Crimson light erupted from my body.
The moment I declared it, power surged outward like a shockwave, the pressure alone making the air scream. The aftershocks blasted through the store interior, rattling shelves, shattering glass displays, and tearing straight through the line connected to my gauntlet.
SNAP—!
The connection was blown away, the severed length of the snake-like conduit recoiling violently before dissolving into particles of black light.
Saji clicked his tongue and leapt backward.
"So you went straight for it, huh."
Red dragon-shaped armor wrapped itself around my body in blazing segments, wings unfurling behind me as my Balance Breaker completed its manifestation. Heat rolled off me in waves, the floor beneath my feet cracking as my power settled.
At the same moment—
Koneko moved.
She vanished from beside me without a sound.
Nimura barely had time to widen her eyes before Koneko appeared directly in front of her, fist already drawn back.
BOOM!
The impact sent Nimura flying across the store, crashing through a row of shelves and skidding across the tiled floor. She flipped midair, barely managing to land on her feet, coughing as dust rose around her.
"…Fast," Nimura muttered, wiping blood from the corner of her mouth.
Koneko didn't answer.
Her ears were fully out now, tail swaying slowly behind her. Pale youki and senjutsu mixed around her body, giving off a dense, compressed pressure that made the air feel heavy.
Back on my side—
Saji lunged.
The black snake around his arm hissed, its scales glowing as he swung a reinforced punch straight at my torso. I met it head-on, my gauntlet colliding with his fist in a deafening crash.
DO-GAN!
The shockwave blasted outward, blowing debris across the mall.
Saji slid back several meters, boots carving lines into the floor. He shook out his arm, eyes sharp but excited.
"Damn… That's insane pressure. So this is your Balance Breaker at full output."
I didn't reply.
I stepped forward.
The distance vanished instantly.
My knee drove into his midsection before he could fully react, launching him upward. I followed, wings beating once as I appeared above him and brought my fist down like a hammer.
Saji crossed his arms just in time.
CRASH—!
He was slammed straight into the floor below, the tiles exploding outward in a crater.
Before he could recover, I landed beside him and grabbed his shoulder, red energy flaring.
"Boost."
Power doubled.
Saji roared as he twisted free, rolling away at the last second as my follow-up strike obliterated the spot where he had been lying.
"Tch—!"
He sprang back to his feet, breathing heavily now.
"…You're not holding back at all."
"I said I'd be careful," I replied calmly. "I didn't say I'd go easy."
On the other side of the battlefield—
Nimura activated her spell, a shimmer of defensive energy wrapping around her as she hurled multiple light constructs toward Koneko. Spears of energy screamed through the air.
Koneko stepped forward.
She caught one.
Barehanded.
The spear shattered against her palm as if it were glass.
"…That won't work," Koneko said quietly.
She stomped the ground.
The floor ruptured as raw senjutsu surged outward, knocking Nimura off balance. In that instant, Koneko closed the distance and struck—an open-palmed blow to the chest.
Not explosive.
Not flashy.
Just dense.
Nimura was sent flying again, crashing hard into a pillar. The pillar cracked straight down the middle.
"…Gh—!"
She slid down to one knee, struggling to breathe.
Koneko approached slowly, fists clenched, trembling—but not with fear.
With restraint.
"…I won't lose control," she whispered to herself.
Back with me—
Saji charged again, his Sacred Gear snake hissing as it tried to latch onto my armor.
I let it.
The serpent wrapped around my arm—and immediately began to smoke.
"…What?"
I looked down at it.
"Boost."
The sudden surge overloaded the connection. The snake screeched, unraveling violently before dissolving completely.
Saji's eyes widened.
"So that's how it is… brute force overload."
I raised my fist, red energy condensing into a tight spiral.
"This ends here."
Saji braced himself, grinning despite the sweat pouring down his face.
"Yeah… figured."
~~~
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