Tyson tipped his head back and laughed.
"Alex, my freezing inner power is ancient compared to your pathetic dragon move," he said. "You never stood a chance."
He pushed more of his power into the water, dropping the temperature further and freezing much of the lake. The ice quickly spread toward Alex, who stared at it, wondering if he could survive this.
Tyson was incredibly powerful, and his deeds would be remembered long after he had gone.
It seemed like Alex's fate was sealed.
On the cliff, several women stood up, tears sliding down their faces as they watched the scene unfold. Nelly was ready to leap down to Alex, determined to protect him. She knew Tyson would make short work of her, but she couldn't stand by and let Alex suffer.
"Tyson is just too strong," someone said with a sigh. "There has never been anyone like him."
"He has devoted his life to studying martial arts," another man said. "We could all learn from his dedication."
Several other martial artists stood with their heads bowed, giving their respect to the fallen Alex.
No one could look away. Dazed, they watched the two fighters, waiting to see what would happen. It seemed inevitable that one of the men would die, and they assumed it would be Alex.
The river was eerily quiet, the waterfall is frozen in place, and everyone shivered in the chilly air.
"Although Alex has been defeated today, he has still made a name for himself," a man said. "People will remember him for a long time."
Those around him nodded in agreement, thinking that they would have been honoured to fight Tyson, even if it resulted in their deaths.
[Crack!]
Nelly ground to a halt, no longer trying to reach Alex, as she looked around for the source of the noise. Her eyes widened as she saw an enormous fault line appear in the icy waterfall and continue through the frozen river. The sound grew deafening as the ice began to crack.
A collective gasp came from the crowd, some of them pointing at the waterfall.
Tyson gaped at the fissures. Then he turned around, just in time to see Alex swing onto the back of the ice dragon. Then Alex launched himself off the other side, heading straight toward Tyson. With a cry, Tyson fell backwards, shattering the thin layer of ice and sinking into the Hudson River.
No one could believe what they were seeing.
The last of the ice cracked, freeing the waterfall, and sending it surging over the rocks once more. But Tyson didn't panic. He simply plunged his hands into the river, trying to freeze Alex again.
But Alex didn't flinch. He stood tall, staring at Tyson.
"I'm still learning, and I haven't had much time to prepare," Alex said. "And yet, I can still withstand your power. So, how much more powerful do you think I'll be once I've had the chance to learn more?"
Tyson struck out with his power, determined to finish this quickly.
Alex avoided Tyson's attack by leaping back onto the frozen dragon sculpture. He placed his hand on the icy neck of the dragon and absorbed the remnants of Tyson's freezing inner power. Then he released the power into the water, sending it straight at Tyson.
"How did you do that?" Tyson asked, gaping at him in astonishment. How had Alex mastered the cold so quickly?
He hadn't known that Alex was a fast learner, always watching others and assimilating their skills.
Tyson's confidence began to falter, and his inner power grew weak. Alex slipped off the dragon's back and sent ice shooting through the water at Tyson, who swept it away. But he missed one piece of ice that hit his leg at high speed, puncturing the flesh like a bullet.
Tyson stumbled, losing some of his control, and allowing more of the ice to thaw. The dragon had melted and once again consisted of mist and water.
"Where are these special skills of yours?" Alex called. He stepped back into the spray of the waterfall.
Tyson scowled. The sunlight shone on the dragon illusion, and for a moment, it looked like it was moving, rearing up to attack. He reacted immediately, sending his power toward it.
"Stop," Alex said, holding up a hand and sending out his power to meet Tyson's.
Tyson's attack halted, held in place and unable to advance. He summoned all his strength to push back. His arm muscles bulged, and his teeth were gritted as he strained, trying to gain the upper hand.
His face grew red, sweat dripped down from his forehead, and he began to shake. Even though he called up every last bit of his power, he couldn't prevail, and his control shattered.
Tyson sagged with exhaustion, breathing heavily. He had little power left, but he still managed to avoid Alex's attack.
"Alex," Tyson shouted. "I've spent decades studying in the far north. Do you really think I wouldn't have reserves of power I can call on?"
"Is it?" Alex was indifferent. Instead, he jumped back into the water. As soon as he let go, the mirage of the dragon seemed to soar into the sky.
Feeling that everything was under control, Alex calmed down and stepped back into the boat.
He said coldly, "This war is not over. How dare you hurt Debbie?"
Tyson's expression changed to one of fear.
Nelly was surprised at his words. But she quickly realized that really, this was how Alex had always been. "It's Alex," she said, "and Debbie is always his priority."
The other girls were secretly jealous of Debbie for having someone like Alex to protect her and even be willing to die for her.
Everyone looked at the two men who were fighting in the Hudson River and didn't know what to think.
The situation seemed to have become more serious, and it appeared that Alex had won. The spectators started trying to placate him.