@drazzoverlord but didn't he lose (according to the text in the last page)? Or am I mixing up the names? Though, if you ask me, both of them are the losers, and readers are the only winners...
Somehow I don't feel any suspense during the challenges, because the timer never runs out while they do the challenges. There's so much focus on the losing moment, that him losing somehow overwrites any preceding story/build-up IMO.