It wasn't long before they'd made it back to the others, and what a sight it was. There was a panting Rose and a sweaty Luke.

That wasn't to speak of the now added rocky carnage to the ground. Much more than before.

Max: Wooooaaaah!

Rose: (panting) I.... I think I've.....

Luke: C'mon, Rose. You can go a bit longer, right?

Rose: (panting) Yeah, ..... I...

Max: What happened here.....?

His words were heard by Ken.

Ken: Oh, you two are back.

The battling pair heard Ken's statement and turned to see Max.

Rose: (exhaustedly) Ma... ax.

Luke: Hey, welcome back.

Max replied, but not before taking more time to look at the scenery.

Max: You guys are insane.

Luke: Heh....

Ken: Given their more offensive abilites, psychic powers, and super strength, any battle between the two of them is bound to cause incredible destruction.

Max: No kidding.

Several rocks had been pulled out of the ground, leaving massive holes on the Earth's floor, and there were several cracks on the ground where Luke must have punched the ground.

Max: You two are awesome!

Luke: Thanks.

Rose: (blushing) Thanks.

She was glad to hear him recognise her abilities.

Max: But wait, who won?

Luke: Hmm?

Ken: Unclear.

Max: Huh?

Ken: Or rather.... a winner has not yet been decided.

Max: Oh... so I'm not too late?

He seemed really hyped to see the fights end, and an exhausted Rose immediately felt pressure fall onto her back.

Should she fight to gain Max's approval or submit because she was spent?

Ken: Although... given how it's been going, it would seem that Luke would likely be the winner.

Max: Luke?

Ken: Yes.

Max: Really?

Ken: Yes....

Max: But......

He awkwardly looked at the pair. Meanwhile, Tiffany walked off, seemingly looking for something.

Max: ....how?

Ken: How?

Luke seemed slightly offended.

Max: Yeah, how?

Ken: Hmm?

Max: Couldn't she just lift him in the air and end the fight like that?

Ken: Well.... yes. However, Luke is physically stronger than Rose is psychically strong. To her, trying to grap hold of Luke when he resists is like trying to hold on to slippery fish with the strength of an elephant.

Max: Oh.... Then... Huh.... Never thought of it that way. What about mind reading?

Ken: Using mind reading takes a bit more effort for Rose than you'd think. And that decreases her ability to focus on offence in battle, which, of course....

Max: Oh........ Huh.....

Ken: Intriguing question, isn't it?

Max: Well.... yeah. It's kinda like power scaling in Super Powerful Guy.

Ken: Hmmm... True.

Max: Super Powerful Guy is the strongest. No question.

Ken: Agreed. Squirrel Man only wins because of plot armour.

Max nodded in agreement.

Neither Luke nor Rose understood what on Earth they were talking about.

Ken: So, I take it you're done with Tiff?

Max: Yeah. It was super easy.

Luke: Good.

Rose: Oh my gosh, Max! That's incredible!

Max: Thanks. (suddenly serious) But anyway...

He made a fist and palmed it.

Max: .... when you guys are done, I wanne be next.

Ken: Really now...

Max: Yeah.

He was hyped.

Ken: Well... alright then. (to Luke and Rose) How about you two?

Rose immediately flinched.

Luke: Yeah, I can keep going.

Rose: (hesitantly) I'm fine.

The pair slowly walked back to the battlefield.

Max: Is something wrong with Rose?

Ken: Who knows? Maybe she's scared of losing.

At the battlefield....

Luke: You ready, Rose.

Rose: (gulping) Yeah....

Ken stood up, and karate chopped the air, much like Tiffany.

Ken: You may continue.

Luke immediately made a charge towards Rose.

And as for her...

Be it because of the pressure of trying to look good for Max or her own previous exhaustion, she panickedly started hurling boulders at Luke.

Luke: That won't be enough, Rose. You should know that.

He effortlessly punched each rock aside or simply bashed right through them.

This only served to make Rose even more flustered.

However, suddenly...

Max: C'mon Rose, show him what for!

Her eyes turned to see Max rooting for her. She couldn't believe it..

And said rooting gave her enough peace of mind to think clearly enough to duck and dodge Luke just as he was almost upon her by reading his mind at the last minute.

Max: Awe....

However, perhaps out of excitement, perhaps out of exhaustion, perhaps because she thought the attack was over, did not read the very next thought Luke had.

And then, while Luke was still recoiling in the air from his miss, a loud clap was heard.

One so loud it could be heard all over the crater. And as for Rose, she was sent flying.

Max: What the....!?

Ken: Luke clapped his hands.

Max: He what!?

Rose got up with her hands on her head, seeming quite hurt while Luke ran to her, his eyes filled with worry.

Luke: Rose!