Chapter 272: Facing the White Dragon Emperor
The moment Sirzechs spoke, Zolgear's attention was instantly drawn to him.
"Hmph, I originally planned to formally join the Khaos Brigade after seizing Wilbert's power," declared the old devil, known as the Devil Duke, his presence as imposing as in his prime. "I never expected the Gremory family to interfere first. In that case, I'll have to deal with you before going after that little girl."
Though Zolgear appeared powerful, his lifespan was nearly exhausted. If he couldn't break through to the god-level, he would turn to dust in a little over a decade.
Ten years was but a blink in the long life of a devil. Wilbert's power was his chance to extend his life, and he had neither the patience nor the time to wait for another opportunity.
When the Khaos Brigade contacted him again and informed him of this operation, he agreed almost without hesitation.
However, the cunning Zolgear wouldn't have made a move unless the success rate exceeded seventy percent and he was certain the Khaos Brigade would act.
That was why he hadn't appeared from the start and had immediately targeted Rias and the others upon his arrival.
If killing Rias and Sona could disrupt the two Satans' mental states, so much the better. If not, he had nothing to lose.
Treacherous, cunning, ruthless, and merciless—devoid of any dignity befitting a true powerhouse—that described him perfectly.
While the Satans conversed, Haruto continuously used his doubling ability, and Grayfia worked diligently to break the sealing barrier.
If possible, he truly wished these villains would talk a bit more—preferably from the dawn of chaos to what they'd eat tomorrow.
Unfortunately, though it took many words to describe, their exchange had only lasted a few sentences.
Ignoring Haruto, Zolgear directly confronted Sirzechs.
Though the old devil had never reached the god-level despite his long life, he was firmly at the Satan-Class. Layer upon layer of magic circles appeared as he fought the red-haired Satan to a standstill.
Shemhazai and Michael engaged their respective opponents once more. Though they held the advantage, eliminating Satan-Class powerhouses was no quick task.
"Though I'd prefer a one-on-one battle, to enjoy more combat..."
Vali fluttered the blue light wings on his White Dragon Armor, instantly appearing before Serafall. "Satan Leviathan, please die here."
The busty black-haired twin-tailed beauty also possessed Super Devil Class strength, but facing two descendants of the former Satans was proving too much for her.
When the White Dragon Armor appeared before her, Serafall had already created distance at her fastest speed, yet still had half her power drained away.
A wave of intense discomfort and weakness assaulted her senses. Seizing the opportunity she'd been waiting for, Katerea decisively struck.
Yellow lightning mixed with an ominous black energy slammed into Serafall, driving her from the sky into the ground.
Boom!
As the earth trembled, Serafall coughed up blood, her rarely-worn green blouse and suit instantly torn to shreds.
Swish—
Just as she was about to be exposed, she promptly used magic to conjure a magical girl cosplay outfit.
She normally enjoyed wearing such outfits, and in her panic, she instinctively adopted this appearance.
Though Haruto knew about Serafall's hobby, this was his first time seeing it firsthand. It was truly adorable, especially those beautiful legs wrapped in stockings - they could be called treasures.
While Haruto was enjoying the view, the dark beauty wasn't quite as pleased.
The thought that the Leviathan position had been taken by such a frivolous person made Katerea feel inexplicable rage surge to her head.
She selectively forgot about Serafall's earlier restraint and, coordinating with Vali, launched relentless violent attacks.
Serafall was strong - in a one-on-one fight, Katerea couldn't even tear her clothes. But with the White Dragon Emperor added to the mix, she was completely at a disadvantage.
Fighting two opponents would have been manageable, but the White Dragon Emperor's ability was too broken - the power to absorb half of someone's strength upon contact was both disgusting and bug-like.
The Red Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet only amplified its user, while the White Dragon Emperor's Wings could not only absorb half the power but also use it for themselves.
If the absorbed power was too great to control, it could be released through the light wings.
Watching Serafall get hit by magic again and again, her aura growing weaker each time, Sona could no longer restrain herself. Though she knew she couldn't help, she still wanted to go to her sister's side.
"Sona, battles at this level - even the aftermath is something we can't withstand.Rias tried to persuade the black-haired glasses girl. She was already SS-class and didn't dare approach the battlefield, while Sona was only S-class - going there would mean certain death.
"Rias... but my sister..."
Sona appeared aloof and indifferent to her teasing sister, but in reality, the two sisters were very close.
Only before Serafall would she reveal her soft side.
Haruto sighed, glancing at the silver-haired beauty's progress in analyzing the barrier, then at the black-haired twin-tailed beauty who had been driven into the ground again, coughing up blood continuously.
It seemed Serafall wouldn't last until Grayfia broke the sealing barrier.
"President Sona, you should stay put."
Haruto stretched his arms, transforming the Red Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet into its second form. "Going over there won't help, and Satan-sama would have to split her attention to protect you."
Hearing this, Sona finally stopped walking, though her reddened eyes looked rather heartbreaking.
"Don't worry, I'll protect the student council president's sister."
Haruto patted her head and smiled, saying, "Besides, I still have unfinished business with these two."
Bat-like wings unlike anyone else's spread wide, a dark sharp tail curled halfway up his calves, three patterns appearing on his left cheek. The moment his fully unleashed Devil Form was revealed, he decisively launched an attack that had been multiplied numerous times toward Vali.
"Hmm?"
The White Dragon Emperor in mid-air was startled and quickly twisted his body, barely dodging the deep blue torrent of Magical Power.
Vali stopped his coordinated attack on Serafall and looked excitedly at Haruto.
"Red Dragon Emperor, are you looking to fight me?"
"What else? You think I'm playing around?"
Haruto glanced at the other's handsome White Dragon Armor and curled his lips. Balance Breaker was indeed powerful and cool, but it heavily depended on the user's compatibility.
The ultimate realm of Sacred Gears, where the wielder's thoughts and desires can drastically reverse the "flow" of this world - that's when a Sacred Gear can achieve Balance Breaker. Every Sacred Gear has its own Balance Breaker, but not every wielder can achieve it.
Simply put, only when the host's emotions are intense enough to resonate with the Sacred Gear can they unleash its full power and reach the realm of Balance Breaker.
Haruto had almost completely mastered the Red Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet, but he hadn't formed a soul bond with it, nor was he the type to easily go to extremes.
Vali achieved Balance Breaker through single-minded pursuit of battle, while Issei Hyoudou achieved it through his obsession with breasts.
But for Haruto, the Red Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet was just a tool. His foundation was his dual cultivation ability, making it impossible for him to pour any single intense emotion into it.
So even though he could forcibly use Juggernaut Drive, he still couldn't master Balance Breaker, which meant he couldn't wear that cool red dragon armor.
Well, though his looks were handsome enough to substitute for cool armor, what man could resist the combination of steel, dragon, and armor?
Vali didn't care what Haruto was thinking. That previous attack finally made him understand that Haruto was an opponent worth fighting.
The White Dragon Emperor excelled in speed - otherwise that attack would have taken half his life.
Any Satan-Class being would dare not underestimate Haruto's full-power attack that had been multiplied dozens of times.
"HAHAHA!!"
The magnificent White Dragon Armor traced a V-shaped trajectory as Vali's somewhat perverted excited voice came from within.
"Red Dragon Emperor, let us engage in our destined battle!!!"
Vali Lucifer was heaven's favored child, but in terms of pure personal strength, Haruto definitely wasn't inferior to him. However, the other could maintain Balance Breaker mode continuously, which was somewhat troublesome.
The multiplication ability and penetration ability, plus the flame that could burn everything to ashes - Haruto used them all with superb skill, but they still struggled against the White Dragon Emperor's mindless absorption and halving.
Every time Haruto used an ability, it required some time, but in Balance Breaker mode, Vali could use the absorption and halving ability without any cooldown.