"What is it? Tell me."
"Maybe I can give you some advice."
"Kanzaki confessed to me."
Bang.
A dull crack came from the side. Koneko had stepped too hard and snapped a floor tile underfoot. Himejima Akeno blinked slowly, then the corners of her mouth curled upward.
"Details?"
"President, I want to hear too," Koneko said, sliding closer.
Rias sighed, helpless at their curiosity. She briefly recounted what had just happened.
"Oho~ That's a win in my book," Akeno said with a glint in her eye. "Rias, you've always been troubled by your engagement, haven't you? This could be the perfect opportunity to end it."
"I know that," Rias replied, resting her chin in her hand. "But I don't know how to respond to Kanzaki."
"Just act as usual. He didn't pressure you, did he? And honestly, Kanzaki isn't bad."
Because they grew up together, Akeno had a pretty good idea of Rias's standards.
"He's strong, he's got potential, and he sees you as just Rias—not the Demon King's sister or the Gremory heiress."
"From any angle, he meets your standards, doesn't he?"
Rias blinked. That… made a surprising amount of sense.
Until now, she'd been too focused on Kanzaki's combat potential. But if she looked at him as a person, wasn't he exactly the kind of partner she was hoping for?
"It seems you already have your answer."
"Yeah," she said softly. "I'll try seeing where this goes."
Rias stood up decisively.
But before anything could start, there was still something she needed to take care of.
"Akeno, come with me. We need to pick someone up."
...
At that same moment, deep within the Sacred Gear's Space, Kanzaki met face-to-face with Ddraig.
"So, you were asleep this whole time?"
"Yeah. Same as what happens when a host dies and the Sacred Gear goes into hibernation. I only woke up a minute ago."
Ddraig gave him a sharp look. "Normally, I should've seen what was happening outside once the transfer was complete. How did you block that?"
"Secret."
"You don't have to keep something like that from me. We're partners now, aren't we?"
"Even partners need boundaries."
Kanzaki's voice was flat.
Of course, he couldn't say he had thrown Ddraig's soul into his system like some kind of loot drop.
That would open too many questions.
"The previous Boosted Gear's hosts were all oddballs, but you're on another level entirely."
"In what way?"
"Every way," Ddraig said, then paused. "But mostly... I'm surprised you managed to restore my original power."
He raised a claw and conjured a ball of scarlet flame.
"Ever since I was sealed into the Sacred Gear, I'd forgotten this myself. To think you'd unravel the whole thing and return everything to me..."
"How'd you do it? Come on, just whisper it. I won't tell a soul."
Kanzaki raised an eyebrow. "Only the dead can keep secrets. You sure you want to know?"
"...Yeah, no thanks."
Ddraig shut up on the spot.
"Let's talk business," Kanzaki said, cutting straight to it. "I need your help getting deeper into the Sacred Gear space."
"What for?"
"To train for Juggernaut Drive."
Ddraig's entire body trembled.
"Partner, no. Don't even think about it!"
Juggernaut Drive—the ultimate form where the user forcibly borrows the Sacred Gear's sealed power. It was the last resort, a suicidal move that drained life and pushed its wielder to madness.
Ddraig's voice turned solemn. "If you're serious, then at least try mastering Balance Breaker first. It's safer and better suited for your level."
"Balance Breaker? That's just basic."
Kanzaki closed his eyes, channeling his energy.
In the next instant, his body was clad in the iconic crimson armor of the Red Dragon Emperor. Inside the Sacred Gear space and in the real world, the transformation happened simultaneously.
"Huh? Huh huh huh huh—!!"
Ddraig's jaw metaphorically hit the floor.
"P-Partner... how did you do that so easily?"
"I told you. Balance Breaker's simple if you've got the hands for it."
Kanzaki removed his helmet and leveled his gaze at the dragon.
"But don't get the wrong idea."
"The Juggernaut Drive I'm aiming for isn't your typical death-sentence version."
There were reasons Juggernaut Drive killed its hosts. Ddraig's full power was too great to control. Worse yet, the Gear contained remnants of all past Boosted Gear's hosts, each filled with grudges from violent deaths.
All that rage, combined with uncontrollable power, turned Juggernaut Drive into a berserker's curse.
But Kanzaki had one advantage: control.
And more importantly—he had Youjutsu.
"You really think you can suppress those residual souls?"
"I do."
"How?"
"First, I'm going to beat them down."
"...You what?"
"You heard me."
"But Partner, those remnants are part of the Sacred Gear itself. If you forcefully purify them, you could damage the Gear."
"I know. But still… I'm going to try."
"Why?"
"What if one of them drops an entry?"
"..."
***
Inside the depths of the Gear, Kanzaki walked through a corridor of endless white.
Here, fragments of the past Boosted Gear's Hosts sat motionless around tables, staring into the void with lifeless eyes.
"That one was around your age when he inherited the Gear," Ddraig said, nodding toward a nearby soul. "Talented, promising… died before he could control Juggernaut Drive."
"You try to warn him?"
"Every time. They never listened."
Kanzaki approached the soul without hesitation and drove a fist into its face.
The residual soul crumbled like mist.
Ddraig asked, "Did you get anything?"
"No drop."
"Damn."
"Guess brute force won't work."
Kanzaki stood in place, thinking.
These weren't full souls, just fragments—more echoes than people. Maybe that's why there was no feedback or reward. But he had one more option.
He closed his eyes and channeled Youjutsu.
A white aura coated his entire body, humming with life energy.
Unlike most users of the Boosted Gear's power, Kanzaki was a practitioner of Youjutsu. And Youjutsu meant more than just controlling life force. It could purify curses and cleanse spiritual corruption.
Which meant... it could work on these souls.
He raised his palm and let the white glow drift out gently.
One by one, the residual souls around him began to shine softly, their lingering hatred dissolving into silence.
Not rage. Not conflict.
Peace.
One of the souls smiled faintly before vanishing completely.
And this time—
Ding.
[Entry acquired: Will of the Crimson Legacy (Epic)]
Kanzaki smirked.
"Looks like that was the right call."
"Partner..." Ddraig whispered, stunned. "You're seriously not normal."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
***
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