Leon, imbued with the memories and experience of the previous hero, moved with fluid grace, evading a barrage of Bart's attacks. Leon, seeing the opening, swiftly repositioned himself. Bart, however, amplified his speed and attacks further, reducing Leon's ability to predict and evade.
Leon blocked multiple blows before delivering a precise uppercut, sending Bart soaring into the sky. Seeing Bart vulnerable, Leon barraged him with multiple strikes, making Bart cough blood before a powerful kick sent him hurtling to the ground.
In mere seconds, Bart's recovery and intellect amplified. He stomped the ground, creating a cloud of dust. Leon, momentarily blinded, suddenly found Bart's powerful punch erupting from behind him. Leon was slammed to the ground but quickly recovered, the punch's power surprisingly muted.
Bart continued to amplify his powers, speed, and endurance. As Bart blitzed behind Leon again, Leon predicted his movement, grabbed his punch, and hurled him away before unleashing a brutal volley of attacks. Leon kneed Bart in the face, sending him flying through the forest. Bart's mana exploded from his mark in the forest as his amplification continued to rise.
Leon looked at the forest, only to see Bart's fist directly in front of his face. Unable to react swiftly due to the amplified speed and power, Leon's face was utterly smashed, leaving his body standing there headless.
Bart watched as Leon's head materialized back, then continued to barrage his limbs to nothingness. No matter how much Bart attacked, Leon's body materialized back faster and faster.
Bart then planned to destroy Leon's body entirely, amplifying a powerful mana burst from his fist, aiming to engulf his body and prevent any rematerialization.
As Leon received the devastating blast, his body underwent a rebirth in response to the immediate surge of mana. Leon absorbed the mana blast and was reborn to a new degree of power, surpassing his previous limits.
Leon experienced this rebirth for the first time, seeing a new level of growth. Though still at Level 1, his stats had now broken their previous cap and could continue to grow even more. Bart, facing a reborn Leon, amplified himself further to counter. This time, Leon, feeling his new increase in power and potential, looked at Bart as merely a tool for his growth.
Leon began to multiply himself. Many Leons rushed towards Bart, who was shocked by this turn of events. Bart further amplified his abilities, swiftly avoiding attacks from multiple directions, striking at the limbs of the Leons to prevent himself from being continuously overwhelmed.
Multiple Leons, with torn-off arms and legs, continued their assault, their reduced movement allowing Bart to briefly gain ground and attempt to create a powerful destructive burst. But the multiple Leons simply materialized their limbs back.
"Your defeat is now!" Leon shouted at Bart. Leon then merged back into a single entity, causing his level to reach his new maximum level of rebirth. He walked through Bart's powerful blast, rebirthing himself again, then multiplied before merging once more. His second rebirth saw him hit his new maximum level.
Leon delivered a powerful punch, tearing a hole through Bart's stomach. Bart amplified further, but this time, his body couldn't withstand the strain of his own power. Bart let out an agonizing scream as he reverted back to his normal state.
Adam, munching on snacks, teleported Bart's body and immediately healed him. Leon walked back, surprised by his own new rebirth. He felt his power had reached greater heights thanks to Bart.
Adam and Lyra agreed that Leon only managed to rebirth due to this intense battle. Leon reflected on Bart's earlier words: "Maybe there is a reason why he wants someone strong to fight. If there isn't one, there is no room for growth." Adam, watching Bart, now lying defeated, pondered. This person had almost killed his parents and threatened his family's safety.