Rho was still standing after Garnet's hook; he had taken worse blows just to get here. Still, that one really hurt. Through the pain he ducked under the following straight and advanced into her guard, landing a blow to Garnet's body. She backed off a single step, throwing a defensive jab that Rho caught in his palm. Everybody in the crowd cheered; the match wouldn't be over just yet!

Having taken the middle of the ring, Rho then tried to push her into the corner. But Garnet was able to deflect the strikes meant to harm her, and dodge the ones that were meant to trap her. To Rho, it was like she could tell the difference between the two before he could throw them. Even so he noticed that Garnet was dodging without moving, her focus on his fists so absolute. 'Perhaps that was the flaw in her Third Eye...' he thought.

With no time to second guess himself, he switched from pure boxing to Muay Thai, performing a short kick that only just cleared the ground. It caught Garnet in the shin, causing her to stagger back into the corner. Her response was to clinch, wrapping him up with double underhooks and using her heavier body to force him into the ropes. He drove knees into her ribs in an attempt to escape but he was truly trapped. He weathered the blows as well as he could, protecting his face, but leaving his body open. Garnet slipped an uppercut under Rho's elbows, finding his liver.

For a second Rho's vision swam and his knees buckled, but he refused to fall. All he had to do was keep that red blur in front of him. Spotting a straight coming at him, he intercepted it with his elbow. It stopped the punch, and did something strange as well. Garnet's entire body seized up and flickered, going out of focus like a television with bad reception. It only lasted for a moment, but it was enough for both corners to notice. Rho took advantage and got away from Garnet and back out into the center of ring. She followed him into the center of the ring, taking a more aggressive posture as time ticked down. She came in hard, not letting the previous shock get to her. Her leg raised up and came down in a quick red slash, almost knocking Rho to his knees.

Garnet sparked into action, grabbing Rho's head and began wrapping her arm tight around his neck. Rho's eyes went wide, he knew what this was; the Guillotine Choke, a submission hold! Immediately he forced his hand in the gap between Garnet's arm and his neck. Unconcerned, Garnet lifted him up, strangling Rho. His breathing was shallow, but the hand he wedged in the way kept him from suffocating. But he was still stuck as she tightened her grip, only able to throw a few feeble punches to her midsection. Despite their ineffectiveness he kept punching the same spot, right under the ribcage until Garnet had to loosen her grip due to the pain.

Rho took the chance and used all of his strength to pry himself from the hold. Getting free, he started to advance when the referee stood between the two. Only then did he hear the bell. He bitterly returned to his corner, where Gamma pulled out the stool for him to sit on.

"Alright," Rho said as he pulled out his mouthguard and sat down. "What's the damage? It feels like someone slapped a brick across my face."

Omega pressed down on Rho's forehead and when he let off, Rho could see a streak of blood across it. Rho ran his hand across the right side of his face until he felt a sharp pain.

Omega smiled when he noticed. "You got cut there with that first hit. Should have seen the other corner; looked like they were going to have a fit! Especially Pearl, thought she was going to faint..."

"Why?" Helen asked, watching Gamma place ice on the wound.

"They do not fight humans," Upsilon said. "And Gems do not bleed. Rho, you will not be able to win holding back as you are."

"There's a saying fighters have," Rho said. "' The first round is data.' Any ideas on what that Third Eye is?"

"Clairvoyance?" Epsilon asked. "Or some other kind of future sight?"

"If Garnet could see the future, Rho couldn't have hit her, much less take her off guard."

"She can see a future, but not necessarily the future." Gamma theorized, seeing this kind of decision making before. "Keep your options open Rho, and she'll either clam up trying to figure out what might happen, or take a big risk you can capitalize on." The whistle sounded from the outside of the ring.

"Seconds out, Victor." Nero reminded him. He smiled on the inside; he had always wanted to say that.

"Right Tau." Gamma handed Rho his mouthpiece and left the ring.


"Alright, lookin' good G!" Amethyst said as Garnet came back to her corner. Garnet however wasn't in such high spirits as she sat down. "Why so glum?"

"That counter was supposed to knock him out." Pearl deducted. "It was a great punch...Alexander is a tough one."

"It's fine." Garnet grumbled. "Just a little lax on that hook."

"He nearly caught you with that elbow! You have to be more careful!"

"What happened there?" Connie whispered to Steven during Pearl's tirade."Garnet looked like she was going to fall apart."

Steven thought about it, this not the first time he's been in the ring. "She must have hit Alexander's elbow hard enough to really do a number on her."

Connie remembered that Garnet's only vital points, her gems, were in the palms of her hands. Hitting a bony part of the body like the elbow can't be good in the long run. She walked up to Garnet, catching her attention. "No matter what happens stay on the offensive; he can't guard forever."

Garnet agreed as the whistle sounded and she stood up. From the outside of their corner, Steven had his eyes fixed on the other side.

"What're you looking for over there?" Amethyst said.

"Chanting."

Pearl looked down at the boy. "Chanting?"

"Yeah." Steven told her. "You haven't seen it yet, but when Alexander chants, he swells with energy. It's what he did to summon his armor. He hasn't done it yet."

Inwardly Pearl became even more worried. If Alexander could get even stronger...she shook her head to clear her thoughts. Garnet could handle this, it was only a matter of time.


The Third Eye. The Six Chakra. To have the mind of Christ...these thoughts and more echoed in Rho's head as he confronted Garnet again. She wasn't omniscient, that was impossible, but she was an incredibly dangerous opponent to handle. But there was no fear in his eyes, nor was there any in Garnet's as the bell sounded. He raised his guard high and advanced steadily, but Garnet simply dashed into him, crouched low enough to meet Rho face to face.

The pressure forced Rho into his own corner as he tried to withstand this new aggression. Using a knee to create space, he nailed her with a left-right combination that halted her momentum. He started to slip out of the corner to his left, and as Garnet anticipated the move, Rho stopped and pivoted, the distance enough for a backfist. Although blocked, it pushed Garnet into the corner Rho left, and he backed off to the center of the ring.

Garnet chased him down, staying on the offence. Rho stood his ground and traded blows with with her, the two bobbing and weaving away from as many punches as they could. A low kick from Garnet broke the exchange, and Rho darted away from the follow-up uppercut. Rho shuffled around, moving his arms in a circular pattern to keep her guessing. Not dissuaded, Garnet threw a short body hook that landed on Rho's forearm that had the important function of keeping him still. But the lack of damage meant Rho could see the side kick coming from the opposite side. He braced himself as it connected, and before the leg could come back, he caught it and held it to his side.

Both Garnet's eyes and Rho's smile widened at the same moment. Stepping forward and hooking her grounded foot Rho shoved Garnet, the two of them falling to the mat.

"Garnet!" Pearl screamed.

"Now's your chance!" Gamma cried above the cheering crowd. "Take her down!"

Rho had Garnet in full guard and he rained down the heaviest blows he could onto her face. Hammerfist after hammerfist slammed home, the force of the impacts shaking the entire ring. Garnet reached out and grabbed Rho's arms and held him down. As time ticked away before the ref broke them up, Rho made a hasty decision. He scrunched up until his toes touched the mat, once that happened he attempted to stand up. The audience and the corners went silent as they witnessed the sight of Rho struggling to a standing position while Garnet, who was over a foot taller than him, was clinging to his upper body.

And stand up he did, finding his balance, and slamming Garnet down on her back with a heavy thud, getting his arms free. But the bell rang out and he was forced to get off. He was confident as he returned to to Gamma and the others.


"That was quite a brutal display Rho." Helen commented with a sly grin. "I didn't think you could do it."

Upsilon was his usual pragmatic self. "Your attacks will likely be shrugged off again. Garnet recovers stamina much faster than you. The effort is admirable Rho, but you are out of time."

Rho laughed at him, leaving Upsilon puzzled for a brief second. "I have more than enough time. I've never lost a fight that went to the final round."

"Are you promising us a win?" Epsilon said.

"I can't say that either." Rho replied. He had come to realize that if not for his prior training, he would have lost long ago. Now the end was here, and all that was left was to see this through. He placed his hands together and cleared his mind. "Heavenly Father, you have given me the strength and courage to endure all of my hardships up to now. No matter what happens next, I thank you for the opportunity bestowed upon me." He had all the training he needed to win, just let go and feel the wind.

"Hey Rho!" Omega said, breaking Rho's concentration. Change Garnet's name to Gravel for me okay?


Pearl's eyes narrowed. "What's he muttering over there..."

"He must be chanting!" Connie realized.

"Then all we can do is push harder!" Amethyst patted Garnet on the shoulder. "You've taken the best he's got to offer, all you have to do is wrap this up!"

Garnet only nodded. If she had to be completely honest, she thought this would be over by now. These humans from another Earth were a capable bunch, if a little odd. What was more aggravating was this crowd; she would rather have fought Alexander at the Sky Arena. Too late to complain now, all that was left was this last round. When she didn't hear Steven, she turned to him. He was unsettled, his eyes wide with shock. "What's wrong?"

"It's just...I didn't think Alexander would react that way." It was hard for Steven to describe. Alexander was a kind person, he didn't seem like the one to attack someone who couldn't fight back.

Garnet understood his hesitation, it was a kind of brutality he wasn't used to even after so many missions with them. "He is a respectable competitor giving it his all. His actions are not meant to do lasting harm. Besides, neither him or me want to squander the chance you took all the time to give us. Now, leave your concerns behind, you're supposed to be giving me confidence."

That snapped him out of his melancholy. "R-Right! Get out there and show them what you can do!"


A mere ten minutes ago Rho and Garnet stood across from each other. It felt more like a eternity for everyone except those two however. They once again stood at their respective corners, ready to see how the other would decide to end this. The bell rung and the audience cheered, but was stunned at the fact that Rho didn't have his guard up. He slid from side to side on the mat, seemingly testing his footwork. What was even more of a shock was that Garnet didn't move in, body tense in watching his motions.

"What's up with her? She looks lost." Gamma whispered. The pattern Rho was using wasn't hard to follow, Garnet should be able to pick it apart.

Upsilon looked closer at the two of them and spotted the issue. "Watch Garnet's eyes."

Gamma paid closer attention to her three eyes, despite his uneasiness. What he found was weird to say the least. The two 'normal' eyes were following Rho, but that third eye was just out of sync, a split second slow. No one else but them would have caught it. "It's like she seeing two Rhos out there."

Rho began his advance and Garnet threw caution to the wind and stepped in to engage. Rho started with a right straight from long range, and as Garnet brought her arm up to block, he drew back and spun, his right leg sailing off of the ground. The feint completely blindsided Garnet, Rho's roundhouse landing square on her cheek with incredible force. The entire warehouse was in an uproar, the din drowning out the advice from the corners. Rho kept going, slipping a wide hook and jumping up, his knee crashing into her chin. All of his fights were like this; his endurance and will overwhelming his opponents at the final rounds. With this unshakable momentum, he would put Garnet away.

Garnet had other plans. Pushing away the pain, she hit him with a uppercut as he came down. Connecting a combination of a jab and a body blow, she came in with a right cross. She had come to realize that Pearl was right before. She had underestimated Alexander; he didn't care about what the people who saw his strength thought of him, all that mattered was now. She grinned at him, if that was how he wanted to do this then fine, she'll oblige.

Refusing to move, Rho leaned back and responded with a left cross. The two fists passed by each other, the heavy thuds from both hitting their targets. Garnet's height and reach gave her the advantage, and she tossed him away, Rho stumbling and falling to the ground. Garnet was going to be on Rho too fast or him to get up, so he didn't. Instead, as she was about to fall on him, he kicked out with one leg, firmly planting it in her chest. Garnet was stopped in her tracks, and gave Rho time to stand.

The two fighters were beyond caring how much pain it took to bring the other down. They collided into each other forcefully in the center of the ring, and swung with all their might. Rho's cut reopened, the blood dripping into his eye and staining his vision red. Garnet was showing physical strain; sweat pouring down, bruises on her face and abs. Their bodies reeled from each hit they took and their teeth gritted as they readied themselves to take one more hit, to throw one more punch, so long as it meant that they would be the last one standing. The corner crews were shouting, the attendees were screaming , it was absolute chaos. All of Beach City was on its feet, clamoring for a decisive blow.

And as quickly as the slug-fest started, the referee rushed in to break Garnet and Rho up, signalling its end. No one had heard the bell ring and even as the ref was breaking the fight up, he was in danger of being crushed between the two as thy pressed in on each other. Luckily reason prevailed, and they backed off. Before they made it back, the corner crews met them in the ring. Garnet knelt down to receive a hug from Steven. Rho was surrounded by his team as he fell into Gamma's arms, not from fatigue, but from excitement. "Sorry I couldn't get the knockout Omega."

Omega merely patted him on the back, a wide smile on his face. "With a fight that good, I can't be too mad at you!"

Rho looked at the others for their reactions. Gamma was in a fit of laughter, Upsilon and Helen were full of pride, their countenances softened. Nero was still focused on the other side. Epsilon was still trying to make sense of the outcome, eyes fixed on the blood on his brow. "Was the trip, all of your struggles, really worth this fight?"

"In those last few seconds," Rho answered. "I was just a man who wanted zucchini bread."

Epsilon sighed at the response, but he did feel happy for him. "You're crazy. Humble, but crazy."

On the other side, the feelings were no less ecstatic. "Wow!" Connie said to Garnet. "I could feel your strength from out there!"

"You were incredible!" Pearl praised.

"Not half bad," Amethyst agreed. "Couldn't have done better myself."

Steven let go of Garnet. "What happens now?"

She stood up and with a faint glow, her shades appeared in her hand. She didn't put them on, it seemed to be bad manners at the moment. Scanning the outside of the ring, she saw the official talking to three people. "The outcome is in the hands of the judges now."

The referee returned to the center of the ring, flanked by Garnet and Rho. On one side lining the ropes was Rho's team: Gamma, Upsilon, Epsilon, Omega,'Tau' Nero, and 'Eta' Helen. Opposite of them was Amethyst, Pearl, Steven and Connie. For as loud as this place was just twenty minutes before, now a pin could drop and be heard by anyone with ears. Everyone's hearts were pounding in their chests as the referee held up the scorecard.

"After the scheduled fifteen minutes, the judges have scored the rounds." he explained. "The first judge has scored the match twenty-nine to twenty-eight. The second judge scores the match twenty-eight to twenty-nine."

A pit was in Rho's stomach; they were dead even. This wasn't new to him, but this moment felt different. He took a deep breath and braced himself for the decision.

"The final judge scores this match twenty-nine to twenty-nine, making the final result a draw!"

Garnet and Rho turned to each other with confused looks, and everyone was speechless. In the ring, the two teams came together in order to find some answers.

"What happens now?" Amethyst said, for as long as she had been in the ring she had never seen a tie before. "Is there some sort of sudden death round?"

"Nope!" Rho finally let himself calm down, and now he was the one laughing. "This is it; we just tied, and that's all there is to say about the matter."

"Then how are we going to settle this?"

"Must we? There's food waiting for us at the temple, and I'd like something to eat." He climbed down from the ropes and back to his locker room to get his clothes, navigating the dense crowd as he went. Amethyst was going to protest but he did have a point.

Epsilon went the other way. "I still need to prepare the food; in order to keep it hot, I kind of had to use a bit of magic. Gamma, you don't mind it if we ordered food from here do you? I only made desserts."

"I know just the place!" Steven said. "I'll take you there." The crowd filed out from the other exit to the adoration of the audience.


Rho wiped the sweat and blood off of his face with a towel and pulled his shirt over his head. With every move he ached, but that wasn't an issue anymore. With his beyond human vitality he would heal from this pain in less than an hour. That was something he would miss, especially now. Man, that was some fight! Rho replayed the whole thing in his head. Garnet was just as strong as he had hoped. He could feel a drive from her that mirrored his own; stern determination reflected from those three eyes. It was, she was...beautiful.

His chest heaved as that thought passed through his head. Panting at the strange feeling he could feel himself getting weaker. To test his concerns he summoned his armor, and he saw the effect it had on his spirit. The armor was dull, cracking in various places. Something was incredibly wrong, and he knew exactly what it was. Staggering out of the room, he made his way to the exit and back to the temple.