On the other side of the battlefield, Akira resumed his offensive.

From every direction, streaks of bluish-silver lightning surged across the ground—manifestations of his Blue Lightning Light. Like a tidal wave of divine fury, they roared forth, forming a storm of serpent-like arcs crashing down like thousands of thunder dragons striking at once.

"Don't underestimate me!!"

Vali shouted.

The crystalline blue wings on his back expanded with blinding brilliance, radiating a wave of pure magic that shattered the incoming storm. One by one, the serpents of lightning burst into sparks mid-air. The deafening roars gave way to silence, and within seconds, the sky calmed once more.

Vali hovered in the air, emanating quiet authority. Below him, Akira stood firm, his eyes locked with Vali's.

The stillness didn't last.

"Shin Akira... This is the trump card I've prepared—just for you," Vali declared, his voice calm yet weighty. "Originally, I wanted to save this for the climax. But it seems... you've been holding back."

He exhaled softly, a rare flicker of emotion crossing his otherwise composed face.

"If you end up dying because of that, don't blame me."

Akira's gaze didn't waver. His tone was as steady as ever.

"If it comes to that... I won't hold anything back. I'm not so careless as to gamble with my life."

Vali smirked. "Good. Then—bear witness. Let the power of the Heavenly Dragon rise again in this world!"

A thunderous pulse tore through the air.

Waves of overwhelming energy burst forth from Vali's body, his magical and spiritual pressure surging like a tempest, shaking the very ground beneath them.

Akira narrowed his eyes. He recognized this aura—intimately.

Vali wasn't bluffing. He was about to unleash that power.

『I, who am about to awaken—』

The moment that ancient incantation began, a swirling vortex of cursed magic enveloped Vali's entire form.

Akira instantly understood.

This wasn't a typical Balance Breaker. This was the abyssal form—Juggernaut Drive. The ultimate forbidden evolution of a Longinus Sacred Gear. A shape born from hatred, pain, and the cursed wills of its past users.

『Am the Red Dragon Emperor who has discarded the principles of domination—』

As the chant continued, the pressure grew heavier.

Within Divine Dividing lay the echoes of countless White Dragon Emperors who had succumbed to madness. And within Boosted Gear, similar memories—rage, agony, despair from past Red Dragon Emperors.

Juggernaut Drive wasn't just power. It was a double-edged curse. A strength capable of slaying gods, but also consuming its wielder in return.

『I shall walk the road of righteousness—』

Every word fueled the transformation. Black lightning rippled from Vali's core. His magic swelled to monstrous proportions.

Akira remained silent, but internally... even he couldn't deny the awe.

Once awakened, Juggernaut Drive pushed its user beyond all natural limits. But that strength came with a price—life force drained, soul eroded, and mind devoured by the cries of those who walked the same path before.

『I shall become the Emperor of Crimson Flame—』

『And I shall lead you to the path of Heaven!—』

『Explode! JUGGERNAUT DRIVE!』

A violent explosion of magic erupted.

An enormous shockwave spiraled outward, obliterating the ground, bending the air, and turning the skies into a storm of power.

A roar—not just of power, but of a dragon's will—echoed across all of Kuoh Town.

Far away, hidden in the shadows, Azazel—the former Governor-General of the Grigori—let out a tired sigh as he watched the monstrous transformation of his foster son.

"So you really chose that path... after all, Vali."

As someone who had devoted his life to the study of Sacred Gears, and who raised Vali himself, Azazel understood the true nature of Divine Dividing—and its forbidden drive.

He knew Juggernaut Drive well. Knew that, despite Vali's refined control and improved mastery, the curse had not been completely lifted.

Vali had trained to replace the cost of life with magic energy. But even so... the memories of past hosts, their pain, their rage... still lingered.

And if those buried emotions rose to the surface—then not even Vali's iron will might be enough to hold them back.

Right now, Vali stood at the peak of High-Class Devil. A step more, and he would reach the Ultimate-Class.

But Juggernaut Drive vaulted him even higher—right into the territory of mid-tier Maou-Class beings.

This... this was why Longinus were feared. Power capable of surpassing gods, when wielded by the right person.

Elsewhere, Rias and the members of the Occult Research Club had already distanced themselves from the battlefield.

But the moment that pressure exploded—they all turned their heads.

And there, in the sky, they saw it.

A colossal white dragon had manifested.

"That's... the White Dragon Emperor?" Rias whispered, stunned.

"Looks like it," Akeno replied, her voice low.

"Is Shin-san... going to be okay?" Asia asked, anxiety in her voice.

"He hasn't weakened," Rias said, trying to reassure her. "His magical power's still steady. He's not being pushed back—yet."

Still, concern was written across everyone's faces. Even Koneko and Kiba, usually composed, looked uneasy.

They knew they couldn't interfere—not in a battle of this scale. All they could do... was trust him.

If Akira could overcome the White Dragon Emperor, then he'd return—alive.

Back on the battlefield—

Akira gazed at the white behemoth floating before him, eyes slightly narrowed.

Even though he had anticipated this outcome, seeing Juggernaut Drive with his own eyes was something else entirely.

"So... you've played your trump card."

Akira took a deep breath. "Then it's only fair... I show you mine."

"I've been waiting for this!" Vali shouted back, his voice full of raw excitement.

In this form, he now stood firmly within the mid-Maou class. And with that, he finally understood.

He understood why Akira hadn't even used Boosted Gear yet.

He understood the confidence, the arrogance, the control.

Akira wasn't holding back out of pride. He had simply never needed to go all out.

But now... he would.

Suddenly, the ground beneath Akira glowed with radiant emerald light.

A surge of pure magical energy burst upward, lifting his body into the air. As he floated higher, the earth below cracked open—and from it, countless chains began to rise.

Glowing, holy, unyielding chains.

Hundreds... no, thousands of them.

They spiraled into the sky like divine pillars, encircling the entire battlefield in their sacred radiance.

"I am the inheritor of Enkidu... and now, you shall witness the justice of the Chain of Heaven."

A surge of power engulfed Akira. Even in his Juggernaut Drive, Vali could feel it.

He couldn't ignore it. Couldn't dismiss it.

This wasn't just magic. It was something older. Something divine.

"The breath of the stars... now awakens."

The light from the chains intensified, illuminating the heavens. The entire battlefield vanished into a sea of green light and holy steel.

"Oi... you've gotta be kidding me."

Vali stared, speechless.

Before him, Akira stood bathed in light. A luminous figure descending from the sky, wrapped in power ancient and absolute.

And for the first time in their fight... a sliver of fear crept into Vali's heart.

『Vali! He's starting! Focus!』

"I know!! Bring it on, Shin Akira!!"

With a roar, Vali threw away every hesitation, every restraint, every calculation. He would meet Akira's full power head-on.

That was the only way to show respect to the strongest rival he had ever faced.

Akira raised one hand to the sky. His voice echoed like thunder.

"O mankind—bind even the gods with these chains!"

And in that moment...

For the first time in the world—

Chain of Heaven unleashed its true light.

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