Chapter 81: No Hesistaion When Max and Dipter squared up, thankfully the Pit members were doing a good job of keeping the other students out of the fight. Which meant the two of them could finally face each other one-on-one, without distractions, without interference. Max moved in to fight, aiming to strike, and just as he got within range, Dipter lifted his leg. It was a fast kick. Max’s body, he thought it could react in time. But as he raised his arm, a twitch of pain shot through his shoulder, the same shoulder that had betrayed him before. Dipter’s leg crashed straight into his face, splitting his lip. He had to step back and re-evaluate. That kick was no joke. If he were in his old body, he might’ve been able to power through it. But from that single hit, his head was already spinning. My shoulder’s still not a hundred percent, and even if I blocked that kick, it would’ve hurt, Max thought. I’m not in my old body. I can’t just brute force my way through this. "What, did you think it’d be the same?" Dipter said, sneering. "I’ve met a lot of guys like you. Naturally good at fighting. So they think they’re special, until they meet me." Now Dipter was the one charging forward, and once again he went for a head kick. Max quickly ducked and moved, keeping out of range, narrowly avoiding the blow. Then, without warning, Dipter crossed his feet, spun, and kicked Max hard in the stomach with the side of his leg. It was the same devastating kick that had taken one of the Pit members completely out of the fight. Immediately, Max doubled over, pain flooding through his body. Damn... I can’t even remember the last time I was in this much pain. Not even when I got stabbed did it hurt this bad! Through blurred vision, Max saw Dipter’s leg lift high into the air, his heel coming down fast. Max quickly rolled out of the way and watched as the heel crashed into the ground, leaving a deep imprint in the floor. These kids... was anyone this strong back when I was their age? Max thought. But he shook his head. Admiring Dipter wasn’t going to get him out of this situation. Max kept moving, but it was getting hard to breathe. Dipter stayed on him relentlessly, throwing out stylish, powerful kicks, even spinning in the air like a whirlwind. This time, the kick came from the opposite side, and Max lifted his arm to block it. Even so, the force was too strong, he stumbled down onto one leg, forced to the side. Wolf was still watching everything, and now... he was starting to have second thoughts. If I were to evaluate that Max kid, I’d say he’s an E-ranked fighter... but there’s a difference between him and someone like Joe. There’s no hesitation in his movements, he can see the path to victory. In this fight, I thought he’d be pushed to his limits and evolve into a D-rank... but this fight, it might just be too much for him! Max got up, he forced himself to, just like he had so many times before. As he stood to his feet, he continued dodging Dipter’s rapid kicks. The kid’s right... I never actually learned how to fight properly. I dabbled in everything, here and there, never focusing on one style. I was just talented, and that’s what got me to the top. So far, the only thing I’ve been able to rely on is experience, and that’s what I’m going to have to count on now. With that thought, Max started to unravel one of the wraps on his hand. He’d been watching Dipter closely, and because things had been going so well for him, Dipter’s movements had started getting flashier. As Max closed the distance, Dipter spun again and leapt into the air to deliver another kick, but this time, the kick was met with Max whipping off his jacket and hurling it straight into Dipter’s face. The jacket covered him, and Dipter felt his kick hit nothing but air. Right after, he felt a heavy thud crash into his body—he’d been tackled at the legs. "All those fancy moves make it easy to hit you off balance!" Max shouted as he brought Dipter down to the ground. He mounted him, and without wasting a second, drove his fist deep into Dipter’s stomach, winding him. Then, Max didn’t let up, he punched Dipter in the face again and again. Dipter was dazed, stunned by the sudden onslaught, and shocked that after taking so many hits, Max still had this much fight in him. I’m only going to have the advantage for a short while. I have to take him out while I can! Max thought, quickly tying the loosened wrap around Dipter’s neck before rolling to the side. He repositioned himself so he was on the ground, one leg pressed firmly against Dipter’s back, pulling both ends of the wrap. He was strangling Dipter. At first, Dipter kicked backward in a panic, but his strikes missed, and Max only pulled harder. No hesitation... Wolf thought to himself. The fear, the thought that you might actually kill someone, it usually ran through a person’s head. But not for this Max. Max pulled even harder as Dipter struggled. His body weakened... and finally, Max let go. Max got up from the floor and ran forward, kicking Dipter hard in the back of the head. He didn’t care if Dipter got a concussion or not. This was someone who took pleasure, who felt no sorrow, in the death of children. Right after, Max stepped up to Dipter and slammed his foot down onto his ankle. Then again. And again. He lifted his foot and drove it into the same spot, making sure Dipter wouldn’t be using those fancy kicks anytime soon. Max was huffing and puffing, breath heavy as Dipter lay crumpled on the ground, but he wasn’t finished yet. He walked over and grabbed Dipter by the shirt, lifting his upper half and locking eyes with him. "People like you... eventually get what’s coming to them, one way or another," Max said. "I was no different. I’m just the one delivering it to you. But I know it doesn’t end with you. Tell me!" Max shouted, shaking Dipter. "Tell me who ordered you to do this! Who’s behind all of it?!"