Chapter 176: [Empireo Juggernaut Overdrive]

"Boom!"

With a muffled thud that shook the air, a streak of light zipped toward Vali and landed a punch squarely on his chin, launching him into the air once again.

"Cough…!"

Faced with a strike of such overwhelming speed and a trajectory completely imperceptible to the eye, Vali couldn't even react, let alone dodge. The blow launched him skyward, shattering his helmet and forcing him to cough up a mouthful of blood.

Only after floating in the air for a while did Vali finally crash to the ground, raising dust upon impact and causing the ground to tremble. Cracks spread across his armor, as if it could shatter at any moment.

"My… my power…"

Vali staggered to his feet, clutching his chest and feeling the weakness overcoming him. His expression was unusually complex.

A careful observer would notice that the aura emanating from Vali had weakened to an unbelievable extent.

Originally, even without entering Balance Breaker or donning his armor, Vali possessed power equivalent to an Ultimate-class Devil. But now, his aura had diminished to the point that he was weaker than even a High-class Devil—perhaps even a Middle-class Devil could now surpass him.

This was the first time Vali had ever experienced such frailty.

After all, he was born with the blood of a Maou, possessing immense magic from birth. He could be called great from the moment he was born. Even as a child, he had the power to rival Ultimate-class Devils.

In other words, Vali had never truly known what it meant to be weak.

He had seen plenty of weak beings, yes, but to be weak himself—he had never experienced that.

Now, someone had made him feel it firsthand.

"How does it feel?"

That figure, identical in appearance to Vali's Balance Breaker form, slowly descended from the air, arms crossed, wings spread wide. The aura radiating from his body hadn't diminished—in fact, it had grown even stronger after absorbing Vali's power.

"All this time, you've used the White Dragon Emperor's Divine Dividing to weaken others and absorb their strength. But today, the one being weakened is you. The one targeted by Divine Dividing is also you. Your power has become my nourishment, making me stronger. Doesn't it feel terrible to have your power stolen by the enemy?"

Kaiser's distorted voice echoed from within his helmet. His soft laughter carried no schadenfreude, yet it still sounded mocking to Vali.

"…It does feel terrible. I hate weakness. I especially hate being weak myself."

Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Vali steadied himself.

He tried to repair his armor with magic, but found that his power had weakened so much that he couldn't even match a Middle-class Devil, let alone perform such repairs easily as before.

He tried to fly, but discovered that the Divine Dividing wings on his back had dimmed considerably. Even the power of his Sacred Gear seemed to have been partly taken, making it sluggish and unresponsive.

"So this is what it feels like to have one's power taken by Divine Dividing…" Vali gave a bitter smile. "I finally understand what my past opponents must have felt."

"Then you better remember this feeling well." Kaiser said calmly. "If you continue to challenge me, this might keep happening."

"…You think saying that will make me retreat?" Vali took a deep breath, eyes blazing brightly as he stared at Kaiser. "I haven't lost yet."

"Still want to fight?" Kaiser raised an eyebrow beneath his helmet, his tone half-amused. "Right now, you're not even a match for a Middle-class Devil, let alone me."

"I think you've already realized it—I'm superior to you in every way now, Sacred Gear or not."

"Without Sacred Gear, I still have the strength to fight Ultimate-class Devils with ten wings. You only have eight."

"With Sacred Gear, my Divine Dividing is stronger than yours, especially in Balance Breaker."

"You couldn't match me in base form, and you can't in Balance Breaker either. How could you possibly fight me in your current state?"

"Unless…"

Before Kaiser could finish, Vali interrupted him.

"Unless I use my final trump card, right?"

Vali finally took to the air again, his armor restored. Though his aura remained weak, his fighting spirit and will to battle grew ever stronger.

"I had planned to use it anyway. I just didn't expect to activate it in this weakened state."

Before Kaiser could respond, Azazel battling against Creuserey shouted toward them.

"Stop! Vali! In your current condition—"

He didn't get to finish. A blast of magical energy from Creuserey sent him flying.

"What is he trying to do?"

Issei Hyoudou punched away a robed sorcerer, an inexplicable unease rising within him. The arm equipped with his gauntlet began to burn and ache.

"Is he going to use that?"

Ddraig immediately realized what was happening. His deep voice was filled with solemnity.

But Vali paid it no mind. His gaze remained fixed solely on Azazel.

"I know I'm in terrible shape right now. If I activate the Juggernaut Drive recklessly, I'll immediately lose control and fall prey to the curse, losing both reason and life."

Even as he said this, aura erupted from Vali's body.

It started small but quickly grew, swelling larger and larger—until it surpassed even his peak.

This overwhelming aura was no longer a storm—it was a tidal wave.

"The Juggernaut Drive is dangerous. That uncontrollable power cannot withstand the judgment of the divine will. We proved this the last time we fought."

"So, all this time, I've been thinking—thinking about how to overcome the curse of the Juggernaut Drive, how to completely eliminate the risk of losing control."

"And now, I've succeeded."

Everyone was stunned as Vali made this bold declaration.

"Let me show you a new form of the Juggernaut Drive, as manifested in my hands!"

He raised one hand high, his luminous white armor enveloped in a holy radiance. The jewels embedded in his armor began to glow brightly.

I, who is about to awaken,

Vali began the chant.

Am the White Dragon Emperor who will take the law down to the darkness.

The once ominous incantation had changed.

It was now filled with fighting spirit.

Filled with resolve.

(To master the limits of the Heavenly Dragon!)

(To walk the tyrannical path of the White Dragon!)

(We shall suppress the infinite and devour the illusory!)

Even the voices that once sounded like vengeful spirits had changed—they now expressed not curses, hatred, or jealousy, but an overwhelming and pure will to battle.

I walk the road of domination with infinite destruction and by piercing through the imaginary dream.

I shall become a pure Emperor of White Dragon

And I shall have you obey the silvery-white illusions and the perfect evil ways!

Vali poured all of his fighting spirit into the chant, his entire body glowing silver-white.

Then, Vali, Albion, and those once-wailing voices overlapped, shouting a name never before heard in this world:

"Juggernaut Over Drive!"

In that instant, the "Tyranny" of the Two Heavenly Dragons—once doomed to be consumed by power, curses, and resentment—revealed a new possibility.

"BOOM!!!"

Vali's silver-white radiance transformed into silver armor, releasing a tidal wave of aura so immense that it distorted the very air around him.

The silver aura shook the heavens and the earth, making the barrier over Kuoh Academy tremble and creak with strain.

"This is bad!"

"Danger!"

Michael and Gabriel's faces changed drastically. They quickly deployed magic circles, channeling vast amounts of holy powers—the combined power of Heaven's highest Seraphs—to stabilize the barrier.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

But the people within Kuoh Academy weren't so lucky. Whether fighting or not, whether near or far, they were all blown away by the overwhelming aura, screaming in confusion and pain.

"Vali!"

"Lucifer!"

"What is this power?!"

Even Shalba, Katerea, and Creuserey were not spared. Under the onslaught of the massive energy torrent, they were either sent flying or forced to deploy barriers, their faces twisted in shock.

As relatives of Maou, they had never considered themselves inferior to Vali. In fact, knowing that he was half-human, they had looked down on him—scorned him—even though he possessed a Longinus and was the current White Dragon Emperor. Their sense of superiority persisted.

Vali had the power of a Heavenly Dragon? They had the power of Ophis. How could a mere Heavenly Dragon compare to a Dragon God?

With that mindset, even knowing Vali inherited the blood of Lucifer—the strongest of the Four Maou—they still looked down on him.

But now, that baseless superiority was utterly shattered by the terrifying power Vali unleashed.

"What is this?! What is happening?!"

Issei felt Vali's immense power more clearly than anyone else present. It was as if an invisible thread of fate connected them, and his heart cracked like fragile glass.

"…This is incredible, partner."

Even Ddraig's voice was shaken and bitter as he struggled to speak.

"Watch closely, partner. Don't blink."

"What you're seeing now is a realm even the Two Heavenly Dragons of the past never reached."

"The Juggernaut Drive—a cursed, ominous power that always led its users to destruction. Yet this generation's White Dragon Emperor has found a whole new path in 'Tyranny.' This is…"

As Ddraig's voice turned into a mutter, Vali emerged from the raging aura, revealing his silver form.

"[Juggernaut Over Drive], a new form that completely seals the consciousness of previous hosts. Through 'battle,' it achieves mutual understanding, transforming the original curse into boundless fighting spirit."

Vali's voice was calm, unlike the last time he used the Juggernaut Drive. No rage. No anxiety. Just clarity.

"This form depletes life force at twice the rate of the original Juggernaut Drive, but it can be sustained with magic instead. Though it still can't last long, there's no risk of losing control, no risk of madness."

This was the battle mode Vali had painstakingly devised over the past months—to defeat Kaiser and overcome the judgment of divine will.

With this new Juggernaut Drive, his will was indomitable. Supported by his ever-growing fighting spirit, he would no longer fear divine judgment.

This form would no longer sap his life. All costs would be paid in magic.

"This is the form I'll use to defeat you, Kaiser!"

With that declaration, Vali reached out toward Kaiser.

"[Compression Divider]!"

The jewels on his armor emitted a voice.

"BOOM!"

Suddenly, a terrifying distortion erupted around Kaiser, as if trying to crush him and the space around him into nothingness.

"...!"

Kaiser, who had quietly waited for Vali to reveal his new form, felt alarm bells go off. Without hesitation, he turned into a streak of light and dodged.

"BOOM—"

But the distortion followed like a tsunami, roaring toward him.

Anything touched by it—Devil, Angel, or Fallen Angel—was instantly compressed into a tiny dot and vanished before they could even scream.

Everything it touched—whether physical matter or intangible force—was compressed into nothingness.

"Get back!"

"Don't touch that!"

"The barrier can't block it! Run!"

Michael and Gabriel shouted in panic, urging everyone to flee as fast as they could.

"Is this an upgraded version of Divine Dividing's Half Dimension?!"

Azazel also retreated rapidly, shouting as he did.

The original Half Dimension of the White Dragon Emperor could halve the size of targets within a certain range. This upgraded version could compress all forms—even dreams and illusions—pushing the halving ability to its limit.

"This… this is really bad…"

Everyone had the same thought in their hearts.

This was very, very bad…