Chapter 44 – Wisdom of the People
A thunderous impact split the air as two Longinus-class Sacred Gears collided. In a single instant, everything around them was obliterated—reduced to ruins under the sheer pressure of their clash.
The sky trembled with waves of blazing magical energy, scorching the very air itself.
『Divide!』
Albion's voice rang out in Akira's ears. He could feel his strength rapidly draining from his body, siphoned away as if torn from the core of his soul.
『Boost!』
But Ddraig's roar followed right after. The energy that had begun to vanish surged back, flowing as if from an endless source, replenished in an instant.
The Red Dragon Emperor and the White Dragon Emperor—two Heavenly Dragons, born of the dragon race that reigned supreme over the world. Their powers were absolute opposites, clashing like fire and ice.
Ddraig and Albion weren't just any dragons—they were the Two Heavenly Dragons, beings that had surpassed even the Five Great Dragon Kings. Only two beings stood above them in power: Ophis, the Dragon God of Infinity, and Great Red, True Red Dragon God Emperor, the True Dragon God.
Vali, floating in the air before Shin Akira, narrowed his eyes slightly. His voice was calm as ever.
"Why aren't you using your other Sacred Gear?"
A double Sacred Gear wielder—in most circumstances, that would be considered outright cheating. But Vali didn't care. If anything, it made the fight more exciting. He sought power above all, and no opponent, no matter how overpowered, would ever make him flinch.
Akira gave a small nod. "If you insist."
The moment the words left his lips, the air was pierced by the sharp sound of chains snapping into existence.
From all directions, golden chains—Chains of Heaven—shot toward the sky, their presence pulsing with divine pressure.
"Now this is more like it!"
Vali grinned, even as he soared higher into the night. His movements were lightning-fast, weaving through the golden restraints with graceful precision.
Suddenly, the clouds above were torn apart by a pale-blue lightning dragon.
It roared through the sky, its form majestic and swift as it dove toward Vali.
It was Akira's lightning magic, fully realized. With his current magical reserves, conjuring a dragon-shaped construct was hardly a challenge.
The lightning beast slammed into Vali with full force.
『Divide!』
『Divide!』
『Divide!』
As soon as the impact landed, the effect of Divine Dividing activated.
The roaring lightning dragon weakened with each passing moment, its overwhelming form shrinking until it became a mere serpentine flicker—no more than a spark, which Vali effortlessly dispelled with a swipe of his hand.
"That kind of trick won't work on me," Vali said flatly, his tone as composed as his gaze.
Akira shrugged. "I didn't expect it to."
『Boost!』
In a short span of time, Akira had already amplified his power several times over. Compared to his previous battle against Azazel, his strength now was in a completely different league.
With the Boosted Gear, his energy output had risen to monstrous levels.
Vali could feel it—the oppressive force of Akira's magic was nearly suffocating, so thick it felt like the air itself was pushing him down.
There was one key advantage Akira's Boosted Gear Scale Mail had over Vali's Divine Dividing: it didn't require physical contact to activate.
By contrast, Vali needed to touch his opponent to use Divide. That alone made Akira far more adaptable in combat.
Akira smiled. "Now, behold the power that rivals the King of Heroes' Gate of Babylon—'Wisdom of the People'!"
With a low, thunderous hum, the ground beneath Akira's feet began to tremble.
Then, the earth burst open.
Stone tendrils erupted from below, each ending in the shape of a different weapon—swords, spears, axes, and countless others, all shimmering with ancient might.
Vali's eyes widened. For a brief moment, he was speechless.
The battlefield had become a weaponized landscape. Thousands of armaments rose from the ground like a metallic forest.
The ability to forge weapons from the earth… That clearly wasn't part of the Boosted Gear.
Could it be… Akira possessed a third Sacred Gear? One that specialized in creation?
Vali frowned. Azazel never mentioned this. No wonder he was caught off guard.
A split second later, the newly forged weapons began launching toward him with terrifying speed. Each weapon carried an aura sharp enough to rival a Noble Phantasm.
For the first time in this battle, Vali's calm demeanor shifted. He moved swiftly, dodging and parrying the attacks with sharp precision—but he no longer looked as casual as before.
Akira remained grounded, encased in crimson armor. And yet… there was something else. A faint greenish glow clung to his body—subtle, but distinct. It wasn't something that could be hidden.
『Boost!』
『Boost!』
『Boost!』
The power-ups continued without pause.
Even after unleashing such overwhelming magic, Akira's energy showed no signs of depleting. On the contrary, it kept growing stronger.
Vali clicked his tongue.
"This can't go on. I need to eliminate all those weapons, fast."
He could feel Akira's magical output rising by the second. If left unchecked, the situation would spiral beyond his control.
He acted immediately.
In midair, Vali halted. His wings of icy-blue light flared out, glowing with intensified brilliance.
A pulse of raw power surged out from his back.
With one blinding explosion, a shockwave of magic erupted outward, obliterating the field of weapons below.
Then, in the blink of an eye, Vali became a white streak racing toward Akira. He couldn't afford to let this turn into a war of attrition.
Azazel had warned him—Akira could draw power from the earth beneath him.
As long as he stayed grounded, he would never run out of magical energy. He was like a living generator. If allowed to continue, Akira would become unstoppable.
"Shin Akira!" Vali roared, closing in.
Akira looked up at him with a faint smile. "A wise choice."
He released his control over the Wisdom of the People that had merged with the terrain.
With a single motion, golden chains shot out from behind him—Chains of Heaven, ready to intercept.
Vali raised his hand. A dark blue magic circle bloomed before him.
A barrage of magical projectiles burst forth, tearing through the chains with brutal efficiency.
He didn't stop. He pierced forward, straight toward Akira.
Then—impact.
Red collided with silver. Boosted Gear Scale Mail clashed against Divine Dividing Scale Mail.
The earth cracked beneath their feet, spiderweb fissures spreading from the epicenter.
『Divide!』
With the clash of their fists, Vali grinned in satisfaction. Contact had been made—and now, Divide could activate.
Akira's magic was instantly halved.
But then… Akira smiled as well.
He knew the weakness of Divine Dividing.
He had read this part of the story before.
In the next moment, Vali's expression shifted.
The sheer volume of Akira's magic overwhelmed the system. His mana was too vast—far more than Vali's body could absorb.
Divine Dividing's automatic safety protocols kicked in.
The crystal-blue wings on Vali's back began to fade, their color draining to a pale red. Scarlet particles of magic scattered into the air like glowing embers, forming a radiant mist.
It was the failsafe mechanism of Divine Dividing.
When the absorbed magic exceeds the host's limit, the wings forcibly release the excess, preventing overheating or catastrophic backlash.
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