Chapter 21 - Ddraig
"Partner, who are you? And is that girl also your Sacred Gear?"
Ddraig's tone softened; awakening to find this little girl surpassing him was a blow.
"Knowing too much isn't good for you," Evan replied.
He patted Est's head and asked softly, "Is there a way to make it appear only when I'm in battle?"
Est sized up Ddraig's consciousness, then nodded. "Yes. Store it in the Astral Spirit World, and it can't get out on its own. Its awareness can't break through dimensions."
"Even simpler, then," Evan said. When he first transmigrated, receiving Est as part of the beginner's package, he also got a small personal storage space from the Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance setting of the spirit world.
It was his private item.
"Wait a minute! Partner, you're not really going to lock me, are you?" Ddraig panicked, realizing Evan was serious.
"Listen, the Sacred Gear's full power comes when the host and gear's soul are in tune. Your way, you might not reach Balance Breaker!"
Ddraig leveraged its power as a bargaining chip.
It didn't mind slumber, but being thrown into another dimension right after awakening? Unacceptable.
"Balance Breaker? You think that's difficult for me?" Evan smiled faintly.
Entering the gear's inner space, Evan had figured out the rules for triggering Balance Breaker.
It typically required a major mental shift or intense emotion (sadness, joy, excitement, sorrow, fear). But that wasn't the only route.
Evan's will and conviction were firmer than most.
From the moment he got the gear, he could push it to Balance Breaker.
In reality, the emerald jewel on the gauntlet glowed dazzlingly. Crimson flames engulfed Evan's body, azure energy crackling like lightning.
Fiery red armor materialized wave-like, wrapping around him.
In a blink, Evan was encased in crimson armor, over two meters tall, with a red metal dragon's tail extending from his spine.
The aura billowed like magma, blowing away nearby junk.
Surging power flooded Evan. In this state, his strength rivaled Satans of the Underworld.
He might be an ant compare to Sirzechs, but could match Serafall's level.
Unlike learned skills, a Sacred Gear is "max level" by nature. The difference is how much a user can draw out.
Like a handgun: the bullet's firepower is the same, assuming you aim accurately.
Matching a Satan wouldn't satisfy Evan. He knew the Boosted Gear had another domain beyond Balance Breaker— Juggernaut Drive.
No Red Dragon Emperor host had fully managed it. Some who forced it died.
Two reasons:
1. Past hosts couldn't endure Ddraig's full power; Juggernaut Drive collapsed their bodies.
2. Deep in the Longinus Gear's consciousness space lay grudge-filled remnants of past Red Dragon Emperor hosts. In Juggernaut Drive, these resentful souls assaulted the user's spirit, causing mental breakdown.
Still, Evan felt he could handle it.
"Partner! How did you do that?! I've never seen anyone master Balance Breaker so fast!" Ddraig exclaimed, stunned.
Even monstrous geniuses needed a year and an emotional outburst to unlock it.
Yet Evan, calm and stable, wasn't even panting. Is this guy human?
"Because I'm a genius," Evan answered coolly, keeping his secrets.
"Balance Breaker gives a nice boost, though the face design is a bit ugly." Evan glimpsed himself in a nearby mirror.
His imposing form had one drawback: two upturned golden metal whiskers on the helmet. On the forehead, they'd be perfect. Style-wise, he felt the White Dragon Emperor's Balance Breaker looked cooler.
"Let's talk about our arrangement," Evan continued. "To make up for storing you in the spirit world, I'll thoroughly defeat this generation's White Dragon Emperor to settle your grudge."
Ddraig, sulking moments ago, perked up.
It and Albion, the White Dragon Emperor, were mortal enemies, crashing battlefields regardless of larger wars.
Even sealed in Sacred Gears, their hosts inevitably clashed.
Both wished to defeat the other.
Evan's suggestion made Ddraig agree instantly—no hesitation. The spirit world? Fine. Sleeping there might not be bad.
After proposing terms, Ddraig promised full support.
But when Evan mentioned training in the Juggernaut Drive, Ddraig was taken aback.
With a trembling voice, it said, "Um… Partner, could you not rush? The Juggernaut Drive isn't easy. Many previous hosts died trying."
"We're not rushing. We can take our time," Evan replied.
The Juggernaut Drive state unleashes the Red Dragon Emperor's full power.
Ddraig knew how fearsome it was, rivaling Underworld Transcendents.
Heaven's top forces or the Grigori never mattered to it. But colossal power has a steep price—no human body could endure it.
"Come on, Partner, be honest—did you run into trouble? Are you being hunted?"
"No."
"Then why are you so determined to grow stronger so soon?"
"If I have this power, I want to develop it. I won't leave a 'nuclear weapon' unused, relying on a handgun," Evan said, expression unchanged.
"I might not use it right away, but I can't afford not to have it."
Ddraig realized this man's will was unyielding, impossible to sway. Unable to persuade him, it could only cooperate.
Compared to unlocking Balance Breaker, pursuing the Juggernaut Drive was harder. Beyond whether a host's body and mind could handle the Red Dragon Emperor's prime, Evan worried about the restless souls in the Sacred Gear.
Ddraig said in Juggernaut Drive mode, their tormented consciousness would flood his mind.
Evan had no desire to let alien entities invade his head—purifying the curse became the top priority.
He conducted experiments, made headway, and decided to pause, hoping to resolve the Juggernaut Drive's side effects within half a month.
After reviewing his gains, Evan tidied the house. Then he noticed Asia timidly descending the stairs, her delicate features showing hesitation.
"What's the matter?" Evan asked.
"I… could I take a bath? I don't know where the bathroom is."
She'd been upstairs. Only after seeing the armor on Evan's body dissolve like a receding tide did she come out.
She hadn't bathed for days and smelled a faint odor on herself.
"A bath, huh," Evan thought for a moment, then asked, "Can you scrub my back?"
"Huh?"
In a bathroom large enough for ten, steam condensed on the glass walls, filling the air with hazy warmth that blurred vision.
Evan sat on a small stool in front, while Asia, wrapped in a towel, knelt behind him.
Her pale skin glowed alluringly under the lights, the strip of flesh between the towel's edge and her thighs sparking imagination.
Only three were in the bathroom: Evan, Est, and Asia, who was washing his back. Ddraig was already in the spirit realm, sleeping.
Gazing at Evan's broad back, Asia's cheeks flushed, her arms trembling, weakening her scrubbing.
"A bit more force," Evan said.
"S-sorry!" She apologized, gripping the towel and rubbing harder.
Having suffered two betrayals, she dreaded being abandoned again.
She wanted Evan to like her—she'd handle all chores, if only he wouldn't cast her out.
"No need to apologize. You're one of us now, so relax," Evan's carefree voice drifted over. He'd asked Est to wash his back before, but the sword spirit's "light pressure" often injured him.
"We're one of us?" Asia froze.
Tears trickled from her eyes. She wiped them away, murmuring, "S-sorry—I just got too happy… No one's ever said that to me."
"Evan… what are we, now?"
"Friends, family, companions—whatever you want to call it."
Those words struck Asia's heart profoundly.
"Family… I finally have a family," she said, tears streaking her face, yet smiling brightly.
"I'm so happy, Evan. Really, so happy. Thank you… truly, thank you."
Hearing her gratitude, Evan's lips curved faintly. Asia was an orphan, abandoned by her birth parents; his words clearly impacted her.
Meanwhile, Est, floating in the tub, glanced at Asia before leaning back to swim—only to sink with a "glug glug."
"E-Evan, Est just went underwater!"
"Don't worry. Let's keep going."
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