[Ding]

[You have gained 3% Template Inheritance progress.]

The system announced the result of the battle quietly in the back of his mind.

Defeating Vali in his Juggernaut Drive—a transformation that brought him to the level of a Maou—netted Akira a clean three percent increase.

Previously, when he took down Kokabiel, one of the Ultimate-Class Fallen Angels, it only gave him one percent.

That alone made the scaling crystal clear.

One percent for defeating an Ultimate-Class opponent.

Three percent for taking down someone on the level of a Maou.

If the remaining twenty percent demanded enemies of that caliber or even higher... then what lay ahead was nothing short of kings—or beings that surpassed even gods.

It felt less like a simple power-up and more like a final-tier class ascension quest—merciless and absolute.

"...Seriously, could this thing be any stingier?" Akira muttered inwardly with a sigh.

He reached into his pocket, pulled out a small crystal bottle, and casually tossed it toward Vali.

The other boy caught it with one hand, his expression twisting in shock the moment he saw the glowing crimson liquid inside.

"This is... Phoenix Tears?"

Tears from the House of Phenex.

The most powerful healing elixir known in the Underworld. Even fatal wounds and completely shattered limbs could regenerate within moments of contact.

"What's your angle?" Vali asked, his tone low and guarded.

Akira offered a small, almost tired smile.

"If you kick the bucket now, things will get a lot less interesting in this world."

Vali let out a short breath, somewhere between a scoff and a chuckle. Without saying another word, he bit the bottle's cap off and poured the contents onto his still-bleeding abdomen—his other arm was too wrecked to use properly.

The moment the liquid touched his wound, a surge of life force erupted from his body like a rebounding wave of mana.

The damage left by the Chains of Heaven—gaping, searing, and nearly fatal—sealed itself shut like it had never been there to begin with.

His organs reformed. Torn tissues mended. Even the smaller cuts and bruises faded as if erased by time itself.

Such was the miracle of Phoenix Tears.

The treasured elixir of the Underworld.

And one of the core reasons the Phenex Clan, one of the 72 Pillars, had grown so influential across generations. In a world where death lurked behind every mistake, a substance that could pull you back from the brink was more valuable than gold—or power.

"Where'd you even get this?" Vali asked as he flexed his newly restored arm and rotated his shoulders, testing the full return of his mobility.

"Someone gave it to me. What, jealous?" Akira replied, shrugging.

Vali gave him a sideways smirk. "No, just... curious. Word on the street is, you wrecked the third son of House Phenex so bad that he was forced into early Nirvāṇa. I figured they'd blacklist you for life. Yet here you are, tossing around Phoenix Tears like breath mints."

Akira sighed. "...Yeah, that sounds about right."

Seeing the way Vali was clearly enjoying this turn of events—like a cat watching its prey trip over its own paws—Akira couldn't help but regret his earlier generosity.

"The Tears didn't come from the Phenex family," he added. "They were from the Gremory side."

"Gremory, huh?" Vali nodded, his expression settling. "Makes sense. You're basically their in-law now. And those two houses have been working together for decades. I wouldn't be surprised if Gremory had a stash tucked away."

"I'm not like you, Vali. I've got connections in the Underworld. My brother-in-law's a Maou."

"Ugh..."

Vali gritted his teeth as an involuntary twitch crossed his face. He wasn't sure if he wanted to punch Akira or just fly away.

The guy was practically radiating smugness. From head to toe, he oozed "I'm well-connected and I know it."

And to make it worse, the "brother-in-law" he was bragging about was Sirzechs Lucifer—one of the Four Great Satans who currently governed the Underworld.

Meanwhile, Vali himself was the direct descendant of the original Lucifer—his grandfather was the very first one, and his grandmother was Lilith, the primordial mother of all devils. (Not that he cared about that bloodline stuff.)

Still... hearing Akira throw around Sirzechs' name like it was nothing definitely stung his pride.

"By the way, Vali... Kuroka is your ally, right?"

"Kuroka?" Vali raised a brow. "Yeah, she's part of my team. Why? You know her?"

That caught him a little off-guard. As far as he remembered, Kuroka had always done her own thing—flitting between missions and wandering around as she pleased.

He had never once heard her mention a connection to anyone named Shin Akira.

Even during their earlier encounter, when he lost to Akira the first time, that had been the first Kuroka even heard the guy's name.

Did they meet sometime after that...?

Vali quickly dismissed the thought. He didn't care much about Kuroka's private life. As long as she didn't betray him, her past—or relationships—were none of his business.

"No, nothing like that," Akira said plainly. "Her younger sister, Koneko, is part of Rias' peerage. A while back, something happened that left Koneko... well, let's just say she has some lingering trauma when it comes to Kuroka."

Vali didn't respond, but he did listen closely.

"Things aren't as bitter between them anymore, but I still think they need to face each other properly," Akira continued. "Talk. Settle things, face to face."

"So you want me to tell her that?"

"Yeah. When you head back, ask her to come to Kuoh City. If she talks to Koneko directly... I think they can finally move forward."

Vali gave a slow nod. "Alright. I'll let her know."

He had heard fragments of Kuroka's past before. How she once had a little sister. How she left the path of devils and turned into a stray. And how... deep down, she still wanted to bring that little sister back into her life.

She had even joked once about "capturing" her again and dragging her into their cause.

The thought made Vali scoff.

After everything had calmed down, he turned, his body already preparing for departure.

"This time, you win. But next time... I'll surpass you."

"Oh?" Akira smirked. "Didn't you say that the last time too?"

"...Tch."

Vali clicked his tongue and looked away, annoyed.

Unfurling the bat-like wings on his back, he rose into the sky slowly.

"Next time, Shin Akira... I'll be the one who defeats you."

"I'll be waiting. Sooner is better."

"Hmph."

With one last huff, Vali turned his back and shot through the night sky, leaving the battlefield—and that damn smug smile—behind.

As he flew, Vali spoke inwardly, addressing the being sleeping inside him.

"Albion. You said there's another possibility within Juggernaut Drive, didn't you?"

『Indeed. I did say that.』

"Then I'm going to chase that path down."

『Vali... it is only a possibility. Countless wielders of Sacred Gears have reached Juggernaut Drive over the centuries. None have found the true path you speak of.』

"Then I'll be the first. I'll find it. And I'll master it."

Albion went quiet for a moment before answering again.

『...Very well. But before that... there is something you must conquer. You felt it too, didn't you? During the final moments of that battle.』

Vali's expression hardened.

"Yeah. If it weren't for the Chains of Heaven binding me down... that curse inside Juggernaut Drive... the hatred... I would've lost control."

His eyes narrowed, not with anger—but with something darker. Something deeper.

He knew it.

Before he could move forward, before he could reach the peak of power he craved...

He had to break the ancient curse sealed within him.

Or be consumed by it.

If he failed... he wouldn't just fall.

He would become a rampaging monster—a berserk dragon of pure destruction that would annihilate everything.

Including himself.

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