"THOOM—"
Upon the ravaged earth, now riddled with countless craters and scars, a dull, heavy thud resounded as Vali crashed into the ground, sending a high plume of dust spiraling into the air.
It was only then that the incessant roar of thunder in the sky began to dissipate, and the violent explosions in mid-air gradually subsided, allowing a sense of stillness to return to the world.
Leon slowly descended from the sky. As he neared the ground, he abruptly retracted the five pairs of demonic wings on his back and landed steadily.
"Cough—!"
Simultaneously, a ragged cough sounded from within the settling dust, followed by a spray of fresh blood that stained the earth crimson.
"Truly impressive—"
Vali's laughter rang out immediately after.
He rose with difficulty from the crater where the dust was clearing, his body still smoldering. The once pure, immaculate dragon armor was now reduced to a collection of tattered fragments embedded in various parts of his body, and the light-wings on his back had grown dim.
"To think you actually shattered my Balance Breaker. Is this the power of the world's second strongest Sacred Gear?"
Vali wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. Looking at Leon, his eyes held no trace of anger; instead, they were filled with pure delight.
Clearly, the power Leon had displayed left this battle maniac thoroughly satisfied.
"Are you satisfied now, White Dragon Emperor?" Leon asked, appearing calm and unruffled, as if he hadn't just engaged in a fierce battle. He spoke with a faint, knowing smile. "If you're still not satisfied, should I go back and call the Red Dragon Emperor over to play with you too?"
"That guy?" Vali recalled the scene he had witnessed upon arriving at Kuoh Academy and sneered. "I have no interest in the current him."
When he had arrived at Kuoh Academy, Issei Hyoudou had already been knocked unconscious by Kokabiel.
Therefore, despite knowing that he was his destined rival, Vali couldn't help but feel disappointed, unable to muster even a spark of fighting spirit toward him.
In his eyes, someone who couldn't even defeat a character of Kokabiel's level wasn't worthy of being called his rival. Consequently, Vali had zero interest in the current Issei Hyoudou.
Instead, his interest in Leon was growing by the second.
"I am only interested in the strong, and you... you have earned that qualification."
As Vali spoke those words, Leon had only one thought.
"As expected of a host chosen by a Heavenly Dragon. This bloodlust is more dragon-like than anyone's."
Saying this, Leon clearly had no intention of continuing the fight.
"It's not that I'm uninterested in you, but let's leave it at this for today." Leon glanced at the surrounding area, which had been reduced to ruins and scorched earth. "If we keep going, the impact will become too great."
Even though the battle took place outside the town, the scale of the disturbance was enough to make Leon believe that various factions had already taken notice and were heading this way. He had no desire to be watched by a crowd of people hiding in the shadows.
Thus, he was prepared to stop.
Originally, he had come here simply to meet Vali, to see what the "Strongest White Dragon Emperor in History" was like and exactly what he was capable of. Now that he had a general idea of Vali's strength, he didn't care to continue.
However, while Leon wanted to stop, Vali wasn't so willing to agree.
"I haven't even seen your Balance Breaker yet. How could it possibly end like this?"
The fighting spirit burning in Vali's eyes showed no sign of fading; on the contrary, it grew more vigorous and powerful. Knowing his opponent still held a greater power in reserve, Vali Lucifer was not the type of man to simply let matters rest.
"You still want to fight?" Leon raised an eyebrow, his interest waning. "It's not that I can't, but there's no point, is there?"
Thanks to the protection of his armor, Vali had avoided being fatally wounded by a direct hit, but with his Balance Breaker shattered, his condition was far from ideal. Even if he could still fight, he wouldn't be able to exert his full strength.
If even a full-strength Vali had ended up in this state, what was the point of continuing?
It was important to note that Leon was virtually unscathed. At most, he had consumed some magic, but his expenditure was significantly lower than Vali's.
Don't let the natural-disaster-level scenes Leon created fool you into thinking he was drained; his mana reserves were still vast. In fact, as they stood there talking, his magic was rapidly and continuously regenerating.
This was a benefit of becoming a "Perfect Devil." Whether it was physical stamina or magic power, his recovery speed was startlingly fast. Even if he were injured, he would heal at a rate no slower than a second or third-rate healer's treatment.
Furthermore, Leon was a ten-winged Special-class Devil, one rank higher than the eight-winged Vali. This meant his inherent magic capacity was naturally much greater. Under these circumstances, Leon could use "Zenith Tempest" quite freely without incurring significant loss, at least while not in his Balance Breaker state.
While Vali's magic power was also enormous, he had entered Balance Breaker right from the start and had expended a massive amount of mana to use the "Divine Dividing" ability. His exhaustion was undoubtedly much greater than Leon's.
One side was unscathed with plenty of magic and stamina, while the other was injured, low on magic, and showing signs of physical overextension. No matter how you looked at it, there was no reason to keep fighting.
Vali was naturally aware of this. However—
"I still have a greater power that I haven't used."
Vali's words made Leon's heart skip a beat.
Others might not know what Vali was referring to, but Leon, who was well-versed in the original story, knew all too well.
Generally speaking, the pinnacle of a Sacred Gear is the Balance Breaker; there is no realm stronger. However, a very small number of Sacred Gears can release an even greater power due to special circumstances.
This rare group of Sacred Gears usually consists of those like "Boosted Gear" and "Divine Dividing," which were created by sealing the souls or power of certain monsters within them.
Because the core of these Sacred Gears is the soul of the monster, if the seal on them is removed, the monster's power can be drawn out without limit, allowing the wielder to manifest the power the creature held in life.
"The ability to temporarily and forcibly remove the seal of a Sacred Gear over the entity within is a forbidden power unique to the Longinus class.
When a legendary Magical Beast is sealed within, this power is called — 'Breakdown the Beast'.
However, if a Dragon is sealed within, it is known as — 'Juggernaut Drive'.
The former's strength depends on the beast's might in its past life; the stronger it was, the more destructive the host becomes. The latter is significantly more overwhelming, especially in the case of the Two Heavenly Dragons, 'Boosted Gear' and 'Divine Dividing'.
Because they house the souls of the Heavenly Dragons who once rivaled Gods and Maous, activating this power grants the host the strength to transcend the limits of mortality and challenge the Gods themselves."
Of course, such immense power does not come without risk.
Whether it is the Beast or Dragon version, the stronger the power gained upon unsealing, the higher the risk. it imposes an extremely severe burden on the user, significantly shortening their lifespan and causing them to lose their sanity. They become violently out of control until everything around them is destroyed or they themselves reach the brink of total annihilation.
The mention of Issei Hyoudou potentially losing control and touching a deeper level of the "Boosted Gear" to erupt with terrifying strength referred specifically to the Juggernaut Drive.
As the host of "Divine Dividing," Vali could naturally use the Juggernaut Drive as well. Furthermore, unlike Issei Hyoudou, he could use his innate, massive magic capacity to maintain control over this power for several minutes without losing his mind.
"Though there is the risk of a shortened lifespan, for someone like you, it is worth using this power at any cost."
The battle intent in Vali's eyes was gradually being replaced by a sense of madness.
Behind him, the light-wings that had grown dull suddenly flared with light once more, and the blue gems upon them erupted with an incredibly piercing brilliance.
"..."
Leon felt it almost instinctively—a spine-chilling sensation that rose from the depths of his heart without warning. His devilish intuition was screaming at him that something extremely dangerous was about to appear before him.
"Vali!"
Suddenly, a voice rang out from within the light-wings on Vali's back.
Hearing this voice, Leon's heart stirred.
"That voice—is it the White Dragon?"
The "White Dragon" he referred to wasn't Vali, but the Heavenly Dragon itself sealed within the Sacred Gear. In other words, it was the soul of the Heavenly Dragon that had once run rampant on the battlefields of the ancient Great War until it was suppressed by the three factions and eventually fashioned into a Sacred Gear by the God of the Bible.
"Stop at once! In your current state, you cannot control the Juggernaut Drive!"
The voice of the Heavenly Dragon spoke, serving as a reminder to Leon.
Under normal circumstances, Vali could indeed use his innate magic to control the Juggernaut Drive for a few minutes. But right now, Vali was not only injured but had also suffered a severe loss of mana. If he entered the Juggernaut Drive state now, he would very likely lose control immediately, unable to restrain himself.
"I can do it, Albion."
Vali stared directly at Leon as he replied to the soul of the Heavenly Dragon.
"The strong foe I seek is right before my eyes, and he hasn't even used his full power. If I were to hold back now, I wouldn't be worthy of being the White Dragon Emperor, much less a Lucifer!"
With that, Vali ignored Albion's protest and raised one hand high.
"I, who am about to awaken..."
He began to chant.
It was an ominous incantation.
The cursed words that would undo the seal.
(To be reduced to ash!)
(Let it be reduced to ash!)
The resentful souls of the previous Vanishing Dragon Kings responded to Vali's voice, their hatred manifesting as a chilling pressure that made Leon's heart tighten.
"He's really doing it—"
Leon couldn't help but click his tongue, his expression turning grave. Even he had to brace himself now.
Despite the great risks and the possibility of losing control, once Vali activated the Juggernaut Drive, he would temporarily gain power rivaling a God. That was a certainty.
That was power on par with a deity!
Power on that same level was only possessed by Super Devils like Sirzechs and Ajuka. Even "Super Devil" class beings like Serafall and Grayfia, or even the strongest Dragon King, Tiamat, fell far short of it!
Even if it was temporary, out of control, and fueled by a curse, it was absolutely not something the current Leon could confront head-on. If he didn't take this seriously, his end would be disastrous.
"I guess I have no choice—"
Leon took a deep breath and released all of his magic power.
"BOOM!"
Pure white aura instantly erupted from Leon's body, whipping up a gale.
It was a pure white aura distinct from Vali's. If Vali's white aura was as brilliant as a morning star, then Leon's white aura was as dazzling as the sun. The former was holy and immaculate, while the latter was natural and vast.
As this pure white aura—even more terrifying than when Vali had activated his Balance Breaker—exploded from Leon, a sixth pair of devil wings began to slowly manifest on his back.
Seeing this, Vali's pupils contracted, and his smile widened with even more joy.
"Balance Breaker—"
Leon uttered the words.
"—Am the Heavenly Dragon who lost all to the principles of supremacy—"
Vali continued to chant the ominous verse. The fluctuations of power emanating from the two of them caused the entire earth to tremble.
"Buzz—"
Suddenly, the space around Leon and Vali twisted.
"Wait! Leon!"
A figure appeared beside Leon and pressed a hand onto his shoulder.
"Sirzechs-sama?"
Leon's surging power faltered as he spoke in surprise. The newcomer was none other than Sirzechs.
"You stop it too! Vali!"
A figure appeared beside Vali as well, grabbing his arm. It was a man who didn't look particularly righteous or young. He had exotic, foreign features and was quite handsome. He radiated a flippant, carefree atmosphere, appearing somewhat similar to Riser in a "spoiled noble" sort of way, but with a decisive difference—unlike the thuggish Riser, this man wasn't repulsive. Instead, he possessed the charisma of a "bad boy."
"Azazel?"
Seeing this man, Vali stopped his actions and spoke in surprise.
Leon immediately looked toward the man, his eyes shimmering.
Azazel. The Governor-General of the Fallen Angels, a twelve-winged ultimate-class Fallen Angel, and the leader of one of the three great factions—the Fallen Angel camp.
The man most obsessed with, knowledgeable about, and dedicated to the study of Sacred Gears—the one who, in the original story, was subtly considered the most brilliant mind—had finally appeared.
Right in front of Leon.