Defeating a Spirit and a man hailed as the strongest mercenary a thousand years ago is, for the current Loki Familia, an impossible task. A single Spirit alone means power on par with Orario's very top combatants—likely beyond merely Level 7.
If we treat those two as the enemies waiting ahead, then the Familia's main force needs to reach at least Level 6, preferably Level 7. Otherwise, crossing that wall would take a miracle.
Unfortunately, Tsunayoshi hates pinning hope on the unknowable. If he can help it, he'd rather place all hope within his own control—namely, in his own strength.
Thankfully, there's still a long runway before that scenario arrives. As long as there's enough time to grow, Tsunayoshi won't be left without options.
He hasn't fully drawn out his artifact's power yet. Right now he's still only using the surface layer. Its true depth lies in Balance Breaker.
Only by developing his ability to the realm of Balance Breaker can he raise its power to a real height.
Sitting at the desk in his private room, Tsunayoshi spun a pen between his fingers and thought about what might come next.
"Balance Breaker… Longinus are a special subset among Sacred Gears because they have higher growth potential and more outrageous power than ordinary artifacts."
"My current 'Annihilation Maker' is a bit mutated. It doesn't just produce single-form beasts; it can even redefine what a 'lifeform' is."
Tsunayoshi doesn't recall Leonardo ever making inorganic tools, so his Annihilation Maker started out as an oversized, abnormal Longinus. On top of that, he can manufacture things like Boosted Gear, Divine Dividing, and even the Sephiroth Graal—Longinus of the same class. That alone explains why his Annihilation Maker is anything but normal.
He jotted down a line in his notebook:
"Annihilation Maker: variant, higher grade, greater controllability; can manufacture other Longinus."
"Creation is possible—but the upper limit still sits inside the boundaries of my imagination."
He frowned.
Ordinary Longinus possess their own growth. With steady exploration and training, that growth unfolds on its own. But the Longinus he manufactures don't grow by themselves—their ceiling moves only when he himself grows. As his understanding of power rises, so does the upper limit of what he can make.
"My methods are multiplying, but the ceiling is still my cognition."
Seen that way, Annihilation Maker and his personal strength form a symbiotic loop. Early on, Annihilation Maker guarantees his safety. As his power, understanding, and upward imagination expand, they lift Annihilation Maker's cap in turn.
"Looks like I can't rush this."
Rapid growth won't work over there; that side still has a one-year blank period. Continuing to linger there would just waste his growth time.
"After this expedition, I need to go handle things on that side."
He finished his summary: raising Annihilation Maker's ceiling still hinges on his own growth. Everything else is groundwork for that growth.
"As for Balance Breaker… it won't come easy."
Balance Breaker is what you reach after developing a Sacred Gear to a deeper, emblematic state. It can erupt with power that makes the 'unreasonable' become 'reasonable.' But getting there is anything but simple. You need emotions so strong they surpass everything—obsession and resolve.
"I've got resolve, and I'm not lacking obsession… but my conditions still aren't enough to push the Sacred Gear further."
The Dying Will Flame springs from inner resolve—the stronger the resolve, the easier it is to manifest power. After so many unbelievable experiences, after arriving in another world and facing the Dungeon's monsters, that resolve is definitely there. Even so, he's still missing the catalyst that drives a Longinus into Balance Breaker.
"So… is my obsession with power not strong enough?"
Tsunayoshi arrived at his problem.
Thinking it through, the real key does seem to be obsession with power. He's immersed in a planned, step-by-step growth. Because he knows he still has time, the urgency isn't there. Without urgency, his obsession isn't intense enough to catalyze Annihilation Maker into Balance Breaker.
"Is the issue that I don't feel the future pressing down on me?"
"I know there's time for steady growth, no need to rush—and that mindset is what keeps me from reaching Balance Breaker."
"…Hah. Simpler than I expected."
The answer almost made him laugh. He's been too stable. Because he knows the plot, the pressure on his strength is lighter, and that keeps him from forging the obsession he needs.
"This is the downside of knowing too much—you can't manufacture enough pressure for yourself."
"There's still a year before the Home Tutor arrives in that world."
And yet he still doesn't feel any urgency. Not because his strength is already enough for everything, but because it's enough for that world's current crisis—just like now. With no life-or-death pressure, and with confidence in himself, he can't generate the obsession for power.
(End of Chapter)
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