After exchanging dozens of blows with Sam Li, Azhdaha not only failed to exact his revenge but had also severely depleted his strength.
He knew it well—
If this went on, it wouldn't take many more rounds before his power ran dry, and he'd revert to the small form he had when he first broke the seal.
Azhdaha was unwilling to accept that.
A grudge of a thousand years—how could he forget? His enemy stood right before him.
How could he pass up the chance to settle this once and for all?
Suddenly—
An overwhelming rage clouded Azhdaha, Dragon King's mind.
With a furious roar, crimson flames began to blaze across his hundred-meter-tall body.
"Morax, I haven't lost yet—!"
As his roar echoed, fire ignited from his feet and rapidly spread across his body.
Within seconds, the towering golden Geo Dragon transformed into a massive Pyro dragon, just as tall.
In an instant, the heat from the flames caused the surrounding temperature to skyrocket.
Even Nicole, Billy, Caesar, and the others were forced to retreat in their train, unable to withstand the searing heat.
Billy stared in disbelief: "This thing has a second form? Is it really an Ethereal?"
Nekomata grew tense: "Meow... it not only has Geo, but it can also wield fire?"
Anby looked grim: "Now that it's entered its second form, Sam Li is about to win."
Nicole spoke with confidence: "I knew Sam Li would win from the start."
Just then—
Piper suddenly pointed ahead: "Look, the big monster is about to attack Sam Li again..."
They had observed the battle long enough to grow familiar with Azhdaha, Dragon King's attacks.
But this Pyro form—this was a first.
As Azhdaha prepared to strike again, tension gripped everyone.
...
On the battlefield—
Azhdaha didn't hesitate. Just after transforming into his Pyro form, he threw back his head and roared to the sky.
"Morax, my flames shall burn everything—!"
With that earth-shaking roar, a massive, flame-wreathed boulder plummeted from the sky straight toward Sam Li.
Seeing it coming, Sam Li didn't try to block it—he flashed aside, narrowly dodging the burning rock.
It crashed into the ground where he had just stood.
As it hit, it exploded with a thunderous boom, crimson fire bursting across the battlefield.
And that was just the first boulder.
A second, third, fourth followed...
In just seconds, blazing rocks rained down one after another, engulfing the entire battlefield in flames.
There was no denying it—
In his Pyro form, Azhdaha attacks had grown much stronger.
Even Sam Li had no desire to take them head-on.
But that power came at a cost—Azhdaha had shed his toughest Geo armor.
Sam Li knew—
This was the perfect chance to take him down.
Without hesitation, Sam Li gripped the Vortex Vanquisher and charged straight toward Azhdaha.
...
On Azhdaha's side—
He wasn't surprised to see Sam Li dodge his attacks.
Instead, he suddenly raised his massive head and slammed his lower jaw into the ground before him.
With a tremendous crash, the earth split apart.
Chunks of rock and flame blasted outward.
The debris quickly ignited, launching indiscriminately at nearby foes while also blocking Sam Li's path.
Azhdaha, Dragon King, knew this attack wouldn't kill Sam Li.
That wasn't the goal.
His true intent was to stall.
And once he'd succeeded in halting Sam Li's advance—
He dragged his massive body toward a nearby mountain peak, scaling it in a matter of moments.
Sam Li frowned.
Did this thing still have one more trump card?
He could tell Azhdaha was nearly spent. It wouldn't be long before he could no longer maintain that colossal form.
So Sam Li wasn't worried.
Vortex Vanquisher in hand, he strode forward with calm determination.
Seeing this—
Azhdaha, Dragon King, roared: "Morax, let's end this in one blow—!"
Sam Li nodded. "That suits me just fine. But let me correct you—my name is Sam Li."
As the words left his mouth, he leapt into the air, soaring hundreds of meters high.
Spear in hand, he locked eyes with Azhdaha.
But Azhdah, didn't care whether he was called Morax, Zhongli, or Sam Li.
To him, they were all the same—his enemy.
...
The next moment—
Azhdaha gathered an immense amount of Pyro energy.
He opened his massive jaws, pulling the swirling flames inward.
He compressed them into an intense blaze and blasted it toward Sam Li.
Sam Li couldn't help but be amazed.
Zenless Zone Zero originally had no Pyro elements, but ever since Sam Li had placed the Statue of The Seven here, it had connected the ley lines between the two worlds.
Pyro energy had begun to flow in.
Even now, the Pyro element was still thin in this world.
Yet Azhdaha could gather so much of it—proof of his overwhelming power.
But—
Sam Li didn't flinch.
He raised the Vortex Vanquisher toward the incoming flames.
The spear began to grow in size, and in the blink of an eye, it expanded into a colossal weapon over ten meters long.
Then—
The mighty Vortex Vanquisher collided with Azhdaha's blazing breath.
In that instant—
Geo and Pyro energy erupted in tandem.
Golden light and crimson fire twisted and clashed, thunderous explosions echoing around them.
It didn't end there.
The shockwaves from the elemental clash rippled outward, consuming everything nearby.
Azhdaha had thrown everything into this final strike.
Sam Li held nothing back either—determined to seize this moment and subdue him.
Azhdaha roared: "Be consumed by fire, Morax!"
Sam Li replied firmly: "Let me help you remember your past."
Flame and spear collided violently.
Every second, vast amounts of Geo and Pyro energy were being consumed.
Both fighters were under immense pressure, constantly drawing in more elemental power.
Neither was willing to yield.
Just as Azhdaha, had said—
One move would decide everything.
The one who flinched first, or failed to withstand the other's power—
Would be utterly defeated.