The morning air was crisp as Akira stood in his backyard, going through his final preparations. The sun had barely crested the horizon, painting the sky in shades of amber and gold that reminded him uncomfortably of the armor he would soon don.
He moved through the familiar motions of the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist, each technique flowing seamlessly into the next. His body was a weapon honed through months of training, but today would test whether that weapon was sharp enough to cut through the scales of a Dragon Emperor.
"You're up early."
Akira didn't break his stance as Asia's voice drifted from the doorway behind him. "Couldn't sleep."
"Nervous?"
He completed the final movement of his kata before turning to face her. Asia stood framed in the doorway, still in her nightgown, concern etched across her delicate features.
"Terrified," he admitted honestly. "But also... excited."
Asia stepped onto the small porch, wrapping her arms around herself against the morning chill. "I still don't understand why you're doing this."
Akira walked over to the small garden shed, retrieving a towel to wipe away the sweat from his training. "Because in this world, power is the only currency that matters. Today I find out what I'm worth."
"And if you're not worth as much as you hope?"
The question hung in the air like morning mist. Akira considered it seriously—not just the potential for physical defeat, but what it would mean for their future in this supernatural world.
"Then I'll know exactly where I stand," he said finally. "And I'll work harder to get stronger."
A familiar magical signature pulsed in the air, and Akira felt the space around them shift. Azazel's magic circle materialized in the center of the yard, its intricate patterns glowing with fallen angel power.
"Morning, kiddo," Azazel called out as he stepped through the portal, Vali silent beside him as always. "Ready for your big day?"
Akira nodded, grabbing the jacket he'd left draped over a chair. "As ready as I'll ever be."
Vali's blue eyes studied him with the intensity of a predator evaluating prey. "You look calm for someone about to face a Dragon Emperor."
"Panic never helped anyone win a fight," Akira replied evenly.
Azazel chuckled. "Smart answer. Shall we?"
. . .
The location Azazel chose for their battle was a barren plateau surrounded by jagged mountains, far from any human civilization. The ground was hard-packed earth and scattered rocks, with no vegetation to speak of—a perfect arena for a fight between supernatural beings who might level a city block without trying.
"This should do nicely," Azazel said, settling himself on a large boulder that provided an excellent view of the improvised battlefield. "No witnesses, no collateral damage to worry about. You boys can cut loose."
Akira walked to the center of the plateau, feeling the weight of anticipation settle on his shoulders. The morning sun cast long shadows across the rocky ground, and a cool wind carried the scent of distant snow from the mountain peaks.
Vali took his position about fifty meters away, his silver hair catching the light like spun metal. There was something different about him now—a coiled tension that hadn't been present in Akira's living room. This was Vali in his element, a warrior preparing for battle.
"Before we begin," Vali called out, his voice carrying easily across the distance between them, "I want to know something. What drives you to fight?"
The question was unexpected. Akira had prepared himself for taunts or threats, not philosophy.
"Survival," he answered honestly. "In this world, the strong protect what matters to them. The weak watch it get taken away."
Vali nodded slowly, something like approval flickering in his eyes. "A pragmatic answer. Better than the usual nonsense about justice or protecting everyone."
"And you?" Akira asked. "What drives the White Dragon Emperor?"
A fierce smile spread across Vali's face—the first genuine emotion Akira had seen from him. "The pursuit of power. The desire to surpass all limits, including my own."
*Divine Dividing.*
The words rang out like a bell tolling, and suddenly Vali's presence exploded outward. White light erupted from his body, coalescing into magnificent draconic armor that seemed to drink in the morning sunlight. The armor was pristine white with blue accents, its design both elegant and predatory. Most impressive were the four wings that spread from his back—not feathered like an angel's, but scaled and membrane like a true dragon's.
The sheer power radiating from Vali made the air itself seem heavier. Akira could feel it pressing against his skin like a physical weight.
*So this is a Dragon Emperor,* he thought, fighting the instinctive urge to step back. *The gap in raw power is enormous.*
"Impressive," he called out, his voice steady despite the awe he felt. "My turn, I suppose."
*Incursio.*
The familiar weight of the Teigu settled over him like a second skin. The base form of Incursio wasn't as visually spectacular as Vali's Divine Dividing—simple plate armor with a bestial helmet that covered most of his face—but Akira could feel its power thrumming through his bones. Enhanced strength, speed, durability, and most importantly, the ability to adapt and evolve.
Vali tilted his helmeted head, studying the armor with interest. "A sacred gear I don't recognize. Interesting."
From his perch, Azazel leaned forward with obvious curiosity. *That's definitely not in any of our records,* he thought. *The design is completely unfamiliar, and the energy signature... it's not quite like anything I've encountered before. Where did this boy acquire such a unique sacred gear?*
"Shall we begin with something simple?" Vali asked, raising one hand. Light gathered in his palm, condensing into a spear of pure energy. "Let's see how well that armor of yours handles this."
The light spear shot forward with tremendous speed, carving a line through the air itself. Akira side-stepped at the last possible moment, feeling the heat of the attack singe his armor as it passed.
*Fast,* he noted. *But not impossible to dodge.*
He launched himself forward, closing the distance between them in a burst of enhanced speed. His fist, wreathed in swirling water, struck toward Vali's center mass.
Vali blocked casually with his forearm, and Akira felt the impact reverberate through his entire body. It was like punching a mountain.
"Water manipulation?" Vali observed as he grabbed Akira's extended arm and hurled him backward. "Combined with your armor's enhancement... you're more interesting than I expected."
Akira landed hard, rolling to absorb the impact. Even through Incursio's protection, he could feel that throw. Vali hadn't even seemed to exert himself.
*The power gap is even larger than I thought,* he realized. *I need to be smarter about this.*
He pressed his right palm against the ground as he stood, leaving behind a faint golden handprint that quickly faded from view. One bomb armed.
"My turn," he said, launching into a series of Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist techniques enhanced by his armor's strength.
Vali met him head-on, their clash sending shockwaves across the plateau. The White Dragon Emperor's combat style was direct and overwhelming—he relied on his superior power and speed to dominate opponents through sheer force.
But Akira's martial arts training gave him an edge in technique. He flowed around Vali's attacks like water, redirecting rather than blocking, using his opponent's strength against him.
*Divide.*
The word hit Akira like a physical blow. Suddenly, his enhanced strength was cut in half, making Vali's next punch feel like being struck by a freight train. He flew backward, crashing into a rocky outcropping hard enough to leave a crater.
Azazel whistled low. "Divine Dividing's signature ability—halving the opponent's power and adding it to his own. Nasty trick."
Akira pulled himself from the rubble, his armor's self-repair functions already working to fix the damage. Now he understood why Vali was considered so dangerous. It wasn't just his baseline power—it was his ability to weaken opponents while simultaneously growing stronger.
*I need to end this quickly,* he realized. *The longer this fight goes on, the weaker I become and the stronger he gets.*
"Interesting armor," Vali called out, hovering above the battlefield on his draconic wings. "Most opponents would be unconscious after that hit, but you're still standing. Still, let's see how long you can maintain that resilience."
*Divide. Divide. Divide.*
Each activation of Vali's ability hit Akira like a hammer blow, his strength diminishing with every passing second. But something unexpected was happening—Incursio was responding to the threat, its adaptive capabilities triggering an evolution.
The armor began to change, plates shifting and expanding, new mechanisms clicking into place. When the transformation completed, Akira stood encased in more elaborate armor, sleeker and more powerful than before. This was Incursio's second evolved form.
"Adaptive evolution," Azazel murmured from his observation point, his eyes wide with fascination. *I've never seen a sacred gear with that capability. It's responding to the threat level and upgrading itself accordingly. Remarkable.*
The enhanced form of Incursio came with a significant boost to all his capabilities. Akira could feel strength flowing back into his limbs, though still not enough to match Vali's augmented power.
"Much better," Vali said approvingly. "Now you might actually provide some entertainment."
They clashed again, this time more evenly matched. Akira's improved armor allowed him to trade blows with the Dragon Emperor, though he was still clearly on the defensive. He continued his strategy of leaving golden handprints whenever he touched solid surfaces—the ground, rocks, even the cliff face when Vali slammed him into it.
*Divide. Divide.*
Vali's relentless use of his signature ability was taking its toll. Even with Incursio's second evolution, Akira could feel himself weakening. But he'd been counting on this.
"You're persistent," Vali admitted as they separated after another exchange. "But this fight is over. The power gap is too large."
"Is it?" Akira asked, raising his right hand. "Let me show you something interesting about my abilities."
He snapped his fingers.
The plateau exploded.
Ten simultaneous detonations turned the rocky ground into a hellscape of flying debris and golden fire. Akira had been placing his bombs throughout the entire fight, turning their battlefield into a minefield.
Vali, caught off-guard by the sudden attack, was thrown skyward by the overlapping explosions. His armor protected him from serious damage, but for the first time in the fight, he looked genuinely surprised.
"Bomb creation?" he called out as he stabilized himself in the air. "You've been busy."
Azazel leaned forward with increased interest. *Bomb creation combined with water manipulation, martial arts mastery, and an adaptive armor-type sacred gear. This boy is a walking arsenal. No wonder he caught my attention.*
"That was cleverly done," Vali continued, "but ultimately futile. The power difference between us is still—"
He was cut off as Akira launched himself skyward using a controlled water explosion from his feet, meeting Vali in aerial combat. The leopard-enhanced speed and agility from his devil fruit powers made him surprisingly effective in three-dimensional fighting.
They traded blows in mid-air, Akira using his water manipulation to create platforms and springboards while Vali relied on his superior flight capability. It was a deadly aerial dance, each combatant pushing the other to their limits.
*Divide. Divide. Divide.*
Vali's continued use of his ability was having its intended effect. Even with Incursio's second evolution, Akira could feel his strength ebbing away. But something was happening to Vali as well—the constant absorption of power was beginning to show on him. His movements were becoming more aggressive, more reckless.
"You feel it, don't you?" Akira called out as they separated again. "The power you've been taking. It's affecting you."
Vali's helmet turned toward him, and Akira could sense the predatory smile beneath. "You noticed. Yes, absorbing this much power has its... side effects. But that just makes the fight more interesting."
The white armor began to shift, growing more elaborate and intimidating. Additional wings sprouted from Vali's back, and his already impressive aura became overwhelming.
"Juggernaut Drive," Azazel breathed from below, his casual demeanor replaced by genuine concern. "He's activating the forbidden technique."
The transformation was terrifying to behold. Vali's armor became more draconic, more bestial. His power level shot beyond anything Akira had imagined possible. The very air around the White Dragon Emperor shimmered with barely contained energy.
"Now," Vali's voice carried a predatory hunger that made Akira's instincts scream warnings, "let me show you the true power of a Dragon Emperor."
The attack came faster than thought. One moment Vali was hovering in the distance, the next his clawed gauntlet was inches from Akira's chest. Only years of martial arts training saved him—he twisted at the last possible moment, the claws carving deep gouges in Incursio's chest plate instead of tearing through his heart.
The impact sent him plummeting toward the rocky ground below. He hit with tremendous force, the plateau cracking under the impact.
*This is it,* Akira realized as he struggled to his feet. *This is the moment that determines everything.*
Incursio was responding to the overwhelming threat, its adaptive mechanisms pushing toward a final evolution. But would it be enough?
The armor began to change once more, this time more dramatically than before. Plates shifted and reformed, new components materializing from seemingly nowhere. When the transformation completed, Akira stood clad in magnificent golden armor that seemed to glow with its own inner light. Most dramatically, four golden wings spread from his back—not the mechanical constructs of his previous forms, but seemingly organic extensions that moved with fluid grace.
This was Incursio's final evolved form, its ultimate adaptation to overwhelming threat.
The power coursing through him was intoxicating. Every sense was heightened, every movement precise and controlled. For the first time since the fight began, Akira felt like he might actually have a chance.
Azazel rose from his boulder, his eyes wide with astonishment. *That's not possible. Sacred gears don't evolve that dramatically, especially not multiple times in a single battle. What exactly is that armor?*
"Magnificent," Vali called out from above, his Juggernaut Drive form radiating menace. "Now you look like an opponent worth fighting seriously."
They clashed in the center of the ruined plateau, golden light meeting draconic white in an explosion of power that shook the mountains themselves. This time, they were truly evenly matched—Vali's Juggernaut Drive trading blows with Incursio's final evolution in a display of combat prowess that left Azazel speechless.
Akira's enhanced speed allowed him to keep pace with Vali's overwhelming power. His Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist techniques, boosted by the golden armor's capabilities, actually began to find their mark. For every devastating blow Vali landed, Akira returned two precise strikes.
*Divide.*
But Vali's signature ability was still active, and even Incursio's final form couldn't completely negate its effects. Akira could feel his newly acquired power slowly being siphoned away.
*I need to end this now,* he realized. *Before he divides my power down to nothing again.*
He gathered water from the moisture in the air, condensing it into a massive sphere above the battlefield. Then, using his devil fruit powers to their fullest extent, he compressed the water until it became as dense and hard as steel.
"Let's see how your armor handles this," he called out, hurling the compressed water sphere with all his enhanced strength.
Vali met the attack head-on, catching the projectile in his clawed hands. For a moment, they were locked in a contest of pure strength—Akira's throwing power against Vali's Juggernaut Drive enhanced grip.
Then Akira smiled and snapped his fingers with his left hand.
The water sphere, which he had touched while forming it, deactivated as a bomb—but not before he reactivated it with his right hand snap in the same instant. The explosion at point-blank range sent Vali hurtling backward, his armor cracked and smoking.
"Clever," Vali admitted as he recovered his position. "But you're still weaker than me."
*Divide. Divide. Divide.*
The constant drain was taking its toll. Even with Incursio's final evolution, Akira could feel his strength diminishing. But something else was happening—Vali's Juggernaut Drive was beginning to consume him. The absorbed power was becoming too much for even his draconic constitution to handle.
"You can't maintain that form much longer," Akira observed as they circled each other warily. "The Juggernaut Drive is burning you out."
"Perhaps," Vali replied, his voice strained. "But I have enough left to finish this fight."
The final exchange was brutal and decisive. Vali gathered all his remaining power into a single, overwhelming attack—a spear of white draconic energy that could level a mountain.
Akira met it with everything he had left. Golden wings spread wide, he channeled his water manipulation, martial arts mastery, and Incursio's power into a single perfect technique. The Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist's ultimate application—turning his entire body into a flowing weapon that could redirect even the most powerful attacks.
The white spear struck him dead center, but instead of piercing through, it was caught and redirected by his technique. The energy spiraled around his golden form before being launched back at Vali with twice its original force.
The reflected attack struck the exhausted Dragon Emperor like a thunderbolt. His Juggernaut Drive armor cracked and shattered, reverting him to his base form as he plummeted toward the rocky ground below.
Akira caught him before he hit.
The plateau fell silent except for the sound of their labored breathing. Both warriors were utterly exhausted, their respective armors flickering as their power reserves reached their limits.
"Well," Azazel said as he approached them across the devastated battlefield, "that was something."
Akira lowered Vali to the ground gently before allowing his own armor to dissipate. The golden wings faded last, leaving him standing in simple clothes that were somehow undamaged despite the violence of their battle. He chugged down a bottle of Holy water of Life as his wounds closed up instantly as Azazel couldn't help but look at the sight in amazement.
'If I wasn't in my Leopard form within armor, I would have probably been dead by now instead of taking these deadly injuries' He sighed as this fight better than he expected.
Vali looked up at him with something that might have been respect. "You won."
"We both won," Akira corrected. "We both learned something about our limits."
Azazel clapped slowly, his eyes bright with interest. "Indeed you did. That was quite a display, gentlemen. Quite a display indeed."
*This boy is far more dangerous than I initially assessed,* Azazel thought as he studied Akira. *That armor isn't just a sacred gear—it's something else entirely. Something that can evolve and adapt in real-time to match any threat. Combined with his other abilities...*
"So," Azazel said aloud, "what's the verdict? Satisfied with your little test?"
Vali struggled to his feet, his usual stoic expression replaced by something approaching satisfaction. "More than satisfied. You're strong, Akira. Stronger than most beings I've encountered."
"High praise from a Dragon Emperor," Akira replied.
"It's well deserved," Azazel interjected. "That final evolution of your sacred gear was remarkable. I've never seen anything quite like it."
Akira nodded his thanks while internally noting that Azazel was fishing for information. The fallen angel leader was clearly curious about Incursio's true nature, but that was a secret Akira intended to keep.
"Well then," Azazel continued, "shall we head back? I believe you've both earned some rest."
As they prepared to leave the ruined plateau, Vali turned to Akira one final time. "This won't be our last fight."
"I wouldn't want it to be," Akira replied honestly. "I learned more about my abilities in this one battle than I had in solo training."
"Good," Vali said with the faintest hint of a smile. "Because next time, I'll be even stronger."
"So will I."
As Azazel's magic circle formed around them, preparing to transport them back to civilization, the fallen angel leader couldn't help but smile. *This boy is definitely going to be interesting to watch. That armor, those abilities... he might just be exactly what we need for the challenges ahead.*
The morning sun was now high overhead, its light catching the golden remnants of energy that still lingered around the battlefield—a testament to a fight that would be remembered by all who witnessed it.
. . .
Back in Akira's living room, the atmosphere was noticeably different from the previous day. Azazel lounged in his chair with the air of someone who had just witnessed something remarkable, while Vali stood by the window, no longer the silent, intimidating presence he had been before.
"Tea?" Akira offered, moving through the familiar ritual despite his exhaustion.
Vali nodded, surprising everyone by accepting the offer this time.
As Akira poured, Azazel leaned back with a satisfied expression. "Well, that settles the question of your capabilities quite definitively."
"Does it?" Akira asked as he handed out the cups.
"Oh yes," Azazel said with certainty. "You held your own against a Dragon Emperor in Juggernaut Drive. That puts you in a very exclusive category of beings."
Asia and Valerie, who had been anxiously waiting for their return, finally allowed themselves to relax as they saw both warriors were unharmed.
"How did it go?" Asia asked quietly.
"Better than expected," Akira replied, settling into his chair with a grateful sigh. "Much better."
Vali sipped his tea thoughtfully. "You have potential. You could become into something truly formidable with the right training and experience."
"And you have friends willing to help you develop that potential," Azazel added meaningfully. "Should you be interested in expanding your horizons."
Akira met the fallen angel's gaze steadily. Here it was—the offer he had been expecting. Azazel's true purpose in arranging this fight.
"What did you have in mind?" he asked carefully.
"Nothing immediate," Azazel assured him. "But in the future, there may be opportunities for someone with your unique skill set. Consider this fight an audition—one you passed with flying colors."
*So I was right,* Akira thought. *This was never just about satisfying Vali's curiosity. Azazel was evaluating me for something larger.*
"I'll consider any reasonable proposals," he said aloud. "But my priorities remain unchanged. Protecting what matters to me comes first."
"Naturally," Azazel said with approval. "A man who abandons his principles for power isn't worth having as an ally."
As the afternoon wore on and their visitors eventually departed, Akira reflected on how much had changed in a single day. He had tested himself against one of the strongest beings in the supernatural world and emerged victorious. More importantly, he had gained the respect of powerful allies who might prove invaluable in the challenges ahead.
But perhaps most significantly, he had learned something about himself. When pushed to his absolute limit, when facing overwhelming odds, he didn't break or surrender. He adapted, evolved, and found a way to win.
. . .
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