Point of View: Hajime
Morning light filtered through the curtains. Hajime opened his eyes slowly, already awake before the sun had fully touched the horizon. Beside him, curled like a satisfied cat, Kuroka slept soundly, her breathing light and steady. Her tail moved slowly, as if she were dreaming.
He remained lying there a few more minutes, staring at the ceiling and organizing his thoughts. The day before had changed everything. The awakening of the Boosted Gear wasn't a small event. It was a scream in the dark that drew hungry eyes from every direction.
Issei was now at the center of a web he had never imagined existed. And Hajime, though reluctant, found himself more and more entangled in the gears of this supernatural world.
Kuroka stirred, stretching with a light yawn before opening her golden eyes.
— Nyaa~ already awake? I thought you'd sleep more, after yesterday...
— I don't have that luxury, — Hajime replied, sitting on the edge of the bed. — The world won't wait.
She came up behind him, wrapping her arms around his body.
— He won't survive unless you shape him with a firm hand. But don't forget to shape yourself too, nyaa~. You're growing so cold inside, even I can feel it.
Hajime gently touched her hand.
— I'm fine, — was all he said. But his eyes told a different story.
Point of View: Issei
The morning felt heavier. The air seemed charged with static, like every particle carried tension. Issei came down the stairs of Hajime's mansion, still feeling the lingering presence of Ddraig within him. It wasn't a constant voice, but a dormant awareness—always there, always watching.
He found Hajime in the kitchen, brewing a simple coffee.
— Did you sleep? — the alchemist asked without looking.
— Not really... I kept thinking about what he said. Ddraig. It's kind of insane. An ancient dragon's voice inside my head.
— Get used to it. You haven't even scratched the surface. What you feel now is just the echo of his presence. When you reach the true Balance Breaker, it'll be like having a collapsing sun in your chest.
Issei swallowed hard. Hajime handed him a mug.
— Are we training more today?
— Until your body collapses, — Hajime replied coldly. — You have a monster inside you now. You need to become more monstrous than it is, or you'll be devoured.
Issei went silent for a few seconds, staring at his reflection in the dark liquid. A part of him still resisted, still tried to hold on to normality. But that was already gone. The world he knew had shattered the moment Ddraig awoke.
Point of View: Rias
At Kuoh Academy, Rias Gremory walked the corridors with measured steps. Tension filled the Occult Research Club. They had all felt the surge of power from the east side of the city. Akeno was even more alert than usual. Kiba's hand lingered near the hilt of his sword.
Rias stopped at the second-floor window and looked out over the schoolyard. Students continued their routines, unaware of the chaos brewing beneath the surface of reality.
— Today, I'll talk to him, — she finally said.
Akeno raised an eyebrow.
— You'll confront him directly?
— Yes. The awakening of a Sacred Gear of this magnitude under the guidance of a complete unknown is unacceptable. I need to know who Hajime Nagumo really is.
Akeno nodded, but her eyes showed concern.
— And if he's more than we expected?
— Then I'll have to become more as well.
Point of View: Hajime
Training that day was brutal. Hajime pushed Issei to the edge, forcing him to summon the Boosted Gear's power over and over. Containment runes pulsed around the underground chamber, keeping the environment stable even as explosions of energy began to flare.
— You're trying to control the power out of fear. Dragons don't fear. They devour, — Hajime shouted.
Issei roared, his body on the verge of collapse. The red gauntlet manifested in erratic bursts, but it still wasn't stable.
— I... I'm not a monster like you! — he yelled back.
Hajime walked up and grabbed him by the collar, lifting him.
— No. You're still just human. But that won't be enough.
He dropped him and turned his back.
— If you want to survive, you'll have to become something more.
Point of View: Kuroka
Kuroka watched everything from above, once again sitting on a pillar, her gaze filled not with pity but understanding.
— That cruel approach… He thinks he's helping, but all he's doing is scaring the boy.
She jumped down and walked over to Issei, who was on his knees, gasping.
— Hey, kid... sometimes, what you need most is to remember why you're fighting. What do you want to protect? You'll never control that power if you're only afraid of it.
Issei looked at her, his eyes trembling.
— I don't want to lose anything else. I don't want to be weak...
She smiled.
— Then stop being weak.
Point of View: Issei
Her words echoed in his mind.
"Then stop being weak."
He closed his eyes. Took a deep breath. And for the first time, he didn't try to suppress Ddraig's presence. He embraced it. Let the heat flood his nerves.
— Boost! — he shouted, and the gauntlet fully formed, the central ruby shining with intensity.
Hajime turned and looked back. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Point of View: Rias
At the end of the day, Rias waited outside the academy. She knew Hajime often used a side route to avoid crowds. She stood there alone, waiting.
When he finally appeared, his face was, as always, calm, distant, almost apathetic.
— Hajime Nagumo, — she said, stepping forward.
He looked at her without surprise.
— Gremory.
— Can we talk?
There was a long pause.
— Depends. About what?
— About you. About Issei. About what you really are.
He stared at her, his crimson eyes slightly brighter.
— So you're finally curious.
Point of View: Hajime
They walked in silence to a secluded corner of the garden. Hajime crossed his arms.
— Ask.
Rias didn't hesitate.
— Are you human?
— I used to be. Not anymore.
— And Issei? Why are you with him?
— Because he'll die if left in the wrong hands. And I don't trust factions that treat lives like pawns.
Rias narrowed her eyes.
— So you don't trust me.
— I don't trust most people. But I'm not stopping you from watching.
She gave a faint, almost admiring smile.
— One day, you'll have to choose a side.
— Maybe. But not today.
Point of View: Kuroka
Later, lying beside Hajime again, Kuroka lazily traced her tail across his chest.
— So the princess came to talk, nyaa~?
— She did. She's curious. And cautious.
— Are you going to tell her about me?
— Not yet. That would cause more trouble.
She purred.
— I like when you think... but remember to rest too.
He closed his eyes, and for a brief moment, the weight of the world disappeared.
To be continued...