweeping swing that whistled over Max’s head as he ducked low to the floor. Seizing the opening, Max tried to kick him with the flat part of his foot, hoping the leverage would topple the scientist over. Yet, it was almost as if Max had kicked a solid, unmoving wall. Ramon didn’t topple. With the support of the exoskeleton’s leg units, it was almost as if he were anchored into the floor.
Moving his hands with surprising speed, Ramon blocked a few more desperate hits from Max. Then, he lifted his leg and delivered a heavy kick right into Max’s stomach, sending him sliding across the ground for several seconds as the air was forced from his lungs.
"I’m getting the hang of this exoskeleton," Ramon said, his confidence growing as he tested the suit’s limits. "I’m learning how to use all the other parts in combination with each other, as well as the benefits it provides. You should have aimed to take me out first."
Max grunted, clutching his midsection as he tried to bear through the throbbing pain. He charged in again, throwing a series of punches, but this time he focused entirely on speed rather than power. He never planned for any of those initial strikes to hit; they were merely a distraction.
When he saw the gap he was looking for, Max swung his leg from the side, trying to slam it right into Ramon’s ribs. He knew he couldn’t break through the reinforced chest piece, but the exoskeleton couldn’t cover the entirety of the body, especially the vulnerable area around the ribs.
However, Ramon had seen the move coming. He threw out his own fist, punching downward and hitting Max right in the shin. A jolt of agonizing pain shot through Max’s entire body, forcing him to pull back instantly.
He wasn’t even sure if his leg was broken, but before he could even land to check the damage, an overhead punch was thrown. It hit Max right in the face, the metal gauntlet jarring his skull. His head flung back from the impact, and before he could recover his footing, a heavy kick followed to his chest. The force sent him tumbling across the ground, rolling several times before coming to a stop near the edge of the stage.
Three massive hits had landed in rapid succession, each one sapping Max’s strength.
’Damn it... even with the boost I have, I’m struggling here,’ Max thought, his vision swimming. ’I don’t think he’s lying when he says he’s getting used to using the exoskeleton’s power. It really seems like he’s gotten a lot tougher.’
Max’s leg was in agony, his whole body was screaming in pain, and he wasn’t quite sure how he was going to deal with the situation. He felt the weight of the two-on-one fight catching up to him, until he saw someone from the other side of the arena shout out.
"MAX!" a voice called out, cutting through the noise of the hall.
When Max looked through the haze of pain, he could see one of his most trustworthy allies standing there. It was Aron, and in his hands, he held the two batons, their ends sparking with electrical energy.
"ONE minute!" Aron shouted, his voice echoing across the room. "I can give you one minute to figure out how to beat this guy, but that’s all I have!"
’One minute,’ Max repeated to himself, his fingers digging into the stage floor as he forced himself back up.