Chapter 274 Aki’s Balance Breaker
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The three girls who had entered into a Soul Contract with him gasped as a feverish crimson spread across their skin. Beneath the fabric at their lower bellies and along the graceful lines of their snow-white throats, their unique Crests1 pulsed into view. While the marks at their waists remained hidden, the heart-shaped collars etched across their throats could not be concealed. They shimmered with a steady, breathing light—Rias’s a vivid arterial red, Akeno Himejima’s a soft canary yellow, and Amano Yuuma’s a deep midnight violet.
Mana matching the color of each collar surged through the contracts and poured directly into Aki. Yet it was not merely energy. Their spiritual stamina flowed into him as well, leaving their senses dulled as exhaustion crept closer.
Aki released a long, ragged breath.
”President Sona, please—take care of Rias and Akeno.”
As for Yuuma, Mittelt and Kalawarner were already at her side, catching her before her knees could give way.
Once the girls were safe, Aki manifested the crimson gauntlet of the Red Dragon Emperor, allowing it to encase his entire left arm. He was not soul-bound to the entity behind it—he had rejected that particular yoke—but the power still acknowledged him. And when it came to his version of the Balance Breaker, he had never cared about earning a dragon’s approval. His philosophy was simple: if technique fell short, brute force would clear the path.
Drawing on the fused Mana and spirit of the three girls, he pushed his already anomalous soul-power to a terrifying new threshold and funneled the volatile, thrumming energy into the Boosted Gear until it felt like an extension of his own body.
”Thump. Thump. Thump.”
A heavy heartbeat echoed from his left arm. With every pulse, the spectral silhouette of a crimson dragon swelled and contracted across his skin.
Vali’s eyes narrowed.
He knew that rhythm.
It was the prelude to a Balance Breaker.
Pressure radiated outward from Aki, expanding until it filled the center of the barrier with a suffocating weight. Sirzechs watched with a flicker of genuine surprise, while the color drained from the faces of Zolgear and the others. They were already losing. If this “Red Dragon Emperor” completed a Balance Breaker, they would not merely be defeated—they would be fortunate to leave alive.
”Albion,” Vali murmured into the void of his soul, tension tightening his voice. “We’re about to meet an old friend. Any thoughts?”
(He feels… wrong,) the White Dragon Emperor replied, his voice grim and hollow. (We’ve been fighting for how long, and I haven’t felt a shred of the Red One’s presence. Not even now.)
(It’s as if… the Red One has been pushed aside completely. The one holding those reins now is nothing but this Devil.)
At the center of it all, Aki reached his zenith. The blood-red phantom of dragon armor surged through the containment barrier, expanding violently before collapsing inward and hardening into an impenetrable shell.
”[Balance Breaker]!”
The voice that emerged from the emerald jewels was cold and utterly devoid of human emotion.
Clad in sleek crimson armor, Aki immediately felt the difference. His Devil form had receded; his bat wings were gone, replaced by a slender scaled tail that lashed behind him like a whip forged from dark, serrated iron. It was less a monstrous transformation than a refinement, bringing him closer to human form while making him seem far more dangerous.
As he flexed his claws, he took in the armor’s design. It resembled Vali’s white plating, though stripped of its light-winged elegance and replaced with something raw, violent, and jagged.
Demon King-class power.
So this was what it felt like.
No wonder Vali carried himself as though he owned the world. Wielding this level of strength at such a young age would have gone to anyone’s head.
Aki closed his hand around empty air, and the gauntlet cut through the stillness with a sharp whistle.
”Now. Let’s settle the bill.”
”[Boost]! [Boost]! [Boost]!”
The ability activated in rapid succession. Aki rode the rising wave of amplification without allowing his own containment to break apart, while the mechanical voice continued its relentless chant. As his power climbed higher and higher, the Demon King-class fighters trapped inside the barrier fell silent.
Aki gave them no time to recover.
He shot into the sky like a streak of blood-red lightning and drove forward without bothering with feints or misdirection. His fist, wrapped in force powerful enough to distort space itself, slammed directly into the breastplate of the White Dragon Armor. Vali tried to evade the strike, but even at his speed he was too slow.
Desperate, Vali attempted to halve the impact and absorb the excess power. The effort failed.
The sheer weight behind the blow overwhelmed his light wings.
One hit. Two. Three.
A knee crashed into his stomach, an elbow hammered into his visor, and a crushing grip locked around his throat. The white armor fractured beneath the relentless assault, shedding shards that dissolved into raw Mana as blood erupted from Vali’s mouth when Aki caved the dragon’s faceplate inward.
”This won’t be enough to finish it,” Aki muttered, his brow furrowing as he finally halted the barrage. “Not if he keeps halving my output.”
His gaze settled on the deep-blue jewel embedded in Vali’s chest.
The core.
If he could not take it, he would break it.
Without the slightest hesitation, Aki seized the struggling Vali by the throat. The white armor groaned under his grip as he lifted him from the air and slammed him into the earth.
—
Summary:
Aki triggers his Balance Breaker by channeling the drained Mana and spiritual essence of his contracted partners. He launches a brutal, high-speed assault against Vali, overwhelming the White Dragon Emperor’s defenses with sheer force. Despite the destructive power of his new form, Aki struggles to secure a decisive victory against Vali’s damage-mitigation abilities.
—
Trivia:
Aki’s Soul Contract mechanism drains the Mana and spirit energy of his partners, effectively using them as a battery.
The Red Dragon Emperor inside Aki is currently dormant/self-sealed, meaning Aki is utilizing the Gear’s power without the dragon’s active cooperation.
Aki’s armor is more humanoid than the standard, beast-like ‘Juggernaut Drive’/’Balance Breaker’ forms often associated with the Red Dragon Emperor.
Vali’s ability to halve power is the primary tactical counter to Aki’s offensive strategy.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Akeno Himejima – Akeno Himejima is a beautiful, elegant senior of the Occult Research Club and Rias Gremory’s trusted retainer. A hybrid of three races, this tall, large-busted member displays a teasing, black-hearted personality. As a key communicator wielding golden lightning and Azure Flame magic, she masters Aki, providing him a surveillance familiar and overseeing post-clash cleanup.
• Amano Yuuma – Yuuma Amano is the alias of Raynare, a Fallen Angel disguised as a school uniform-wearing transfer student with a pure, innocent face, a devilish, slender figure, long black hair, and black wings. She serves in Rias’s Peerage, the ORC, and a barrier maintenance team. Possessive, assertive, and proactive, she takes the lead in training her partner Aki, with whom she desires intimacy.
• Himejima – Akeno Himejima is a tall, curvaceous Kuoh Academy senior and high-ranking Occult Research Club member. A loyal Devil retainer in Rias Gremory’s peerage, this mature beauty with long black hair balances a sadistic, queen-like persona with a poised, teasing demeanor. She wields golden lightning, manages magic, shares deep bonds with Rias, and guides Aki, blending refined grace with power.
• Akeno – Himejima, a tall, voluptuous Orc-devil shrine maiden with raven hair, red eyes, and dark wings, is the “Priestess of Thunder.” As Rias Gremory’s loyal S+ rank Queen and Vice-President, she gracefully manages administration. Beyond her combat prowess, she is the soul-bound contract partner of Akira, maintaining a deep, affectionate bond with him and constantly longing for his attention.
• Amano – Raynare, a fallen angel masquerading as Kuoh schoolgirl Yuma Amano, is a striking, long-haired woman with a commanding presence. An Occult Research Club member with a black-belly nature and instant-change powers, she hides her faction ties and fears. Despite past betrayals, she acts as a disciplined leader, arriving to support Aki with visible concern for his well-being despite her A-rank status.
• Yuuma – Amano Yuuma (Raynare) is a striking, curvaceous former fallen angel and Grigori operative with long black hair and violet eyes. Now a high-class devil, light magic master, and devoted Pawn in Aki’s peerage, she is bound to him by a profound Soul Contract infused with midnight violet Mana. She is known for her playful teasing and an obsessive, fierce devotion to Aki born from their past history.
• Rias – Rias Gremory, an elegant SS+ rank devil heiress and Kuoh Academy’s authoritative president, is a stunning woman with crimson hair, blue eyes, and porcelain skin. As head of the Gremory household, she leads her peerage with empathetic, decisive leadership. Sister to Sirzechs and friend to Sona, she navigates complex duties, including her mentorship of Aki and managing her own powerful destruction mana.
• Y – The first initial/part of the name Y Ddraig Goch.
• Aki – A tall, handsome Kuoh Academy strategist and devil-lineage cultivator with a sturdy physique, he acts as a dominant mentor and healer within the Occult Research Club. His unique power influences Evil Pieces, while his pragmatic, predatory approach to intimacy restores others’ potential. He navigates complex soul contracts and deep relationships with Marion, the Naruse sisters, and Mio with calculated rhythm.
• Sona – A young, analytical woman with long black hair and glasses, she is the Sitri clan’s future head, Student Council President, and a member of the Gremory household. Highly intelligent and composed, she uses structured leadership to manage her council and acts as a strategic ally to others, standing alongside Rias to protect their shared interests and uphold her noble identity.
• Kalawarner – A tall, voluptuous, fair-skinned fallen angel turned Devil, this emerald-eyed, blue-haired S-Rank fighter wears glasses and professional attire. Serving as a strict, playful Kuoh Academy English teacher and household consultant, she assists Yuuma and acts as a loyal, sisterly figure to Aki. Deeply intelligent but insecure, she competes with Mittelt for attention in Rias’s peerage.
• Mittelt – A petite, twin-tailed blonde Fallen Angel turned Devil in Rias’s peerage. Sporting jet-black wings, light-based powers, and a jade-white-red aura, this sharp-tongued, impulsive S-Rank fighter wears a black-and-white maid uniform. Transferred to Aki’s training group after serving Raynare and Kalawarner, she craves Aki’s affection, teases others, and has a playful bond with the younger household members.
• Vali – The White Dragon Emperor, Albion’s wielder, is a stoic, arrogant half-demon youth of Ancient Devil blood. Donning resplendent white armor with light-absorbing wings, he triggers Balance Breaker at will. Taken in by Azazel, this cynical, battle-obsessed Khaos Brigade member seeks a fated rival. His recent actions, however, are acknowledged by Shemhaza as an oversight in their supervision.
• Sirzechs – Sirzechs Gremory is a powerful, red-haired Demon King holding the title of Lucifer. As Rias’s brother and a high-ranking Devil leader with a powerful lineage, he commands a regal presence and immense magical capacity, actively restraining his strength to prevent destruction. A skilled political navigator focused on his family’s interests, he serves as a pivotal figure in peace negotiations.
• Zolgear – An ancient, gaunt Devil Grand Duke with white facial hair, baldness, and unique horns, this aging demon’s lifespan is nearing its end. He possesses Ultimate-Class strength, serving as a power benchmark for Maria and monitoring remote magical signatures. Fearing the Gremory household and the Red Dragon Emperor, he leads a faction to eliminate Mio, while shifting timelines spared Shela. Frustrated in combat against Aki and provoked by his teammate, he seeks to steal Wilbert’s power to survive.
• Albion – A clinical entity that acts as an advisor or voice of reason during battles. The White Dragon Emperor who resides within the White Dragon Armor and communicates with Vali. The White Dragon Emperor, an ancient entity of immense power residing within a Sacred Gear. He serves as a God-tier source of energy for his host.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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