"But... I used E-Carbon Alloy too, dammit!"
Kicked flying, Tony Stark's genius brain was buffering.
Sure, he wasn't boosting at full speed, but the 10-meter-tall giant mech in front of him shouldn't be able to match his velocity.
You're huge! Physics says you shouldn't move that fast!
Yes, even though Aurantius Materials' factory was still under renovation, Tony, as a key investor, got priority access to the E-Carbon Alloy. He almost tried to take the production equipment home with him.
However...
As mentioned before, E-Carbon comes in grades. When Luca built the Haro Mech in Tony's lab, he didn't use the top-tier stuff. And he certainly didn't sell the best grade to the public (or even Tony) right away.
So, there was a material gap between the Anti-Boxer Armor and Boxer 2.0.
But more importantly, Luca's upgraded [Boxer] wasn't just a simple "item."
It wasn't just a prop!
During the modification process, Luca inadvertently discovered what the system meant by "An item suitable for upgrades and modifications."
Perhaps because the [Boxer] (Atom) was originally a Frankenstein's monster of junkyard parts, when Luca integrated other Golden Finger items into it during the upgrade, it retained some of their "Conceptual Attributes"!
Yes, Conceptual Attributes!
Initially, when upgrading the sensors, Luca used tech from the Conan [Tracking Glasses].
Result? The Boxer's optical scanners gained the glasses' weird infrared wall-hack ability.
And...
The ability for the lenses to reflect light menacingly when looking down.
This trait was so obvious Luca couldn't miss it.
In the pitch-black workshop, the mech's eyes would glow white like eerie headlights whenever he walked in.
This discovery changed everything. Luca went wild with the upgrades.
External Speakers: Added [Voice-Changing Bowtie] tech. It gives the mech a "low presence" mode when speaking. (Though being 10 meters tall makes this effect negligible.)
Joints: Integrated [Elastic Suspenders] tech. The elasticity is metaphysical, vastly improving flexibility. That's why the kick was so fast.
Feet: Combined with [Solar Skateboard] tech. Added eight massive wheel structures.
This was the game-changer. It gave the mech insane balance and agility, allowing it to parkour over complex terrain. That weird speed boost came from here.
In short, if Luca hadn't been limited to Conan-tech replication, this Boxer would be an unprecedented, ultra-powerful patchwork monster.
Watching Tony pick himself up in the distance, Luca didn't explain. He piloted the mech forward, laughing.
"Tony! Wake up! I don't remember E-Carbon armor being this fragile~ Can't even beat my half-finished prototype? Go ahead, use your weapons!"
As he spoke, the Boxer leaned forward. Flames erupted from the rear of its calves. It began to "run."
But it moved like a 10-meter-tall rollerblader, gliding forward in a bizarre, high-speed path straight at Tony.
"Don't get cocky, brat!"
Tony Stark couldn't take that insult. Thrusters on Veronica's back flared, and he charged forward to meet the mech.
Just as they were about to collide, Veronica's arms popped open.
BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG~
Multiple steel cables shot out.
They wrapped around the Boxer's legs instantly. The ends of the cables sparked with electricity and magnetically locked together.
"Heh~ Tripwire?"
Seeing his legs bound, Luca didn't even pause to worry about balance. He strode forward with force.
SNAP.
The E-Carbon chains held, but the magnetic locks failed instantly under the sheer torque.
Before Tony could maneuver, the Boxer's right arm shot out, grabbing at the airborne Veronica.
Luca's move was fast and hidden, but before his hand could close, Veronica suddenly "exploded."
Limbs and torso separated into five independent flight units.
The torso (with Tony) rocketed upward, escaping the grab. The four limbs, trailing flames, smashed into the Boxer's head like missiles.
"Holy crap, DRAGOON System?!"
THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD~
Four Rocket Punches (and kicks) hit home. The massive impact made the Boxer stagger.
But it wasn't over. Like a coordinated cavalry charge, the limbs didn't stop.
They looped around in the air using their thrusters and attacked again.
Rhythmically, relentlessly, they pummeled the Boxer's head.
However.
No matter how far the mech leaned back, no matter how weird its posture got, no matter how much its arms flailed...
As long as its feet touched the ground, the posture corrected itself instantly. It refused to fall.
"What?! What kind of balance system is that??"
Tony, floating high above in the torso unit, watched the Boxer "dance" below him with a giant question mark over his head.
While Tony was confused, Luca stayed focused.
The attacks were relentless, and catching the fast-moving rocket limbs was too hard.
So, the Boxer curled up, hugging its knees. The spherical armor plates locked into place. It tanked the hits.
CLANG-CLANG-CLANG.
Amidst the ringing of metal, the ball suddenly leaped upward. A rocket jump launch into the sky.
Mid-air, the mech uncurled rapidly.
Its right arm extended. Thumb and middle finger pressed together.
It aimed a finger flick at Tony.
In the cockpit, Luca grinned.
"Heh~ Gotcha~"