After Max's duel ended, the competition was set to continue with the final match, but only once Max was ready to resume the fight.
The last semifinal matches were incredible, showcasing the remarkable techniques the fighters had mastered through their training.
In fact, many people began to believe that effort alone was not enough in this discipline, especially when someone as young as Max had managed to defeat opponents with years more experience than him.
The announcer, noticing the audience's excitement and knowing the battle would proceed as planned, smiled with enthusiasm and shouted "Alright, let the fight begin!"
...
"Max, be careful!" Devon stood beside him, looking at her friend with seriousness and wishing him luck.
"This fight is easy; I'll win." Max, after saying this, stepped onto the arena and stared at his opponent with unwavering determination.
"He's here!" Alex said, visibly thrilled, eyeing the wound Antoni had inflicted on Max and smiling slightly.
"You thought you could win by fighting someone injured, but to your surprise, that's not going to happen. Before proving you're the best, you'll have to beat me first!" Max declared as he assumed a standard combat stance for the fight.
The referee looked at the competitors, nodded, raised his arms, and said, "To your corners. Ready?"
"Fight!"
Hoo... Max was clearly in good condition, so he just needed to focus on this opponent—someone Robert had said was the best he had ever trained.
For that reason, Max was determined to show him that, against him, even the brightest star could fall.
Keeping his distance, Max carefully observed Alex's movements as he subtly approached, aiming to gauge the gap between them.
"Now!"
As everyone watched the fighters size each other up, they suddenly began moving, and direct punches were quickly exchanged.
Reaching the final round demonstrated how strong both fighters were, but Max, who was here for more than just his will to compete, had no intention of holding back, even if it meant putting aside his mercy.
"Here we go!"
Alex was the first to take the initiative, adopting a more aggressive approach. The expression on his face was utterly ferocious as he lunged at Max with a front kick aimed at his chest.
Faced with such a powerful, direct attack, Max let out a shout and countered with his right hand. However, when his punch was blocked, he chose to retreat and strategize a better path forward.
"Much more aggressive..." Max muttered. In an instant, he maneuvered to Alex's side and unleashed a flurry of punches that completely overwhelmed his opponent.
While being suppressed by Max's ferocious attacks, Alex frowned slightly as he realized he couldn't make any progress. Aligning his hands like a spear, he skillfully slipped through Max's punches and attempted to strike his face.
Seeing the dangerous blow coming, Max dropped his body backward to dodge. As soon as his body hit the ground, he sprang back up like a spring. Without giving Alex a chance to attack, Max struck him in the stomach—not as forcefully as he would've liked, but enough to win the first exchange.
"Argh!"
"More!"
A smile spread across Max's face as he advanced, ready to engage in close combat against someone much larger than himself.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
On the platform, amidst the combat arena, two figures clashed vigorously, exchanging attack techniques and well-timed defenses to prolong the fight. Thanks to their speed, both fighters appeared impressive as they evaded incoming blows.
"Devon, who do you think will win?" Miguel asked as he watched the incredible fight unfold, curious about his friend's opinion.
"Max, without a doubt." Devon didn't hesitate to back Max, even though the fight had been extremely close so far.
Max had clearly dominated all his previous matches. Still, that didn't guarantee victory, as he now had to face Alex, who was perhaps five years older than him, making this no easy task.
Even though Alex hadn't seemed particularly formidable in his earlier matches, he was a finalist, which meant his martial arts skills must have some merit. If so, Max's victory could be at risk.
For this reason, determining the winner was difficult. However, given everything that had happened and how Max—a blind boy—fought on equal footing with his rivals, most people were rooting for him.
How could they not? People always support those they believe are extraordinary, despite their flaws.
As the audience continued to talk, the battle on the arena gradually escalated toward its climax. Punches and kicks were dodged while others were blocked, producing a series of sounds everyone could hear.
The exchange of techniques lasted until Alex landed a spinning kick to Max's chest, sending him backward.
Thud!
Momentarily losing his advantage, Max recovered, but as soon as he moved forward, Alex was already in front of him. Gritting his teeth, Max clashed head-on.
Crack!
"Stop the fight!"
In an instant, both fighters collapsed to the ground, half of their faces bloodied.
Max, with a cut near his blind eye, felt only pain and dizziness, while Alex suddenly lost vision in his right eye.
Medical staff rushed in to stop the bleeding. Despite their injuries, both fighters still wanted to continue. After inspecting their wounds, the referee consulted the doctors.
"They can fight!"
Max looked at Alex with a smile, feeling the warm blood trickling down his chin.
In this illegal fight, although there were rules, they could be bypassed if the fighters deemed it fair—and even more so for the sponsors.
"Prepare yourselves."
"Fight!" After waiting over five minutes, the fight resumed once the bleeding had stopped.
"Now!"
"Finish him, Max! You can do it!" Devon shouted, thrilled by the battle as Max showcased all his favorite moves, the kind you'd only see in movies.
The sudden sound of Devon's voice rang in Max's ears, prompting him to anticipate Alex's attack. His style relied on waiting for the attack to counter with double the force.
"Gotcha!"
As Alex charged head-on, Max seized the opportunity to unleash a famous spinning back kick, aiming to break through his opponent's defenses and strike with power.
When Max executed the kick, Alex—intent on ending the match as quickly as possible—was hit, dropping to his knees.