Tsuna stared at the crimson gauntlet covering his left hand.
"The basic functions are operating just fine. Once it reaches a certain threshold, it can transfer and evolve on its own."
He exhaled slowly. "Next step… Balance Breaker."
"Balance—Break!"
A low hum pulsed from within the red armor. The golden spikes that had sprouted from the gauntlet vanished, and a surge of energy spread outward, enveloping his whole body in a crimson blaze.
A full-body suit of red armor formed around him, every inch radiating explosive power—but he could already feel the time limit ticking down.
"...That's even stronger than I expected."
Only while wrapped in that state could Tsuna truly grasp just how overwhelming the surge was.
It wasn't a simple stat boost. It was a total overhaul—strength, speed, endurance—everything was pushed to the limit.
His base physical power skyrocketed to the peak of what his current body could withstand, right up against the edge of collapse.
"So this is what the Balance Breaker of the Red Dragon Emperor and the White Dragon Emperor really represents… pushing one's own ability past its natural limits. That reckless, unnatural explosion of power—that's the essence of a Balance Breaker."
He clenched his armored fist, feeling the energy roaring through every fiber of his being.
"The rise in baseline ability also raises the upper limit of energy tolerance. That means I can handle the output without my body breaking down."
"This brutal, straightforward surge of strength is just the surface. What makes the Red Dragon Emperor and White Dragon Emperor so terrifying is how completely they can draw out that potential."
"For example—removing the ten-second limit on doubling power. Instead of a steady rhythm of increase, it's full release—no ten-second wait. The only restriction is what the body can take before it breaks."
"That's probably why Balance Breakers always have strict time limits."
"And why the White Dragon Emperor of legend was known as the strongest of his generation…"
"Simply because his tolerance for energy was beyond human. His body itself was an exceptional vessel."
Tsuna slowly deactivated the Balance Breaker. The red armor peeled away into light, leaving him in his normal form. He took a few breaths, testing his condition.
"Hmm… no damage. I can handle it just fine."
"Looks like I was right. As long as the Balance Breaker's output stays within what my body can bear, the duration scales directly with my endurance."
"As long as I don't cross that line, I can keep it active for as long as possible."
"But once the intensity of battle exceeds that threshold… the maximum I can maintain it is thirty minutes."
"After that, it'll automatically shut down to prevent total collapse."
"I'll need to test exactly how long I can maintain it in combat—and find out where my real limit lies."
And there was only one way to do that—through battle.
Of course, testing something like that alone would be dangerous. If he lost control, returning afterward would be… problematic, to say the least.
Letting the tension fade, Tsuna went to the washroom, splashed some cold water on his face, and stepped out of his room.
The sky outside was just beginning to lighten, yet the Familia house was already full of noise.
Footsteps echoed especially loudly from the third floor.
"Looks like it's going to stay like this for the next six months," he muttered helplessly.
As the one who'd sparked all this chaos, Tsuna couldn't help feeling a bit guilty.
Following the noise, he arrived at Tione and Tiona's door.
Knock, knock, knock!
Footsteps shuffled inside. When the door opened, Tione appeared—hair messy, eyes a little wild, clearly not at her best.
"Morning, Tione."
The fierceness in her gaze faded instantly when she saw him, replaced by a flustered softness that she quickly tried to hide.
"Morning, Tsuna."
"You're up early today?"
He tilted his head. "Actually, this is my usual time. You two are the ones running late."
He leaned a little closer, noticing the faint circles under her eyes. "Didn't sleep well last night?"
Normally, when Tsuna came by, the twins were already up and alert. Today was… unusual.
He didn't glance into the room, but the steady sound of slow, even breathing from inside was proof enough that Tiona was still asleep.
"Yeah… didn't rest too well."
Tione rubbed at her eyes with a weary sigh.
"It's all Loki's fault. She went on forever last night about the rules for using the Challenge Space. Tiona got all hyped up and dragged me back there to 'try it out.'"
"Oh?" Tsuna arched an eyebrow. "That place doesn't even have that many monsters in it yet. Just a few of those sluggish black Goliaths, right?"
"Exactly. Those damn black Goliaths." Tione groaned. "Tiona insisted we go another round with one of them."
Just remembering it made her jaw tighten.
"That thing was ridiculous! Its body was harder than reinforced steel—our attacks barely scratched it unless we hit with full weapon power. And even then, it healed almost instantly! We'd deal some real damage, and before I could even blink, it was good as new."
"From start to finish, it stayed at peak condition. By the end, Tiona and I were completely wiped."
Tione was practically grinding her teeth in frustration.
Undying monsters really were the worst kind—more aggravating than anything that could simply overpower them.
Tsuna gave a knowing nod. "That kind of monster's not easy to deal with."
"Hyper regeneration is its main flaw in the system. The Dungeon spawns creatures like that not for adventurers to conquer easily, but to crush them—to remind them what real danger feels like."
"The reason you and Tiona struggled is because your destructive power couldn't fully break through its defenses."
"That massive frame, that thick hide—they're both designed to nullify brute force."
"When your strength gets dispersed across such a wide surface, the impact drops sharply. Unless you hit its vital point in one blow, killing a Goliath like that won't be easy."