"Partner, who are you? And is that girl also your Sacred Gear?"
Ddraig's tone was no longer so arrogant; after all, having just awakened only to see this little girl surpass him was a real blow.
"Knowing too much isn't good for you," Hikaru replied.
Then he reached out to pat Est's head and asked softly, "Is there a way to make it appear only when I'm in battle?"
At his words, Est sized up Ddraig's consciousness for a moment, then nodded. "Yes. As long as you store it in the Astral Spirit World, it can't get out on its own. Its awareness can't break through two dimensions."
"Even simpler, then."
When Hikaru first crossed over, receiving Est as part of the beginner's package, he also got a small personal storage space—taken from the "Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance" setting of the spirit world. It became his private item.
"W-wait a minute! Partner, you're not really gonna lock me in that so-called spirit world, are you?"
Realizing Hikaru was serious, Ddraig began to panic. "Listen up, the Sacred Gear's full power can only come forth when the host and the gear's soul are in tune. Doing it your way, you might not even reach Balance Breaker!"
Ddraig was trying to leverage its power as a bargaining chip. It itself didn't mind going back to slumber, but being thrown into some other dimension right after reawakening? What was that about?
"Balance Breaker? You think that's difficult for me?" Hikaru gave a faint smile.
Once he entered the gear's inner space, Hikaru had already figured out the rules for triggering Balance Breaker. Allegedly, it required a major mental shift or intense emotional surge (sadness, joy, excitement, sorrow, fear, etc.). But that wasn't the only route. Hikaru's will and conviction were far firmer than most. Like the sun—always there, whether you feel it or not. As a result, from the moment he got his hands on the gear, he could already push it to Balance Breaker.
Back in reality, the emerald jewel on the gauntlet gave off a dazzling glow. Crimson flames engulfed Hikaru's body while azure energy crackled like lightning around him. A fiery red armor materialized wave-like and wrapped around his body. In the blink of an eye, Hikaru was encased in crimson armor, now standing over two meters tall, with a red metal dragon's tail extending from his spine.
The aura billowed like magma, blowing away the nearby junk. Surging power flooded Hikaru's entire being. In this state, his strength rivaled that of Devil Kings from the Underworld. He might still be below someone like Sirzechs, a Transcendent, but at least he could measure up to Serafall's level.
Unlike learned skills, a Sacred Gear doesn't require painstaking practice. Its own nature is already "max level." The difference is how much a user can draw out. Like a handgun: no matter who wields it, the bullet's firepower doesn't change—assuming you can shoot accurately.
Of course, merely matching a Demon King wouldn't satisfy Hikaru. He knew the Boosted Gear had another domain beyond Balance Breaker—the "Scale Mail of Domination" (Baryon mode / "Juggernaut Drive"), or commonly referred to as the "Dragon Faction's Juggernaut Drive." Up to now, no Red Dragon Emperor host had managed it fully. While some forcibly tried, they ultimately died.
Two main reasons:
1. Past hosts couldn't endure all of Ddraig's power; using Juggernaut Drive caused their bodies to collapse.
2. Deep inside the Longinus Gear's consciousness space lay the grudge-filled remnants of past Red Dragon Emperor hosts. Once entering Juggernaut Drive, these resentful souls would assault the user's spirit, causing total mental breakdown.
Still, Hikaru felt he could handle it.
"P-partner! H-how did you do that?! I've never seen anyone master Balance Breaker in such a short time!" Ddraig exclaimed, his world rocked. Even the most monstrous geniuses he'd met needed at least a year of rigorous effort, plus an intense emotional outburst to barely unlock Balance Breaker. Yet Hikaru, emotions calm, power stable—he wasn't even panting from the burden of his first transformation. Is this guy even human?
"Because I'm a genius," Hikaru answered coolly. Of course he wasn't about to reveal his secrets.
"Balance Breaker gives quite a nice boost, though it's a shame the face design is a bit ugly." Hikaru caught a glimpse of himself in a nearby full-length mirror. While his body shape and general look seemed imposing, the only drawback was two upturned golden metal whiskers on his helmet. If they'd been placed on the forehead, it would have been perfect. Purely in terms of style, Hikaru actually felt the White Dragon Emperor's Balance Breaker form looked cooler.
"So, let's talk about our arrangement," Hikaru continued. "And to make up for dumping you in the spirit world later, I'll thoroughly defeat this generation's White Dragon Emperor so you can settle your grudge."
A moment ago, Ddraig was sulking, but upon hearing that, it perked up instantly. After all, it and Albion, the White Dragon Emperor, had always been mortal enemies. Long ago, they'd crash into battlefields with no regard for the larger war among three factions. Even sealed into Sacred Gears, every generation's Red and White Dragon Emperor hosts would inevitably clash. Both sides' wish was to defeat the other.
Once Hikaru suggested it, Ddraig agreed immediately—no hesitation. The spirit world? Fine. Sleeping there might not be so bad anyway.
~~~
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