THAT is a beatdown.
*nods* Kuuga is a legit powerhouse, and those images in the flames hinted at his darker and stronger powers.
But the Final Battle of Kuuga is even more.
No big music. No big light effects. No big declarations. Just 2 being literally being the tar out of each other
This was a kids show back in 2000 and was Kamen Rider's return to regular tv broadcasts in years, and it did NOT hold back.
The protag is Godai Yuusuke and he is literally an everyman who learned 2000 skills, all so he could bring smiles to people and cheer them on with a thumbs-up.
He ends up standing against a newly returned ancient race called the Grongi, and not only do they see humans as inferior they each take turns with their personal killing games.
Godai got involved when he put an ancient device on himself and it fused with him, giving him the powers of the ancient warrior Kuuga. And these powers are noted as constantly growing, and they show this over the course of the year long series with bigger and bigger explosions caused by his Rider Kick.
And the whole thing just keeps getting harder and harder for Godai. He wants to protect smiles....but all the deaths and all the fights chip away at him, and his ultimate form being noted as "The Ultimate Darkness" does not help.
Honestly I doubt you could get a Rider story like this in the modern time. Kuuga (and the following series Agito) played more to horror than future Riders.