The world dissolved into a haze of pain and desperation. Mittelt stood over me, her spear of light poised for the killing blow. Asia's scream echoed in my ears. This was it. Failure.
*NO!*
The refusal was not a thought, but a primal roar from the core of my being. It was a vow to protect, a defiance of death itself, channeled with every shred of my will into the slumbering power within.
The response was instantaneous and cataclysmic.
A torrent of raw, overwhelming power erupted from my soul, so vast it threatened to consume me. A searing, crimson light exploded from my left arm, so intense it forced Mittelt to recoil with a shocked cry. The pain from my wounds vanished, burned away in this new inferno.
I looked down. Encasing my left arm, from wrist to elbow, was a gauntlet of beautiful, intricate red scales that seemed to drink the light. At the center of the back of my hand, a green jewel pulsed with a rhythm that matched the furious beating of my heart. This was no mere tool; it was a part of me.
The voice, ancient and draconic, resonated in my skull, not with a countdown, but with a simple, profound statement.
**[ I am the Boosted Gear. The Red Dragon Emperor dwells within you. ]**
**[ The enemy is before us. Let us crush them, Partner. ]**
Mittelt regained her footing, her face a mask of fury and confusion. "A Sacred Gear?! Impossible!" She hurled her light spear at my face.
I didn't think. I moved.
My left arm snapped up. The red-scaled gauntlet met the spear head-on. There was a deafening *CRACK* and a shower of brilliant red and white sparks as the holy energy shattered against the draconic defense. The force of the impact didn't even push me back.
A wave of exhilaration washed over me. The power wasn't just in the gauntlet; it flooded my entire body, reinforcing my muscles, sharpening my senses. I felt… invincible.
I pushed off the ground, the stone floor cracking under my feet. I was a red blur. Before Mittelt could even form another spear, I was in front of her. My right fist, amplified by the demonic and draconic energy coursing through me, drove into her stomach.
The air left her lungs in a choked gasp. Her eyes bulged, disbelief and agony warring on her features. She was thrown backward, crashing through a pew in a splinter of wood.
From the ritual circle, Raynare's shriek was one of pure, undiluted shock and rage. "YOU! It can't be! I killed you! What IS that thing?!" Her composure was utterly gone, replaced by a frenzied hatred. "Dohnaseek! Kalawarner! Forget the ritual! Destroy him!"
The two other Fallen Angels turned from Asia, their own light spears materializing. They moved to flank me.
I stood my ground, pushing Asia further behind me with my right arm. The Boosted Gear hummed with power, a low, hungry thrum. I could feel the energy within me building, coiling, pressing against its limits. It wasn't a timer; it was a pressure cooker.
Dohnaseek lunged first. I parried his spear thrust with my gauntlet, the impact sending another cascade of red sparks flying. Kalawarner attacked from the side. I dropped my weight, twisting my body, and her spear sliced through the air where my neck had been. My Combat Intuition, supercharged by the Boosted Gear, made their movements seem sluggish.
I grabbed the shaft of Dohnaseek's spear as he overextended. With a roar that felt only half my own, I wrenched him forward and headbutted him square in the face. I felt the crunch of his nose, and he stumbled back, howling.
The power within me surged again, responding to my aggression, to my will to fight. It wasn't a "boost" every ten seconds; it was a continuous, escalating crescendo of power.
**[ The power doubles. Let it flow! ]**
A new wave of energy, twice as potent as the first, exploded through my circuits. The green jewel on my gauntlet flared like a miniature star. I didn't wait. I spun on Kalawarner, my speed now truly terrifying. I kicked out, my foot connecting with her knee. There was a sickening pop, and she collapsed with a scream.
But the strain was immense. My body, even enhanced, was screaming in protest. Channeling this much power was like trying to hold back a dam with my bare hands. I was winning, but I was breaking.
Raynare saw it. Her eyes, wide with fury, narrowed in calculation. She didn't aim for me. She hurled her spear, not at my heart, but in a high, arcing trajectory over my head.
It was heading straight for Asia.
There was no time to think. No time for a graceful block. I threw myself backward, shoving Asia to the ground and covering her with my body. I raised the Boosted Gear above us like a shield.
The light spear struck the gauntlet.
The world turned white and red. The sound was apocalyptic. The church trembled, and dust rained from the ceiling. The spear shattered, but the concussive force blasted the air from my lungs. I felt something crack in my ribs. I had protected her, but I was spent. The torrent of power receded, leaving me gasping, my body a wreck.
I looked up. Raynare was forming another spear, a triumphant, cruel smile on her lips. Dohnaseek and a limping Kalawarner closed in. Mittelt was struggling to her feet. I had taken them all on, but I had nothing left.
"Now you die, for good this time," Raynare spat.
And then, the entire wall of the church behind her vaporized in a storm of crimson light.
Standing in the newly made entrance, surrounded by an aura of absolute, annihilating power, was Rias Gremory. Her eyes burned with hellfire, her hair a crimson banner in the demonic wind.
"You dare harm what is mine?" Her voice was quiet, yet it filled the vast space, promising utter oblivion. "Your existence is forfeit."
The real battle was about to begin, and the King had taken the field.