As soon as Apex's countdown reached zero, nothing happened.
The android stood perfectly still, its glowing smiley face unchanging. Across from it, Don remained in his position, his muscles tense and ready.
The crowd held their breath, waiting for the first move. Seconds stretched on, and still, neither made any motion.
The comntators exchanged glances, their voices hushed.
"What's happening?" the first comntator asked. "Is Apex malfunctioning?"
The second comntator shook her head, her eyes narrowing. "No, I think they're just sizing each other up. It's a standoff."
Don's enhanced senses picked up the subtle vibrations in the air as Apex finally shifted, its body leaning forward. Without warning, the android burst into motion, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye.
The air cracked as Apex aid a punch straight for Don's chest, faster than any normal human could possibly defend against.
But Don wasn't a normal human.
His reflexes, heightened by the Beastshift, kicked in instinctively. His hands shot up, positioning in front of his chest just as Apex's fist made contact.
**Boom!**
The impact was enormous, causing a shockwave to spread outward, kicking up dust and loose debris from the ground. But Don didn't flinch. He absorbed the blow, his feet dug into the dirt, his muscles tingling as he held firm.
The crowd gasped in astonishnt. The sheer force of the android's attack had been stopped cold.
"Unbelievable!" the first comntator shouted. "Don just took Apex's punch head-on, and he didn't even budge!"
Without missing a beat, Don countered. His fist moved faster than the crowd could see, and before Apex could react, Don's punch connected with the android's chest.
**Boom!**
The force of the blow sent Apex skidding backward, its tal feet digging deep grooves into the ground as it struggled to stop its montum.
The crowd erupted into murmurs, shocked by Don's display of power.
Dr. Gadget, watching from above, raised a brow. His expression, usually controlled, showed a flicker of curiosity as he leaned slightly forward.
On the field, Apex remained standing, its body perfectly still. Despite the powerful hit, the neon smiley face on its head remained unchanged.
Don didn't press the attack, instead taking a mont to examine his forearms where Apex had struck him. There was so redness, but nothing serious.
'It's tough,'
Don thought, rubbing his arms. The android didn't have a scratch on it, despite his counterattack.
He barely had ti to finish that thought when his senses scread at him. His eyes snapped into focus as Apex had taken the mont of distraction to close the gap between them faster than before, its tallic fist poised to strike again.
**Whoosh!**
Apex's punch whistled through the air, aid straight at Don's face. He raised his arms to block once more, but the attack never landed. It was a feint.
Before Don could adjust, Apex's leg swept under him, its foot connecting solidly with his ankle.
**Thud.**
Don's balance shifted. He felt himself falling, his focus split between defending and regaining control.
Before he could hit the ground, Apex followed up with another punch, this ti aiming for his midsection.
**Boom!**
The android's fist connected with his gut, sending Don tumbling across the field.
He hit the ground hard, rolling several tis before managing to punch the dirt, bringing himself to a stop in a crouched position.
"Don's down!" the second comntator shouted. "Apex is not holding back, and neither is Don!"
Don gritted his teeth, his muscles still vibrating from the impact. Before he could fully recover, Apex closed the distance again with inhuman speed. The android was relentless, coming in for another strike.
But this ti, Don was ready.
Just as Apex reached him, Don threw a punch. Apex, too close to react, ducked to avoid the blow. But Don's eyes, sharp and focused, had already predicted the movent. His punch had been a feint.
With a burst of energy from his Beastshift, Don jumped, his knee driving upward toward Apex's head.
**Crack!**
The impact was brutal, the force of his knee slamming into Apex's face with enough power to lift the massive android off the ground.
But Don wasn't done.
Before Apex could be launched too far, he followed up with a devastating punch aid straight at its chest, the power amplified by Forceful Strike.
**Boom!**
The shockwave from the blow radiated outwards, sending a gust of wind through the stadium, causing the ground to crack beneath them.
Apex was sent flying, tumbling through the air with violent speed. The android's body skidded across the field, ripping up chunks of dirt and rock in its path before it finally managed to dig its tallic fingers into the ground, dragging to a halt.
The crowd was on their feet now, their cheers and gasps filling the stadium still.
Don remained in place, his chest heaving slightly from the exertion. He stood tall, watching as Apex slowly stood up from its crouched position.
For the first ti, the android's perfect fra was damaged. There was a visible dent in its chest, and scratches lined the once-pristine surface of its armor.
The cara zood in on the dent, and the first comntator's voice rang out. "Look at that! Don has done the impossible—he's actually damaged Apex!"
From the corner of the field, Dr. Gadget crossed his arms, his gaze locked on Don. "Interesting," he murmured to himself.
Apex, anwhile, stood still for a mont, its neon smiley face flickering slightly as if processing the damage. The android's head tilted down, its gaze fixed on the dent in its chest.
Don didn't make any sudden movents, his focus sharp as he studied the android's posture. 'It's far from finished,' he thought.
In the VIP section, Mr. Xiao leaned back in his seat with a smile on his face. "Now things are getting interesting," he said softly.
Miss Claire remained calm but allowed herself a slight nod of agreent. "Indeed," she replied, her voice asured but her gaze conflicted as she watched Don.
Back on the field, Don clenched his fists, preparing himself for Apex's next move. He could feel the raw energy coursing through him, his Beastshift still active and ready.
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