Asia's heart twisted with fear, worry, and awe.
Draconis was already battered, wounds barely closed, and now he was taking the brunt of another attack—just to save her.
Tears streaming, Asia summoned Twilight Healing, pouring every ounce of power into him.
The pain dulled, but Draconis knew the real fight hadn't even begun.
Snatching Asia back under cover of Rias and Akeno's assault was just the first move. The true test would be surviving the inevitable counterattack. Right now, he and Asia were deep in enemy territory.
Rias and her team watched, nerves stretched taut. They understood Draconis's plan now, saw him shield Asia with the Divine Lament Shield, and prayed silently.
Hold on. Come back safe...
Rias began gathering magic again, preparing to break the siege the instant their attack faded. She knew: as soon as the flames and lightning disappeared, Draconis and Asia would face all three fallen angels at once.
She had to be ready to strike, or they'd be doomed.
Akeno's expression was grave. No matter how fast she and Rias moved, they couldn't outpace the angels already within arm's reach of Draconis.
He'd have to survive the first assault alone—and in his condition, that seemed impossible.
They truly feared he'd be overwhelmed, killed before they could even help.
Two of those angels were super-class—monsters on Rias's level.
The firestorm and thunderclouds began to thin. Draconis braced himself, knowing the worst was coming.
He drew a shaky breath and murmured to Asia, "Heal me. Everything you've got."
As her magic flooded him, Draconis reached for the Aegis of the Virtuous Monarch.
The Sacred Gear answered instantly. His body shuddered.
Whoosh... whoosh...
Everyone heard it—the sound of waves crashing, rolling inside Draconis's body.
They weren't novices. That sound meant magic power, wild and surging, tearing through him.
Akeno's hand flew to her mouth, eyes wide. "Sacred Gear resonance...?"
Draconis was pushing the Sacred Gear to its limit, igniting every drop of magic in his veins.
It was the path of evolution for all beings—using will to commune with heaven and earth, to break through. But it was dangerous. A single misstep could mean death.
But Draconis had no other choice.
He'd reached his contract's bottleneck. He'd planned to try this breakthrough later, in safety. Now, with Asia at risk, he had to gamble.
If he could reach mid-class devil power here, he might survive the angels' strike. He didn't need to win—just block one attack. After that, Rias and Akeno would take over.
His body trembled as magic power roared through him, resonating with the Sacred Gear and the world itself.
Pain crashed down, relentless—a tidal wave, a mountain collapsing.
Blood vessels popped in his eyes. Draconis clenched his jaw, silent, remembering Rias's words:
"Sacred Gears respond to your will. The stronger your resolve, the greater their power. But your body must withstand it."
So—if his will held, and Asia healed his body, he could break through.
He dove into his mental world, the darkness swirling around him. The Aegis gleamed ahead, and above the fortress walls of a vast black city, a bronze bell hung.
No hesitation. He slammed his will into the bell.
DONG!!!
The bell's toll echoed through the void—and into reality.
"What was that?!" The fallen angels flinched, glancing at Draconis even as they fought off Rias's fire and Akeno's lightning.
From that sound, they felt a crushing, primeval power—enough to destroy them.
The Aegis flared, magic inside Draconis boiling, surging even harder.
Splurt, splurt, splurt—
Wounds burst open across his body, blood spraying, turning him into a crimson phantom.
"Ah!" Asia gasped, frantic, channeling all her healing into him.
In the darkness, Draconis growled, "Again."
DONG!!
The bell rang, deep and ancient.
He felt the barrier begin to crack.
It was agony—pain so fierce it felt like his soul was splitting.
Normally, evolution wasn't this brutal. But Draconis had chosen the most extreme path. The cost: pain multiplied tenfold.
He gritted his teeth.
He had to break through. If he died here, Asia might die too. Rias might be forced into a loveless marriage. Mai...
In his mind, Draconis looked up at the bell, eyes steady.
His will solidified, fists clenched, and he struck again.
DONG!
DONG!
DONG!
Three blows. Three long, thunderous tolls.
His body erupted in blood, flesh torn and raw.
But in his inner world, the black city beneath his feet blazed with golden veins, spreading outward—like a sleeping giant awakening.
In reality, Rias and Akeno's suppression faded. The fallen angels lunged.
"Die, kid!"
At that instant, magic exploded inside Draconis—ten times stronger.
He snapped his eyes open.
Within his pupils, a miniature black city shimmered, golden lines racing across its walls.
Gold flooded his irises, transforming them into blazing, imperious golden eyes.
For a moment, the outline of the ancient city flickered in his gaze—shadowy, immense, and full of mystery.
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