Vali had been stepping up his game, training hard with Sun Wukong. He seemed to be getting the hang of it. Just watching on from the sidelines, I could see he was cutting down on unnecessary moves and only launching attacks that really mattered.
…He had a natural talent. That wasn’t the sort of thing I could pick up overnight. Plus, he had a lot more combat experience than I did. Knowing him, he had probably been honing his skills since he was old enough to walk.
“In terms of overall balance, I’d say the White holds the upper hand,” Sun Wukong chimed in. “Yet delving deeper, there are moments where the Red shines brighter—particularly in terms of sheer attack power and speed when moving along a straight path.”
…It sounded like he appreciated my habit of charging in headfirst, no holds barred.
I was grateful for the high appraisal, especially of my Crimson Blaster. But the truth of the matter was Vali would instantly overtake me in both strength and speed if he used his Juggernaut Overdrive.
“Still, Vali isn’t in top shape right now, so I can’t really picture him winning,” I admitted with a sigh.
Vali’s lips curled in a self-deprecating smile. “As you know, my Juggernaut Overdrive isn’t as versatile as your crimson armor. The fact you can train in that thing already gives you the edge.”
It was nice to hear such high praise from my rival, even if it was a little embarrassing… When it came down to it, he always came through. That was what I found most frustrating.
“That Juggernaut Overdrive, or whatever you call it, might be stronger than a regular Juggernaut Drive, but it still releases your energy far too quickly,” Sun Wukong said as he took another puff of his pipe. “It puts an enormous strain on your body. It might be safer than a regular Juggernaut Drive, but you can’t keep using it again and again… The challenge for you is figuring out how to channel your power as needed. Though the same goes for the Red Dragon Emperor.” He paused for a moment. “The Red’s abilities are to multiply and transfer, while the White’s are to divide his foe’s strength and take it for his own… Such is the ancient lore of the Boosted Gear and the Divine Dividing. In days of old, the hosts of the Two Heavenly Dragons wielded these powers and clashed in fierce battle. Though there were those who employed their might in curious ways, never, in all the tales, has there been a soul who dared to power up in such a nonsensical manner as you two!”
Nonsensical power-ups, huh…?
Vali was working to improve his skills, but as for me… Well, I had embraced the power of breasts with a little help from Ophis and the Great Red.
…Nonsensical was definitely the right word, not only for how I bolstered my powers, but for my entire journey so far.
Sun Wukong turned his attention to me. “I’ll keep teaching you to pace yourself, but the real issue lies in the haphazard ability you’ve obtained from that White Dragon Emperor. I take it Ddraig and Albion still haven’t come back?”
Right. As he said, Ddraig and Albion had both retreated into their Sacred Gears—all because of the reflection ability I had activated for the first time during our mission in Romania.
By all rights, that power was originally Albion’s, not Ddraig’s.
“When we Heavenly Dragons were sealed away, we lost some of the powers we had in our physical forms…” Albion had said before leaving. “Never before have we regained any of them…”
So that was an ability he lost when he was robbed of his physical body…
…It seemed to manifest itself after the two of them came to some kind of shared understanding. Azazel, currently absent, had explained it similarly.
“…I’m just speculating here, but maybe the Biblical God didn’t completely take their abilities when he put those two on ice. What if he left open the possibility they could regain them in the unlikely event they made peace? It’s food for thought.”
…Honestly, I was at a total loss. I understood that this reflection power was originally Albion’s and had been sealed away, but for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out how them reconciling had brought it back.
…If those two making peace was the key, then what were the Biblical God’s intentions when he sealed them? Did he think they would need them again in the future…?
Well, it wasn’t like all the seals on their powers had been lifted. Right now, it was only the reflection ability that had come back—and to me, not Vali.
I may have taken part of his White Dragon Emperor powers for myself, but it still felt strange that I was only one who could use it. That was why Ddraig and Albion were delving into their Sacred Gears, looking for ways to regain the powers they once possessed.
…But Ddraig was at a dead end. The lingering remnants of his previous hosts—my predecessors—had already moved on, so he couldn’t turn to them for help. He did say he had stumbled on some mysterious realm inside the Boosted Gear related to Ophis and the Great Red, but he told me he wouldn’t be able to step foot in it any time soon.
In any event, both Heavenly Dragons were still trying. Right now, they had connected their consciousnesses to dive into the Divine Dividing together.
“Albion is struggling…,” Vali remarked. “He’s trying to speak with his previous hosts, but they resent the Red Dragon Emperor. Those aren’t just old grudges—they don’t like you personally, Issei Hyoudou.”
…What was I supposed to do about that…? Apparently, the previous White Dragon Emperor hosts had formed a support group, some Red Dragon Emperor Victims’ Association. They were still mad even now that Albion and Ddraig had made peace.
…It was a weird situation, and apologizing wouldn’t solve anything. They were out for blood…
…Sure, they didn’t like that whole butt thing, but it was that old geezer Odin who started calling him the Ass Dragon Emperor, not me…! Though I did kind of feel at fault.
Maybe I would have to drag over Odin and make him apologize…?
Anyway, Ddraig had transferred his consciousness to the Divine Dividing to chat with the residual thoughts of Albion’s past hosts… Even with the White Dragon Emperor’s help, it was going to be a tough battle.
I just hoped they could find a way to restore their lost powers so they could be activated through their Sacred Gears…
“Well, all we can do it wait for good news.” Sun Wukong laughed as he breathed a cloud of purple smoke. “Once the Heavenly Dragons return, it’ll be easier for you, Red Dragon Emperor, to find your rhythm.”
“Really?” I asked.
“If you can figure out how to adjust your power, all you’ll need is Ddraig’s support and you’ll be ready to dive into battle,” he answered as he tipped the contents of his pipe into a portable ashtray. “It’s all about honing the basics, so that when the time comes, you two can fight in sync. I’m not expecting you to handle the Red Dragon Emperor’s powers all on your own at this point. You’re a team with Ddraig, after all. But if you don’t learn to manage it on your own at least to some extent, you’ll end up weighing him down. That’s why I’m pushing you so hard.”
Ah, so that was the objective here… And here I was convinced I had to learn to do everything myself.
Right. The Red Dragon Emperor was made up of me and Ddraig… I would keep training to take the load off him until he came back. Yes, I knew what I was doing now.
At that moment, Vali activated a magic square. “I have to go on ahead. See you next time, Sun Wukong,” he declared.
“Oh, scary, scary.” The old Monkey King chuckled sarcastically.