Mad Lion's abilities might seem absurd, but he wasn't invincible.
This was a clash between a "mechanic monster" and a "stat monster." No matter how much Mad Lion's Combat Enhancement buffed him after each hit, there was a limit. Even Saiyans could be killed, let alone this Demi-human. If a single attack exceeded his maximum endurance, it could definitely take him down.
But then again, Firefly didn't need to obsess over killing him. This was just a challenge he had initiated, not a death match. Mad Lion's goal was to fight strong opponents and improve his abilities, while Firefly's objective was to complete the [ Iron Cavalry ] achievement. It was a clear win-win situation.
As she pondered this, Firefly leaped high into the air. A torrent of flames erupted from SAM's back, propelling her forward like a meteor toward the Mad Lion.
BHF-Heavenly Fire!
The so-called "Knight Kick." She had previously used this same kick to obliterate the boss in that eerie, Dragon Nation-themed Dimensional Rift at the haunted academy.
Yet Mad Lion remained motionless, neither dodging nor blocking the attack. He stood firmly rooted to the ground, legs braced in a stable stance, arms crossed to shield his chest.
Boom!
The moment the kick landed, the ground cratered. A dense web of cracks spiderwebbed across a hundred-meter radius, centered on Mad Lion.
In the next instant, SAM's leg armor panels snapped open, revealing a row of thruster nozzles. Blazing crimson flames erupted, triggering his second-stage acceleration!
This sudden burst of power, like an inch punch delivered at point-blank range, caught Mad Lion completely off guard. The damage from this second-stage acceleration far surpassed the initial, unremarkable frontal kick.
Another deafening roar shook the air, but this time it wasn't the earth fracturing. It was the sound of Mad Lion being hurled backward, colliding with a tree thick enough for two or three people to encircle. The massive, five-to-six-meter boulder behind it shattered instantly. Dust billowed skyward, rising tens of meters high—so vast that even residents of the Kingdom's capital could witness the distant spectacle.
The swirling dust couldn't obscure Firefly's vision. She clearly saw Mad Lion's figure standing firmly amidst the haze. Despite being kicked over a hundred meters, he hadn't spun helplessly through the air. His legs remained anchored to the ground, sliding him across the distance.
Seizing the opportunity provided by the dust, Mad Lion swiftly regained his footing and charged toward Firefly. But she wouldn't allow him the element of surprise. She met his advance head-on, sprinting forward as well.
Boom!
The force of their fist-to-fist collision unleashed a shockwave that instantly dispersed the surrounding dust. Mad Lion's face flushed crimson as he roared with laughter. "Hahaha! This pressure, this power! In just this brief exchange, I've felt a thrill I haven't experienced in ages! This burning excitement... it feels like my whole body is about to ignite!"
No, you're practically already burning, Firefly thought silently. As she maintained her Secondary Combustion State and the battle intensified, SAM's power output continued to surge. The most obvious manifestation of this was the relentless rise in the surrounding temperature.
Fortunately, they were in a desolate wasteland, not a forest. If it had been a forest, it would have been engulfed in flames long ago.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
After several more brief exchanges, amidst the thunderous impacts and Mad Lion's maniacal laughter, even Firefly couldn't deny the raw, primal thrill of this pure, brutal brawl.
Though none of his attacks had even scratched her defenses.
As the fight wore on, Firefly discovered a fatal flaw in her opponent's repertoire: Mad Lion possessed only one passive skill—Combat Enhancement—and nothing else.
To put it bluntly, he was a blank slate. Beyond his absurd physical prowess, he had no offensive skills whatsoever.
Throughout the entire fight, he had relied solely on punches, never resorting to any other techniques. Discounting the possibility that he was holding back, Firefly concluded that this was all he had.
In stark contrast, even without entering Full Combustion, Firefly had an arsenal of game-changing "ultimate moves" at her disposal.
Bang!
Using Mad Lion's punch as a springboard, Firefly leaped back a considerable distance. Sensing something amiss, Mad Lion didn't pursue, instead remaining rooted in place, grinning widely. "Is it coming?!"
"You're strong," Firefly admitted truthfully. "Among all my opponents, you're likely the strongest." After all, the only other person known to have fought SAM was a British general; the rest had been bosses from various Dimensional Rifts.
"But this battle ends here," she declared.
Mad Lion showed no anger at being underestimated. Instead, he roared, "Good! Hold nothing back! Come at me with everything you've got!"
Firefly raised her left hand, palm facing her opponent, while twisting her body slightly. Her right fist clenched tightly, positioned parallel to her chest.
This was only the second time she'd used this technique. The first time was during the Arctic Dimensional Rift, when she literally split the entire Instance in half with a single punch.
DHGDR—Supernova Overload!
In Mad Lion's hyper-focused vision, the world seemed to shrink until only the silver Mecha remained—the strongest opponent he had ever faced in his life.
Visible white streams of Qi swirled around Mad Lion. He possessed other skills, specifically the "Mental Enhancement" aspect of his ability. However, this enhancement only augmented his physical attributes, not granting him any devastating ultimate moves.
Furthermore, Mental Enhancement could only activate when Mad Lion's willpower reached its peak; it couldn't be used casually.
Despite his thorough preparations, Firefly's speed far exceeded his expectations. Sometime during the fight, before he could fully react, SAM abruptly vanished from his sight. When SAM reappeared, he was already standing directly in front of him, his fist crashing into Mad Lion's body.
BOOM—!!!
The moment the punch landed, a raging inferno engulfed Mad Lion. Its destructive power undiminished, the fiery pillar shot skyward, painting nearly half the heavens in a blazing orange-red hue.