Chapter 274: Haruto's Balance Breaker
The three girls who had formed Soul Contracts with him suddenly blushed deeply. Exclusive Crests appeared on their lower abdomens and snowy, slender necks, mirroring the pattern on Haruto.
The faint magical glow on their abdomens was concealed by their clothing, hiding the specific design of the crests.
But the heart-shaped chokers on their delicate necks instantly captured everyone's attention. The chokers, centered around a heart motif, pulsed rhythmically like breathing.
Rias's was bright red, Akeno's was soft yellow, and Yuuma's was deep purple.
Mana of the same color as their chokers flowed through the Soul Contracts toward Haruto.
It wasn't just mana—their mental energy was also transferred. The sensations stimulating the girls' bodies gradually faded, though their mana and mental energy were nearly depleted.
Haruto let out a long breath. "President Sona, could you please look after Rias and Akeno for now?"
As for Yuuma, Mittelt and Kalawarna had already rushed to support her.
After ensuring the girls were settled, Haruto materialized the red steel dragon claw encasing his entire left arm once more.
Though not soul-bound, he was still acknowledged by the Red Dragon Emperor.
In other words, it was Haruto who refused to bind himself completely to the Red Dragon Emperor.
While he couldn't use Balance Breaker mode through resonance and the Red Dragon Emperor's assistance, Balance Breaker was essentially about maximizing the Sacred Gear's power.
If technique wasn't enough, then brute force would have to do—as the saying goes, enough strength can make a brick fly.
After merging the mana and mental energy from Rias and the other two, Haruto's already extraordinary soul power reached another level.
He poured his violently surging mana and formidable soul power into the Red Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet. Once he filled it completely and molded it entirely to his will, achieving Balance Breaker would be effortless.
Thump, thump, thump…
Intense heartbeat sounds emanated from Haruto's left hand. As the beats grew louder, a faint red dragon-shaped aura began to pulse over his body, expanding and contracting.
Vali's eyes narrowed—this scene felt familiar to him. It was the precursor to Balance Breaker.
An imposing aura gradually spread outwards with Haruto at its center. Sirzechs' face lit up with pleasant surprise, while Zolgear and the others across from them wore increasingly grim expressions.
They were already struggling to hold their ground, and now with the addition of a Red Dragon Emperor who had mastered Balance Breaker, escaping might no longer be an option this time.
They desperately wanted to scold Vali, urging him to act quickly instead of standing there watching foolishly. But considering this generation White Dragon Emperor's strength and temperament, they ultimately lacked the courage.
"Albion, we're about to meet our old friend. Any thoughts?"
Vali conversed with the White Dragon Emperor fighting alongside him through their soul connection. After fully mastering Balance Breaker, the Red Dragon Emperor's soul could communicate unimpeded.
Before reaching that stage, they could only communicate with their hosts through soul links.
But he didn't know Haruto's situation was special - the self-sealed, slumbering Red Dragon Emperor showed no signs of awakening.
The massive amounts of magic and soul power Haruto poured in were absorbed by Ddraig, consequently unleashing more of the Sacred Gear's power.
After the dormant Red Dragon Emperor had its fill, Balance Breaker naturally became usable.
While Vali remained unaware, as the Red Dragon Emperor's eternal rival, the White Dragon Emperor had already sensed something amiss.
White Dragon Emperor Albion's voice emerged in Vali's mind: "This one is different. Even after all this fighting, I haven't sensed that red fellow's presence."
"Not even now."
Albion's voice carried a somber tone: "It seems... that red one has been completely replaced. The one currently wielding his power is this devil before us."
The relationship between Ddraig, the Red Dragon Emperor, and Albion, the White Dragon Emperor, was peculiar. They fought to the death, continuing their rivalry even after becoming Sacred Gears.
But the Two Heavenly Dragons weren't mortal enemies. For instance, Albion was currently quite concerned about Ddraig's situation.
Had either of them been of different gender, they might have become another legendary couple instead of perpetually fighting.
As they conversed, Haruto reached the final stage.
A crimson dragon-shaped armor phantom suddenly expanded within the sealing barrier, then contracted and solidified into physical form in an instant.
[Balance Breaker]
An emotionless, powerful male voice resonated from the Sacred Gear's emerald orb as sleek crimson armor completely enveloped Haruto.
Through magical perception, he clearly understood his current appearance. His Devil Form had dissipated, the bat wings on his back vanished, though his tail remained - now transformed into a slender, dark red dragon tail covered in orderly scales.
Compared to Juggernaut Drive, this form was much closer to human shape.
Generally similar to Vali's White Dragon Armor but lacking those technologically-styled blue Light Wings. Instead, the dragon claw on his left hand appeared more ferocious, embodying a violent aesthetic.
Truthfully, Haruto preferred blue and white colors, which would better match his magical energy.
Still, red wasn't bad either - it complemented Rias' vibrant crimson hair well.
Feeling his comprehensively enhanced power, Haruto excitedly clenched his gleaming dragon claws.
So this is Satan-Class power...
No wonder Vali had acted so arrogantly before, as if he were third only to heaven and earth. Mastering such power at his age indeed qualified him for such arrogance.
Now that he possessed it too, it was time to settle previous scores.
[Boost],[Boost],[Boost]...
The doubling ability that originally activated every ten seconds was now continuously triggered. Having fully mastered the Sacred Gear's power, Haruto prepared to push himself to his limits.
Even with maximum amplification, he wouldn't collapse from exhaustion after the battle.
As the cold male voice kept echoing, Haruto's aura grew infinitely. Every Satan-Class powerhouse within the barrier wore grave expressions.
This generation's Red Dragon Emperor was stronger than they had imagined. Despite his calm emotional state and lack of intense obsession, he could utilize the Red Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet to such an extent...
They even suspected Haruto might already be capable of using Juggernaut Drive. After all, he had used it once at S-Class, albeit for only five seconds while nearly killing himself in the process.
Yet it remained an unprecedented feat, likely never to be replicated.
The result was Azazel, a veteran Super Devil Class powerhouse, being beaten to near-death by divine-level power before half of his strength could be unleashed, ultimately turning to dust under Rias' destructive magic.
Vali and Albion felt the impact most acutely, as Haruto directed his attacks toward them.
The crimson dragon armor shot skyward, transforming into a blood-red lightning bolt that tore through the heavens. A fist carrying space-shattering power struck the White Dragon Armor's chest without any flourish.
Vali attempted to dodge, but despite his speed specialty, he couldn't react in time.
The moment he was hit, he used his ability to halve Haruto's power. Just as he prepared to absorb part of it for himself, he discovered the energy was too immense - the excess overflowed beyond what his Light Wings could dissipate.
The halved power didn't affect Haruto at all. While preparing his next strike, the doubling ability had already taken effect, instantly restoring his power to its peak.
One punch, two punches, three punches.
Knee strike, elbow blow, throat lock.
Vali could barely resist. Even the high-quality White Dragon Armor cracked under Haruto's frenzied attacks, the falling fragments dissolving into pure magical energy.
However, the power-halving ability proved troublesome. If Haruto attacked too rapidly, his power couldn't keep up, potentially giving his opponent a chance to escape.
Thump—
A sonic boom-accompanied punch shattered the white dragon helmet. Vali's arrogant face was smashed sideways by Haruto's fist, blood spraying from his mouth.
"This won't do. Need a solution."
Haruto paused his assault, frowning inwardly. While satisfying, this approach couldn't secure victory.
Having revealed so much, he needed to reclaim some compensation. Moreover, judging by Sirzechs and others' attitudes, he couldn't expect their intervention.
His gaze suddenly fell upon the deep blue orb on his opponent's chest. Reasoning by analogy, that should be the core of the White Dragon Emperor's Light Wings.
Though he couldn't claim it for himself, what if disabling or seizing it could temporarily block the White Dragon Emperor's abilities?
Haruto was always a man of action - no sooner thought than done.
Before Vali could catch his breath, Haruto slammed him into the ground. Under the brutal force, the entire White Dragon Armor shattered completely.