Regardless of how the two little ones were getting along, Luo Guang was busy examining his spoils. Besides Asia, the greatest gain from this endeavor was undoubtedly the Boosted Gear, the Sacred Gear of the Red Dragon Emperor. It was also a part of Luo Guang's plan.
To achieve his goal of God Slaying in the most ideal conditions, the easiest and most powerful tool to acquire early on was this gauntlet. It was one of the two Heavenly Dragons that had once disrupted the world's balance, a powerful dragon species that countless factions feared. Although it couldn't compare to the ceiling of the High School DxD world like the Ophis or the Great Red, it was on the same level as the beings just below them.
What was special about these Sacred Gears was that they were not bound to a person's soul; anyone could use them if they could get their hands on one. The only difference was how much power they could unleash. Without enough talent, a user could only utilize the most basic effects. For example, Tatara's use of the "Boost" ability was something anyone could do. The true benchmark for a user was achieving "Balance Breaker."
Balance Breaker was a forbidden, ominous technique. It was considered a "sealed power" because it could disrupt the balance of the world. And the Balance Breaker of a Longinus was even more so. Luo Guang remembered how to develop a Balance Breaker and what the Red Dragon Emperor's Balance Breaker looked like. The user would be encased in a full-body suit of armor, resembling a Kamen Rider or Armor Hero. As a man, it was hard to say no to that.
However, to develop a Balance Breaker, the Sacred Gear first had to awaken. As for how to do that...
Luo Guang closed his eyes and sank his consciousness into the Sacred Gear. His past contact with Est had already taught him how to communicate with spirits and similar entities, and this time was no exception.
The Sacred Gear's internal space was a void of chaos. A dark red orb of light floated up and down in the darkness. Luo Guang entered it and saw the figure of the sleeping Red Dragon curled up inside. Its mountain-like, fiery red scales were awe-inspiring, and its colossal size inspired fear. However, Luo Guang knew this was just an illusion. The Red Dragon Emperor Ddraig had been dismembered by the God of the Bible in the ancient great war, and now only his soul remained, sealed inside the Sacred Gear.
"Red Dragon Emperor, open your eyes. It's time for you to be useful." As Luo Guang's voice echoed, the sleeping Ddraig felt a ripple of power. The already weak seal was immediately broken, and the Red Dragon Emperor, who had been asleep for hundreds of years, reawakened.
"Where am I?" After his consciousness reawakened, Ddraig was initially confused, but soon his past memories and information flooded back. "I see. The last Red Dragon Emperor is dead, so you're my new host?" Ddraig looked at the black-haired youth in front of him, his tone full of surprise. "I didn't think you could communicate with me directly inside the Sacred Gear's space. How did you do that?"
"Exceptional talent."
"...Okay, I believe you. But as partners who will fight side by side in the future, I think we should be more open with each other." Ddraig was a little displeased. He felt that Luo Guang wasn't like a host, but more like a master. But having a host was better than having none. After all, he had had even more eccentric hosts in the past. Having one who looked capable might not be so bad after all.
"Even family members have their privacy, let alone us, who just met," Luo Guang said, shaking his head. He didn't notice it when he watched the anime, but now it seemed that Ddraig was a bit too talkative.
"Alright, fine. But I'm curious, why did you come in here? Now that I'm awake, we can talk normally even if you're outside."
"That's exactly the problem. I value my privacy, so I only want your consciousness to appear when I'm in combat."
"Hey! Don't be unreasonable, partner. That's a bit of a tough request. And now that I'm awake, I don't know how to do that. You can't just expect me to be sleeping all the time and then wake me up when it's time to fight, right?" Ddraig's conscious form flickered a few times. He felt that his new host was more bizarre than any of his previous ones. And what if he couldn't fall back to sleep?
"I don't think it's an unreasonable request, and I've already come up with a solution."
After saying that, Luo Guang silently recited a command in his mind, summoning Est. Then, to Ddraig's surprise, a light like moonlight bloomed from within the Sacred Gear's space. The light quickly condensed into the form of a silver-haired girl in a simple dress. More accurately, a silver-haired loli.
"Luo Guang, what do you need me for?" After speaking, Est turned and looked at Ddraig's conscious form. "Big doggy, is this a new pet you adopted?"
"Hey! I'm not a dog! I'm a dragon, the strongest dragon in legend! Even those Dragon Kings are no match for me, the Red Dragon Emperor... Huh? What is this power?!"
Ddraig had just finished his proud declaration when he felt the power radiating from Est's body. Because they were in the Sacred Gear's space, he could clearly feel the power difference between them. He then tragically realized that even at his peak, he couldn't compare to the little loli in front of him.
How is that possible?! Ddraig was instantly depressed.