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"Well then, Rizevim—ready for round two?"
Tenra flexed his knuckles, a wicked grin spreading across his face.
Rizevim's expression soured. He hadn't expected Lilith to just abandon him, nor for this Red Emperor brat to be so terrifying even without a Sacred Gear. Grendel was still out of commission, Crom Cruach was off somewhere—was he really supposed to take on Tenra himself?
No way. Evil overlords didn't get their hands dirty unless absolutely necessary. Besides, he was getting on in years. This young punk was just waiting to make him look bad.
"Lord Rizevim, allow me."
As Rizevim weighed his options, Euclid's voice rang out. He stepped from the palace shadows, his figure flickering into place between Rizevim and Tenra.
Rizevim's eyes lit up, a sly smile curling his lips. "Ah, Euclid-kun! Back just in time. The Red Emperor's all yours."
That was the beauty of being the boss: let the minions handle the messy stuff while he sat back and enjoyed the show.
Euclid faced Tenra, his voice cold and precise. "Red Emperor, from here on, I'll be your opponent."
A crimson gauntlet materialized on his right hand, identical to the original Boosted Gear's first form.
Tenra's curiosity piqued. "So that's your knockoff?"
Euclid nodded. "Correct. At first, our research focused on the power granted to Issei Hyoudou by that otherworldly god. But we soon discovered he was the previous host of Boosted Gear."
"Even after losing his Sacred Gear, Hyoudou provided us with invaluable intelligence. Using that data, we created this replica Boosted Gear."
He smiled coolly. "It's just a copy, but it can reach Balance Breaker."
The gauntlet on his hand expanded, red light crawling up his arm and over his body until he was encased in gleaming crimson armor.
It wasn't exactly the same as Tenra's, but there was no mistaking it—this was Emperor's Armor.
A replica that could achieve Balance Breaker? Yubelluna and the girls stared in shock. Even Tenra's eyes narrowed.
"So you can hit Balance Breaker. But without Ddraig's soul, how much power can that fake really muster?"
Tenra's tone dripped with mockery.
The true strength of Boosted Gear wasn't in the artifact itself—it was Ddraig, the Red Dragon Emperor, sealed within. Without him, the armor was just for show.
Euclid nodded, regret flashing across his face. "True, we couldn't replicate Ddraig's soul. But we found a workaround—each time this armor activates, it consumes several devil souls. Costly, but effective."
His battle aura surged, a crimson storm swirling around him. "Come, Tenra Kamiyo. Let's see which Red Emperor stands at the end."
Tenra's lips curled. Scarlet armor blossomed across his own body, radiant and fierce.
If this was a duel between Red Emperors, he wasn't going to use Albion's power. This was pure Boosted Gear.
"Ddraig, let's show them the gap between imitation and the real thing."
"Understood, partner!"
Wings unfurled behind both combatants. In a heartbeat, they shot toward each other, two streaks of red lightning colliding in the sky.
"HYAAAH!"
Thunder crackled as fists flew. Energy exploded with every punch, the entire sky echoing with the roar of their blows.
"HAH!"
They traded thousands of strikes in seconds, then broke apart, hovering at opposite ends of the battlefield.
Both raised their hands. Twin crimson orbs condensed above their heads, swelling larger and larger, pulsing with raw power.
"Boost! Boost!! Boost!!!"
Gemstones embedded in their armor flashed furiously. The energy spheres swelled to monstrous proportions, then, with identical motions, Tenra and Euclid hurled them at each other.
Time seemed to crawl. The two blazing spheres collided midair—
BOOM!
The explosion was deafening, a blinding sun erupting in the sky. Shockwaves tore through the city, shredding everything in their path.
Rizevim hastily threw up layer after layer of defensive magic. Yubelluna and the girls screamed as the blast flung them hundreds of meters away before they managed to stabilize themselves. Lilith, perched on a high-rise railing, licked her lollipop, utterly unfazed. Every scrap of energy that came her way evaporated against an invisible shield, barely ruffling her hair.
"That's it, Euclid-kun! Crush that Red Emperor! Then you'll be the real deal!"
Rizevim's laughter rang out, manic and triumphant.
"A mere replica can fight Tenra-sama to a standstill…" Yubelluna whispered, eyes wide with disbelief.
Balance Breaker, Boost—were they sure this was only a copy?
Another thunderous collision sent both armored figures spinning apart.
Euclid hovered in the air, smirking. "Red Emperor, you're not so special after all."
Tenra snorted. "Relax, I'm just playing around. Don't tell me you actually think that knockoff matches up to me and Ddraig?"
He couldn't help but laugh. They'd barely traded blows, and this guy was already drunk on his own hype.
"Playing around? Don't insult me!" Euclid's face twisted in anger. "Even compared to my sister Grayfia, I wouldn't lose. With this armor, I could take on the Four Great Satans themselves!"
"If you're so arrogant, I'll show you its true power."
"Prepare to die, Tenra Kamiyo!"
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