CHAPTER 780: CHAPTER 780: SPLASH FOR GLORY

Damon stood barefoot on the damp wooden dock, the smell of the lake thick in the air.

The water rippled in the morning breeze, the floating platforms bobbing in place, creaking softly against the ropes that held them in formation.

He glanced toward the shoreline where his fighters were clustered together.

Ronny McGregor had his arms over the fence rail, grinning like this was the best day of his life.

Max Taylor leaned beside him with his arms folded, already jawing at Chase Dunham across the way.

Ayo Fasusi couldn’t stand still, he kept hopping side to side like he wanted to run the course himself.

Kenji Sato watched quietly, his expression unreadable, but Damon knew the guy was clocking every detail.

On Ivan’s side, Chase was running his mouth at anyone who’d listen, tossing lines about Damon needing swimming lessons.

Thami Zulu didn’t seem to care about the trash talk; he was laughing with José Alvarez, probably trying to get him to bet on who’d fall in first.

Theo Brunner stood behind them, arms folded, his usual stone-faced focus aimed squarely at the course.

Ronan clapped his hands, bringing everyone’s eyes forward. "Alright, here’s the deal, fifty thousand cash to the winning coach, plus ten grand split among your team. The losing team... well, you get the privilege of watching the other guys lord it over you for the rest of the season."

That got hoots from Damon’s side and a drawn-out "Oooooh" from Thami. Chase shouted, "Hope you like wet socks, Cross!" which earned him an immediate, "Shut up, bro, you’re not even in this!" from Max.

Ronan gestured toward the first stage, a line of eight floating platforms stretched across the water. "You’re starting here. You’ve got to make it across without falling in. These platforms move, they tip, and..." he looked over at the fighters, "...your lovely teams have permission to make it worse for you."

That got the biggest reaction yet. Ayo pumped both fists in the air, already yelling, "We’re flipping him! We’re flipping him!" Ronny barked out a laugh, "Don’t worry, coach, I’ll keep it fair," which got him a raised eyebrow from Damon.

The rest of the course lay further down the lake, Damon caught glimpses of the rope section, a thin balance beam, and a pair of sleds sitting in the shallows near the far bank.

He filed it away, focusing back on the first jump. He could already tell which platforms were going to give the most trouble.

The second and fifth were moving more than the others, the ropes pulling at different angles.

The fighters were led to their interference spots, Damon’s team spread out along Ivan’s lane, Ivan’s team along Damon’s.

He could see José bouncing lightly on his toes, grinning like he’d been waiting for payback since day one.

Theo just folded his arms, watching Ivan like he was a study subject.

Ronan raised the whistle to his mouth. "Ready... set..."

The sharp blast cut through the air, and both Damon and Ivan exploded forward off the dock.

Damon’s feet slapped against the slick wood before he launched onto the first platform.

It rocked under him, forcing him to steady himself, but when he glanced to his left, Ivan was already gliding onto his own first platform with the kind of balance that made it look like he’d done this before.

"Come on, shake him!" Ronny yelled at the top of his lungs, gripping the rope to Ivan’s second platform.

He gave it a savage yank just as Ivan hopped.

The platform tilted hard, but Ivan barely flinched, shifting his weight with a subtle lean that put him right in the center again.

"Good luck with that," Max muttered from Damon’s side, watching Ivan’s footwork like he was studying a masterclass.

Damon took his second jump and immediately felt Chase’s hands on his rope, shaking it so violently the platform bounced like a trampoline.

Damon’s knees bent deep to absorb the motion, but the wobble slowed his transition, and when he looked over, Ivan was already on his third platform.

By the fourth platform, the difference in rhythm was obvious. Ivan was jumping clean, landing square, and moving instantly.

Damon was still steady, but every platform seemed to cost him an extra second of adjustment, especially with Chase and Thami working his ropes like they wanted him in the lake.

On Damon’s fifth jump, the platform spun halfway sideways thanks to Thami, and his right foot splashed into the water before he yanked it back on.

"That’s a half penalty!" Ronan’s voice boomed from shore. "Keep moving!"

Damon didn’t even need to look to know Ivan hadn’t touched the water once.

He could hear José swearing under his breath as Ivan landed clean on the last platform before the dock.

When Damon hit his own last platform, Ivan was already a step ahead, hands on the thick rope for the next stage, the Rope Tug.

The Russian leaned back, pulling himself hand-over-hand with a steady, powerful rhythm.

His team shook Damon’s rope relentlessly, each yank jarring his arms and breaking his flow.

Meanwhile, Ayo had both feet dug into the dock as he worked Ivan’s rope, sending splashes up into his face, but the guy barely blinked.

Even drenched, he just kept moving, each pull drawing him closer to the far platform.

By the time Damon planted his feet at the far side, Ivan was already climbing onto the narrow beam for the third stage.

He didn’t wait, didn’t even give Damon a chance to breathe, just strode forward, balanced like a tightrope walker.

Ronan’s voice echoed over the water. "Coaches, on the beam! Let’s see who wants it more!"

Damon knew this was where he could turn it around... but Ivan had already made it clear, this was his challenge to lose.

The narrow balance beam flexed slightly under Damon’s bare feet.

It was slick with a sheen of lake spray, and the distance between him and Ivan was barely a few paces.

Ronan stood on the dock, megaphone in hand, grinning like a man watching two bulls about to lock horns.

"Rule’s simple," Ronan called out. "First coach to send the other into the water gets a five-second bonus. No striking, no tripping, just good, old-fashioned push-and-shove."

That got a chorus of boos and laughs from the fighters. "Let ’em fight!" Ayo shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth.