Ch 384 - Rainbows and Dragons
At the bottom of the waterfall, Alex shook the water out of his eyes and prepared to strike again.
The river flowed faster, and still, Alex didn't fall. His palm sliced through the air, seeking its target. It began to rain, the drops glistening in the sunlight, creating a haze around the two men.
Tyson began to fight back. He channelled his inner power and struck out with his fist. The sun hit the raindrops and reflected off the mist of the waterfall, creating a spectacular rainbow. To those watching, it seemed like Tyson's hand-cut through the rainbow on its way toward Alex.
Alex drew on his inner power and met Tyson's attack head-on. When the two men made contact, their arms shook with the force of the collision.
Both Alex and Tyson were surprised at the other's skill, as they hadn't expected to meet anyone so powerful. Alex was also surprised by Tyson's aggression.
Alex was struggling to cope with both Tyson's assault and the movements of the water. The ferocity of their fight stirred up the Hudson River, sending violent currents swirling. Anyone standing too close to the river's edge was in danger of being swept away.
"I guess I can see how you became the lord of the Moon Palace at such a young age," Tyson admitted grudgingly. "But that won't save you now."
"I don't need saving," Alex said, taking a step forward and letting the spray from the waterfall conceal him a little. He held up his hands, barely visible through the haze.
Tyson pushed up his sleeves and strode forward into the mist, ready to do battle. The falls consisted of a steady curtain of water, the noise deafening. Alex's strike missed, the water distorting his aim.
"What kind of martial arts is this?" Tyson demanded, retreating a little to regroup.
A rock crumbled above them, and fragments were thrown over the falls, narrowly missing the two men. Then another, much larger, piece broke off and hurtled over the edge, sinking deep into the river, and sending an enormous wave toward the riverbank. The onlookers all gaped in shock.
"This next move was created thousands of years ago by my teacher's ancestor," Alex said. "It's called the dragon. If I'd had more time to practice it, then I could kill you with a single blow."
Tyson laughed. "I'm familiar with that move," he said. "The founder of the Moon Palace was indeed wise. But it just so happens that I've had plenty of practice with that move, and I'm exceptionally skilled at it. Much more experienced than whatever doddering old half-wit disciple taught you."
Tyson narrowed his eyes, clearly determined to get rid of Alex.
Alex was being buffeted by the strong currents, but he kept his feet steady, and hatred flashed in his eyes as he glared at Tyson. Although he knew Tyson was deliberately trying to anger him, Alex was still furious.
"Do not insult my teacher, or I will destroy you," he said, his voice filled with fury.
Even despite the noisy waterfall, Alex's words carried clearly to the spectators, who shivered at the menacing tone.
"Do you really think you can kill me?" Tyson taunted him. "Remember, I chose this place. Do you think I did so on a whim?" He grinned. "I'm an expert at fighting in water, and I've spent much time honing my skills. If you dare to come after me, you won't survive."
With that, Tyson stepped further into the pounding spray, almost disappearing from view. Alex looked around, trying to spot him.
Tyson's laughter echoed, the sound bouncing off the water and rocks, making it difficult to pinpoint his location. Alex moved under the spray, the roar of the waterfall growing increasingly louder.
"All you care about is dominating the martial arts world," Alex called. "And you won't succeed." He raised his hand, preparing to use his special dragon move.
To the bystanders, the sunlight, rain, and mist combined, creating the illusion of a dragon under the waterfall. They watched, fascinated, as the illusory dragon rippled with power.
Alex stood behind the dragon form, hidden from sight.
"Alex, you can't win!" Tyson called, pleased that Alex appeared to be a strong opponent. He strode forward through the mist, breaking apart the illusion. He struck out, unerringly finding Alex, and knocking him back to drop into the river.
Within moments, Alex was back on his feet, spitting out water. He caught Tyson by surprise, sweeping his legs out from under him and dunking him in the river.
"Tyson. You can't beat me so easily," Alex yelled as Tyson resurfaced. "You'll need to try harder than that." He sent his fist flying at Tyson's face, following up with a punch to his abdomen.
Tyson was no longer laughing. His expression had grown serious as he stared warily at Alex. He had thought that his years of experience would triumph over Alex's youthful energy, and he had expected Alex to grow weaker and weaker, making it easy to kill him. But Alex seemed as strong as ever. Why wasn't he getting tired?
"Well, let me show you my favorite move," he said.
He struck out hard, sending his freezing inner power right at Alex, as he met his gaze, trying to dominate him with his iron will.
"Bring it," Alex said, advancing on him.
Alex blocked the hit, wincing at the chill that shot up his arm. No matter what Tyson threw at him, he wouldn't give in.
"Alex, did you really think that was my special move?" Tyson asked, smirking. "No. That was just the warmup."
He summoned his internal power, lashing out quickly, giving Alex little time to evade him. The water around Alex was freezing, little patches of ice beginning to form on the surface, and he shivered.
When Alex retreated into the spray, trying to take refuge behind the misty illusion of a dragon, Tyson pushed more of his power into the water, freezing the dragon shape into a huge ice sculpture and knocking Alex off his feet to land behind the dragon.
All the onlookers were stunned. They were so shocked that they weren't even recording the incident on their phones.
Alex lay still, his body floating in the frigid river, seemingly not even breathing.
No one moved, and everyone was silent, staring at the scene in dismay.
Alex had failed to defeat Tyson.