The three girls who had signed soul contracts with him suddenly flushed a deep crimson. Beneath their clothes, on their lower abdomens, unique crests flickered in response to the marks on their snow-white necks.
While the magic glowing on their bellies remained hidden, the heart-shaped "collars" on their throats immediately drew everyone's attention. These marks pulsed like a rhythmic heartbeat, glowing with light. Rias's was a vivid crimson, Akeno's a soft primrose yellow, and Raynare's a deep violet.
Magical energy, sharing the same colors as the collars, flowed through the soul bond directly into Ethan. It wasn't just mana; it was their mental energy as well. The girls felt a wave of intense physical stimulation wash over them before their reserves were nearly drained dry.
Ethan let out a long breath. "President Sona, please look after Rias and Akeno." As for Raynare, Mittelt and Kalawarner had already rushed to support her.
With the girls secured, Ethan manifested the red iron gauntlet covering his entire left arm. Although he hadn't soul-bonded with the Welsh Dragon, he was a host recognized by Ddraig. More accurately, Ethan was the one unwilling to bind his soul to the dragon.
While he couldn't use the Balance Breaker through mutual resonance and Ddraig's active assistance, the state itself was simply the manifestation of the Sacred Gear's power at its peak. If finesse failed, he would use brute force.
Bolstered by the combined magic and mental focus of the three girls, Ethan's already extraordinary soul power ascended to a new level. He flooded the Boosted Gear with violent, vibrating mana and overwhelming soul force. Once he filled the gauntlet to the brim, forcing it into his own "shape," the Balance Breaker became a trivial matter to trigger.
Thump, thump, thump...
A powerful heartbeat echoed from Ethan's left hand. As the sound intensified, a faint red draconic silhouette expanded and contracted around his body.
Vali's eyes narrowed. He recognized the signs—this was the precursor to a Balance Breaker.
A domineering aura exploded outward from Ethan. Sirzechs looked delighted, but Zorga and his allies turned pale. They were already losing; if another Balance Breaker-level Red Dragon Emperor joined the fray, they might not even be able to escape. They wanted to scream at Vali to stop posing and attack, but given the White Dragon's pride and power, none of them had the balls to speak up.
"Albion, we're about to see an old friend. Any thoughts?" Vali conversed with the White Dragon within his soul. Typically, a host can only communicate with the dragon after mastering the Balance Breaker.
What he didn't know was that Ethan's situation was unique. The self-sealed, slumbering Ddraig showed no signs of waking. However, the massive influx of mana and soul power Ethan provided was being absorbed by the Gear, forcing its power to manifest. Once the "stomach" of the sleeping Red Dragon was full, the Balance Breaker activated naturally.
Vali couldn't see it, but Albion felt something was wrong. "This guy is weird, Vali. We've been fighting this long, and I don't feel 'Red's' presence at all. Not even now." Albion's voice was low and heavy. "It's as if... the Red one has been completely bypassed. This Devil is simply seizing and wielding his power."
The relationship between Ddraig and Albion was complex. They had fought to the death for eons, and even as Sacred Gears, they remained rivals. But they weren't exactly enemies. Albion was genuinely concerned for Ddraig's state.
As they spoke, Ethan reached the final stage. The blood-red phantom of the dragon armor expanded within the barrier before snapping back and solidifying into physical reality.
[BALANCE BREAKER!]
A cold, deep masculine voice rang out from the emerald jewels of the Longinus. A sleek, blood-red suit of armor completely encased Ethan. Through his magical senses, he saw his new form. His Devil traits had vanished; the bat wings were gone, and while his tail remained, it was now a long, segmented, dark-red draconic tail.
This form was much more humanoid than the Juggernaut Drive. It mirrored Vali's armor but lacked the technological blue light-wings. In their place, the left gauntlet was more jagged and oversized—a masterpiece of violent aesthetics.
Ethan actually preferred blue and white—it matched his natural mana—but the red was fine. It matched Rias's hair perfectly. Feeling the surge of power, Ethan clenched his glowing claws. So this is the power of a Satan-Class...
No wonder Vali acted like he owned the world. Mastering this power at his age was a legitimate reason for arrogance. But now that Ethan had it too, it was time to settle the score.
[BOOST] [BOOST] [BOOST]...
The doubling ability, which previously had a ten-second cooldown, now fired off in rapid succession. With full control, Ethan pushed the增幅 (amplification) to its absolute limit without crossing the line into total exhaustion.
As the cold voice repeated the word "Boost," Ethan's aura climbed to infinite heights. Every Satan-Class leader in the barrier turned solemn. This Red Dragon Emperor was stronger than they imagined. Despite his lack of visible rage or obsession, he was wielding the Gear with terrifying efficiency.
Sirzechs even suspected Ethan could use the Juggernaut Drive at will. After all, Ethan had used it once as a mere S-rank. It was a feat unprecedented in history. That five-second burst of God-level power had been enough to leave the legendary Azazel near death before Rias finished him off.
Vali felt the threat most acutely because Ethan lunged at him. The red armor streaked through the air like a bolt of crimson lightning. A fist carrying the weight of shattered space slammed into Vali's chest.
Vali tried to dodge, but his superior speed was neutralized by Ethan's raw output. He tried to halve Ethan's power and absorb it, but the energy was so massive it overflowed beyond what his wings could dissipate.
Halving the power didn't stop Ethan. By the time he prepped the next strike, another [BOOST] had already kicked in, returning him to his peak.
Punch. Punch. Punch. Knee to the gut. Elbow to the face. Throat-lock.
Vali was barely resisting. His high-quality white armor began to crack under the savage assault, pieces of it dissolving into pure mana.
"Dammit, I need to finish this," Ethan muttered behind his visor. The halving ability was still annoying. If he let his frequency drop, Vali would find a gap to escape.
CRACK!
A sonic-boom-laced punch shattered the white dragon helmet. Vali's arrogant face was pummeled, and he spat out a massive glob of blood.
Ethan paused, noticing the deep blue gem on Vali's chest. Thinking of his own Gear, he realized that must be the core of the Divine Dividing. While he couldn't steal it, knocking it off or destroying it might strip Vali of his abilities.
Ethan didn't hesitate. He pinned Vali to the ground and, with a display of barbaric strength, completely shattered the white armor.