Starlight shone, a bright moon hung in the sky, emitting silver light that illuminated living beings on earth, becoming the only source of light amidst the thick darkness.
The Shinomiya residence appeared quiet. Besides the symphony formed by the sounds of active nocturnal insects and the footsteps of patrolling security guards around it, it seemed everyone in the residence had already entered the realm of dreams.
However, the reality was the opposite.
The events that happened today were like adrenaline injections, continuously stimulating the nerve ends of Gan'an and the others. Perhaps because everything that happened before was too sudden, even just lying in bed and recalling it now felt even harder to believe.
Hikaru, who was resolute in killing and extremely powerful.
Devil King Ajuka from myths and legends.
All these things seemed to shake their worldview.
Especially Gan'an, he had no idea at all when this child he had watched grow up had reached such heights.
Perhaps in Hikaru's eyes, the Shinomiya family and even all of Japan were unimportant matters.
He was very grateful that at that time, he turned the tide, suppressed all opposing voices from the family elders, and facilitated the engagement between Kaguya and Hikaru. As long as Hikaru stood behind the Shinomiya family, the Shinomiya family legacy that had lasted for hundreds of years would not be severed.
Arima and Daizen had conveyed everything they saw and heard today to the CCG and Onmyō Agency.
This information firmly warned the powers they oversaw respectively not to easily become enemies with him; otherwise, what awaited them was most likely destruction. Additionally, Arima not only conveyed the information to the CCG, but also through a very secretive method, conveyed it to the Aogiri Tree led by Takatsuki Sen. The warning words in that information were even more serious.
Shouzou, Manami, and Nako, who were temporarily staying at the Shinomiya residence, all deliberately lingered longer in their respective daughters' rooms, teaching many things before returning to their own rooms.
Both Kotonoha's and Kuroyukihime's faces were slightly flushed, as if their parents had just said something that made them a little embarrassed.
In Asuna's room.
"As close as possible to that man? Don't even think about it!"
Asuna, wearing white pajamas, lay on the soft bed. She 'viciously' punched the brown teddy bear in her hand, as if treating it as the annoying person.
After punching the brown teddy bear, the irritation in Asuna's heart slightly subsided. She then sat cross-legged on the bed, frowning irritably. She muttered to herself,
"Just because his power is a little stronger, to the point of making his daughter surrender herself like this!"
Right, it was surrender.
Her father Shouzou's, the Yuuki family head's, words had almost said it outright.
Asuna also understood some things. She knew that with the emergence of the Dimensional List, the entire world would undergo unprecedented great changes in the future, entering a completely different new era, an era where the strong prey on the weak, and power is respected.
At that time, families like Yuuki, Shinomiya, Yanagawa... if they still wanted to maintain their current status, they must have sufficient power to protect themselves, or rely on certain powerful individuals.
Hikaru's emergence, possessing Devil King level power, completely fulfilled the Shinomiya, Yuuki, Yanagawa families' requests...
It was inevitable that children from great families like her would be sacrificed. This time she truly could not refuse.
It's just that, upon thinking of Hikaru's various previous 'playboy' behaviors, and the fact that he was still Kaguya's fiancé, it made it hard to say, feeling like becoming a 'mistress'... or the type that had planned but not yet succeeded.
Asuna suddenly shook her head, discarding that embarrassing thought, and then thought sadly.
"Clearly don't want to get too close to this man."
The boundaries set before, unexpectedly within less than a few hours, she had completely broken them herself. It felt like being slapped in the face.
"How strong is Kanzaki Hikaru really?!"
This thought arose in Asuna's heart. Although she knew Hikaru was very strong, a Devil King level powerhouse, she still had no accurate measure of how strong he really was.
"That man's power is far more exaggerated than you imagine. There should be no existence stronger than him among humans."
A thick and serious voice exploded in Asuna's ear. At the same time, red light lit up on her right hand.
"Who?!"
Asuna was shocked. She had just wanted to stand up, but in the next second she lost consciousness and fell onto the bed.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Fire.
Fire filled the sky, burning madly. Fire pillars continuously erupted like volcanoes.
A complete world of fire, with no other matter visible.
"Why am I here?!"
Asuna, regaining consciousness, looked around in confusion, even extending her hand to touch the nearby fire, but felt no heat at all, or more precisely no sensation whatsoever, as if everything was an illusion.
"This is the consciousness space within the Red Dragon Emperor's, new host!"
That familiar voice appeared again. When Asuna focused her eyes on the source of the voice, her eyes suddenly narrowed, as if she saw an extraordinary sight.
"Dragon, giant dragon...!!!"
It was a giant dragon, a blazing red giant dragon bathing in a sea of fire, like a fire emperor, bringing unprecedented pressure, shaking the entire space.
Asuna looked at the giant dragon before her, her heart and soul couldn't help but tremble.
"I am the Dragon Spirit of Boosted Gear—Ddraig. Nice to meet you, future partner!"
"Boosted Gear, that's a Sacred Gear, the Sacred Gear nesting in my body?!"
Asuna suddenly remembered Hikaru's words.
"More precisely, it's a Longinus. If not for sensing that man's aura, I wouldn't have awakened either."
"Longinus?!!!"
Asuna was shocked. She didn't expect what nested in her body was a Longinus, the Sacred Gear rumored to be able to annihilate Devil Kings and Gods. No wonder Hikaru had targeted this Sacred Gear before.
"But, why doesn't that man want it anymore now?"
This was a Longinus, the Sacred Gear dreamed of by god and demon races. Why did Hikaru seem completely indifferent.
"That man no longer needs Boosted Gear to adorn himself. His power has completely surpassed the limits of this Longinus." Ddraig said in a serious tone.
"How strong is he really?"
Asuna asked the question that had long troubled her.
After pondering for a moment, Ddraig said.
"How strong? Stronger than Devil King Ajuka. Number one, the strongest among humans!"
"Number one, the strongest among humans!!!"
Asuna couldn't help but cover her mouth. Hard to imagine that Hikaru, this man with a bad personality, would become number one among humans.
"The white one has an extraordinary relationship with him. You must be careful."
After Ddraig finished speaking, the entire consciousness space slowly disappeared.
"Wait... who is the white one?"
Asuna quickly shouted.
"..."
At the moment Asuna's consciousness finally disappeared, she heard.
"White Dragon Emperor, your arch-nemesis!!!"