Underworld Training Facility - Evening]
The gravity chamber hummed with steady intensity. Ten times Earth's normal gravity pressed down on everything within the reinforced walls. Sweat dripped from Issei's face, each drop hitting the floor with audible weight.
He'd been at it for three hours straight.
Since watching Andrew transform into Super Saiyan and match Vali's Balance Breaker, something had changed in Issei. The hunger he'd felt before—the desire to get stronger—had evolved into something sharper. More focused.
I can't stay where I am. Not anymore.
He threw another combination at the training dummy—left jab, right cross, left hook. Each strike came faster, harder than the last. His muscles screamed in protest. The gravity made every movement feel like he was dragging chains.
But he didn't stop.
Issei: (breathing hard) "One more… set…"
His legs trembled. His arms felt like lead. But he kept moving. Kept pushing.
Andrew achieved Super Saiyan because he had to protect someone. Vali unlocked Balance Breaker through raw determination and skill. What am I doing? What am I fighting for?
The answer came immediately: Asia. Rias. Akeno. Koneko. Kiba. Andrew. Everyone who believed in me.
His fist connected with the dummy again—harder this time. The impact sent a shockwave through the chamber.
Issei: "I won't… be powerless… ever again!"
His vision blurred. The gravity pressed down like a physical weight trying to crush him into the floor. His body was reaching its limit—muscles tearing, lungs burning, mind screaming for rest.
But something deeper pushed back.
No. Not yet. I'm not done.
He threw one more punch—putting everything he had left into it. Every ounce of strength, every fragment of willpower.
The punch connected.
And then his legs gave out.
Issei collapsed to one knee, gasping for air. His entire body was shaking. The red gauntlet on his left arm pulsed faintly—a rhythm that matched his heartbeat.
Is this… my limit?
For a moment, there was only silence. Only the hum of the gravity chamber and the sound of his ragged breathing.
Then—
???: "Finally."
Issei's head snapped up. The voice was deep, resonant—like thunder rolling across distant mountains. It came from inside his mind, but also from the gauntlet itself.
Issei: (looking at his left arm) "Who…?"
???: "You've been using my power for months now, boy. But this is the first time you've truly pushed yourself. The first time you've shown me you're worthy of hearing my voice."
The gauntlet flared with crimson light. Energy surged through Issei's body—not overwhelming, but present. Warm. Powerful.
Issei: "You're… the dragon? Ddraig?"
Ddraig: "The Red Dragon Emperor. Ddraig, the Welsh Dragon. Yes."
Issei's breath caught. He'd known intellectually that the Boosted Gear housed a legendary dragon. Rias had explained the basics when she'd reincarnated him. But hearing the actual voice, feeling the presence behind that power…
It was different.
Issei: "Why… why now? Why didn't you speak to me before?"
Ddraig: "Because you weren't ready. You were content to use my power in bursts—calling upon Boost when you needed it, then retreating back to comfort. But after witnessing that Saiyan's transformation… something changed in you."
Issei's fists clenched.
Issei: "Andrew. You saw that?"
Ddraig: "I see everything you see, partner. And I felt your reaction. That hunger. That determination to push past your limits." There was approval in the dragon's voice. "That's when I knew you were beginning to understand what it means to be my host."
Issei pushed himself back to his feet, wobbling slightly under the gravity's pressure. His legs were still shaking, but he forced them to hold.
Issei: "Balance Breaker. That's what I need to reach, isn't it? The ultimate form of the Boosted Gear."
Ddraig: "Yes. But Balance Breaker isn't something you can achieve through raw training alone. It requires understanding. Harmony between host and dragon. A unity of purpose."
Issei: "Then teach me. Tell me how to get there."
Ddraig: (chuckling, a sound like distant thunder) "Eager, aren't you? Good. That fire is what I need in a host."
The dragon's presence grew stronger in Issei's mind—not oppressive, but commanding. Ancient.
Ddraig: "Listen well, Issei Hyoudou. I am Ddraig, the Red Dragon Emperor. For centuries, I fought my eternal rival—Albion, the White Dragon Emperor. Our battles shaped legends. We pushed each other to greater and greater heights, developing techniques that defied the natural order."
Issei: "Albion… that's Vali's dragon, right? The one in his Sacred Gear?"
Ddraig: "Correct. The Divine Dividing. While I developed the power to Boost—to double and transfer power—Albion developed the ability to Divide and reflect. We were opposites. Rivals. And through our rivalry, we became… partners of a sort."
Issei listened, absorbing every word.
Ddraig: "Our battles were so destructive that we interrupted the Great War between Angels, Devils, and Fallen Angels. The three factions couldn't allow us to continue unchecked. So they worked together—the only time in history they truly cooperated—and sealed us both into Sacred Gears."
Issei: "They… sealed you? Both of you?"
Ddraig: "Yes. I was bound into the Boosted Gear. Albion into Divine Dividing. Our rivalry continued through our hosts across the centuries. Some were worthy. Most were not."
There was a pause—heavy with meaning.
Ddraig: "But you, Issei Hyoudou… you have potential. I've seen it. The way you fight for others. The way you refuse to give up even when your body is screaming at you to stop. That's the mark of a true Red Dragon Emperor."
Issei's chest tightened. Not from exhaustion this time, but from something else. Pride. Recognition.
Issei: "Then I won't let you down. I'll reach Balance Breaker. I'll become worthy of your power."
Ddraig: "Good. Then let's begin. From this moment forward, we are partners. You will train not just your body, but your connection to me. You will learn to feel my power as an extension of yourself—not a tool to be borrowed, but a part of who you are."
The gauntlet flared again, and Issei felt energy surge through him—revitalizing his exhausted muscles, sharpening his focus.
Ddraig: "Stand up, partner. Your training is just beginning."
[Outside the Gravity Chamber]
Andrew stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the wall. He'd been standing there for the past twenty minutes, observing through the reinforced glass window.
He'd felt it—the shift in Issei's energy. The moment when something changed. When his brother's power signature became… sharper. More defined.
He awakened Ddraig, Andrew thought, a small smile tugging at his lips. About time.
Rias approached from behind, having sensed the energy fluctuation as well.
Rias: "Andrew? Is everything alright? I felt a surge from the training chamber."
Andrew: "Yeah. Everything's fine. Better than fine, actually." He nodded toward the window. "Issei just took his first real step toward Balance Breaker."
Rias's eyes widened. She moved to the window and looked inside, seeing Issei standing in the gravity chamber—battered, exhausted, but radiating a new intensity.
Rias: "He… he awakened the dragon?"
Andrew: "Looks like it. Took him a month of pushing himself to the breaking point, but he did it."
Rias: (softly, with pride) "My adorable little pawn is growing up."
Andrew chuckled. "He's got a long way to go. But yeah… he's on the right path now."
[Inside the Chamber - Continuation]
Issei stood tall now, despite the gravity pressing down on him. The exhaustion was still there, but something else had taken root. A connection. A partnership.
Issei: "Ddraig… can I ask you something?"
Ddraig: "Speak."
Issei: "Andrew… my brother. Can you sense him? His power?"
There was a pause. Then Ddraig's voice came back, tinged with intrigue.
Ddraig: "Yes. I've felt his presence since you first brought him around. That Saiyan… he's unlike anything I've encountered in centuries. His power isn't tied to Sacred Gears or demonic bloodlines. It's raw. Primal. Earned through discipline and battle."
Issei: "He's stronger than me, isn't he?"
Ddraig: "For now, yes. But that doesn't mean you're weak. It means you have room to grow. And growth, partner, is what separates legends from footnotes in history."
Issei nodded, absorbing the words.
Issei: "Then I'll grow. I'll keep pushing until I'm strong enough to stand beside him. To protect the people I care about."
Ddraig: "That's the spirit. Now—deactivate the gravity and rest. Your body needs recovery. Tomorrow, we begin your real training."
The gravity chamber powered down, and Issei felt the weight lift from his shoulders. He walked toward the exit, his legs still shaky but his resolve unshaken.
As the door opened, he saw Andrew waiting outside.
Andrew: "Hey. Good session?"
Issei grinned—tired, but genuine.
Issei: "Yeah. Really good. I think… I think I'm finally starting to get it."
Andrew placed a hand on Issei's shoulder.
Andrew: "I can tell. Your energy's different now. Sharper. Focused."
Issei: "Ddraig… the dragon in the Boosted Gear. He spoke to me. Actually spoke to me."
Andrew: "That's huge, bro. That means you've earned his respect."
Issei: "I'm going to reach Balance Breaker. I don't know how long it'll take, but I'm going to do it."
Andrew: "I know you will. And when you do, it's going to be something incredible."
They walked together down the hallway, Issei exhausted but energized, Andrew quietly proud.
Somewhere deep within the Boosted Gear, Ddraig rumbled with satisfaction.
Ddraig: (to himself) "This one… this one might actually surpass the others. And that Saiyan brother of his… interesting times ahead."