On the edge of the field, the candidates watched the battle unfold with a range of reactions.
Silverwing, always seemingly composed, rubbed his chin thoughtfully with a smile creeping onto his face. "Interesting," he muttered to himself, his eyes locked on Don. He crossed his arms, as if enjoying the spectacle with quiet intrigue.
In contrast, Starboy gritted his teeth in frustration, his fists clenched tightly at his sides.
He couldn't tear his gaze away from the scene before him.
'Just who is this bastard?'
he thought angrily. Don, in his mind, had come out of nowhere, stealing the spotlight he believed was rightfully his.
Watching Don handle Apex with such skill only fueled his resentment.
Starboy's thoughts shifted to concern.
'If that guy wins this, there's no way I can outdo him. No matter how well I perform, I'll always be second. Damn it!'
Meanwhile, back in the conference room, Samantha sat on the edge of her seat, her heart racing as she watched the fierce exchange between Don and Apex.
Twice already, she had nearly jumped from her seat when Don took hits from the android, her heart tightening with fear.
But each time, Don had come out mostly unscathed, much to her immense relief.
Her hands were tightly clasped together, her knuckles white as she whispered, "Please, be careful…"
The men in the room tried to contain their excitement, their eyes glued to the screen. The intensity of the fight had them hooked, though the women—especially Isabella—wore different expressions.
Some seemed unsettled by the violence, much like Samantha, while others, like Isabella, appeared bitter. There was jealousy in Isabella's eyes, her arms crossed as she frowned at the screen.
Back on the field, Apex stood up again, its neon smiley face unchanging, but its stance slightly different now—more cautious.
Even without any expression to read, it was clear that Don's last attack had shifted the android's perception of him.
Apex now saw him as a genuine threat.
Don didn't make a move either. His hands remained at his sides as he stood still, focusing on building up energy in his arms.
His eyes remained locked onto Apex, waiting for the next move.
This time, Apex's response was swift. The android burst forward with a speed even greater than before.
Its body became a blur as it approached Don, and before even reaching him, it unleashed a flurry of rapid punches, each faster and more powerful than the last.
**Boom! Boom! Boom!**
The punches came in quick succession, like a machine gun of blows, aiming to overwhelm Don.
His reflexes, however, were still sharp.
He blocked each strike with his forearms, raising them just in time to meet Apex's relentless attacks.
Don gritted his teeth as he absorbed the hits, his feet shifting back with each blow.
Apex's movements were smooth, and every punch seemed stronger than the last. Don dodged a few attempts at leg sweeps, but he was steadily being pushed back.
The ground beneath his feet cracked with each backward step until, finally, he found himself against the wall of the field.
But Apex didn't stop.
It kept throwing punch after punch, hammering at Don's defenses.
Each time its fist connected with Don's forearms, he felt the kinetic energy building up within his muscles. His arms were throbbing now, the pain intense as he struggled to contain the raw power.
From the commentator's box, the first commentator sounded worried. "Don's in a bad spot! Apex has him backed into a corner—this might be the end of his attempt!"
The second commentator leaned forward, her voice tense. "Can he hold on much longer? He's been incredible so far, but Apex is relentless! I think you're right, this may just be it for him."
Just as the pressure seemed unbearable, Don's eyes narrowed. He was waiting for the right moment.
With a sharp intake of breath, he timed his counterattack perfectly. As Apex's next punch came forward, Don swung his arm up and launched a devastating punch, his fist crackling with the energy he'd been storing.
The sound was like an explosion, reverberating through the entire stadium.
The force of Don's punch met Apex's raised arm, but the sheer power behind it was too much. The impact sent a massive shockwave through the field, tearing up the ground beneath them.
Huge chunks of the stadium floor were ripped upward, revealing hidden mechanisms below that began to malfunction, some rising out of the ground haphazardly.
The crowd gasped in disbelief as they watched the scene unfold.
Apex's arm, the one it had used to block Don's punch, was completely shattered. The metal limb was destroyed, pieces of it flying across the field.
The force of the punch sent Apex hurtling backward, its body crashing into the far wall of the stadium with a deafening
The first commentator was speechless for a moment before finally shouting, "I… I can't believe it! Don just obliterated part of Apex's arm! The power behind that punch—it's unreal!"
The second commentator added, "Look at the field! He's not just fighting Apex—he's tearing the arena apart!"
A stunned silence fell over the crowd as they processed what had just happened. Even the most enthusiastic fans were momentarily speechless.
The ground between Don and Apex was a wreck, with debris scattered everywhere, and several of the stadium's mechanical components rising awkwardly from below.
Apex, however, wasn't done. As quickly as it had been knocked down, the android stood up, its neon smiley face flickering slightly.
It turned its head toward Don from across the field, and even though its expression hadn't changed, there was a new intensity in the way it stood.
Between them, the malfunctioning mechanisms from the stadium's floor continued to rise and move erratically, adding a new element to the battlefield.
Don watched Apex closely, a small smile forming on his face. "So you can take damage after all?" he said under his breath, his voice calm but charged with excitement.
He then flexed his hands and fingers, feeling the lingering energy in his muscles. "Good."
Apex remained still for a moment, its body rigid as if recalculating its next move. The crowd, the commentators, and even the candidates standing at the edge of the field held their breath, waiting to see what would happen next.