For a brief moment, even Rod seemed frozen.
Of course, it was not his body that had been frozen, but the surrounding space itself.
The flames released by Incinerate Anthem blocked the creeping chill. Layers of ice melted continuously, only to reform again just as quickly.
Ice and fire, two Sacred Gears of completely opposing attributes. Whichever side would gain the upper hand depended purely on the user's mastery and understanding of their own Longinus.
Lavinia had awakened hers nearly twenty years ago. Her understanding of it was far beyond anything Rod, who had possessed his for less than three days, could currently match.
Still, Rod never expected to defeat her in training using only a Sacred Gear he had just begun to control. His real goal was to increase the Balance Breaker progress through real combat experience.
That said, although his control over the Longinus was far inferior to Lavinia's, the souls of the three great yokai he had absorbed a few days earlier ensured that he was far from helpless.
The violet flames surrounding the holy cross began to flicker and sway as though alive.
In the next instant, an enormous column of fire shot into the sky, quickly condensing into form. Soon, it transformed into a monstrous humanoid creature with a terrifying, ferocious appearance.
Its face resembled that of a demon, it was unmistakably the visage of Shuten Dōji.
The soul of Shuten Dōji had been nailed to the cross, allowing the Sacred Gear to utilize its power and recreate his appearance, magnified to colossal proportions.
"Hmm… This isn't Balance Breaker. Rod formed that using flames, didn't he? It's far stronger than what that old witch could do," Lavinia murmured to herself.
Augusta's method of using her Longinus involved releasing flames and summoning a fire giant as a subspecies Balance Breaker. But Rod was now able to summon monsters bound by their captured souls. From this alone, it was clear that Rod's talent far surpassed Augusta's.
"But just this alone won't defeat me."
Lavinia controlled the Ice Princess, releasing even fiercer waves of cold. Under the relentless frost assault, the flames surrounding Shuten Dōji began to weaken, but immediately afterward, another ferocious humanoid monster and a nine-tailed fox engulfed in violet flames emerged from the cross.
Once separated from the cross, the two newly manifested giants pushed back the rampaging cold.
The temperature in the atmosphere began to rise again, and the frozen surface rapidly thawed.
The Ice Princess and the three monsters manifested by the sacred cross entered a tense stalemate.
Rod glanced at the progress bar, which was now increasing much faster than before, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
At this rate, it would likely take only about a week before he could activate Balance Breaker.
Their training battle lasted roughly fifteen minutes.
Lavinia unleashed technique after technique, while Rod strengthened his control over the Longinus through actual combat.
Neither of them was injured, though both were somewhat fatigued.
Overall, however, Rod seemed to have the advantage. Although Lavinia had not yet used her Balance Breaker, the fact that a beginner could fight her to this extent already demonstrated the gap between them.
"Rod, well done. Your control over the Longinus is already very strong…" Lavinia hesitated, searching for the right comparison. "At least far stronger than Augusta's."
"If she had even half your talent, I wouldn't have been able to fight her for so long back then."
"It's nothing special," Rod replied modestly, despite knowing her words were true.
The two of them walked back toward the area where Asia was waiting.
"Sorry, Asia. It must have been very cold here," Lavinia said apologetically as she noticed the girl exhaling warm breaths.
At the start of the battle, Kuroka had planned to transform into her human form and lie comfortably on the grass while watching. But when Lavinia lowered the surrounding temperature using her Longinus, she very wisely turned back into a black cat and curled up in Asia's arms for warmth.
Asia, kind-hearted as ever, held the cat tightly even though she herself was shivering. If it had been Rod, he probably would have draped the cat around his neck like a scarf.
"Let the blessing of protection descend."
Lavinia waved her wand, and a gentle warmth spread through the surroundings, dispelling the lingering cold.
"Thank you," Asia said with a soft smile.
She then extended her hands toward Rod and Lavinia. A soft green glow emerged, and the soreness and fatigue in their bodies quickly faded.
"I… I can help too," Asia said with a shy smile, as if hoping for praise.
"You did very well, Asia," Lavinia said gently, reaching out to pat her head.
But almost immediately, Lavinia's stomach began to rumble, and her maternal composure vanished.
"I'm hungry."
She looked at Rod.
"Let's head back."
The barrier dispersed, and the three girls and one cat returned home.
Not long after they arrived, the trio of Fallen Angels returned as well, carrying large bags filled with groceries.
"Master," Raynare greeted before heading straight into the kitchen with the shopping bags. Kalawarna assisted her, while Mittelt quickly changed into her maid outfit.
"Master, Master, we bought lots of ingredients today, so dinner will be very lavish! Please look forward to it!"
Rod nodded slightly, while Lavinia subconsciously swallowed, clearly fond of Raynare's cooking.
"I'll go help too," Asia said, feeling a bit embarrassed to sit idle as she headed into the kitchen.
"Miss Raynare, is there anything I can help with?"
"Peel the garlic," Raynare replied without turning around.
"Yes!"
Since Asia had never experienced being bound to a cross and having her Sacred Gear extracted, she did not feel distant toward Raynare.
The living room soon became quiet again. Lavinia curled up on the sofa, holding the black cat, her expression slightly tired as her eyelids began to droop.
"By the way, I want to ask you something about Balance Breaker," Rod said. Although the progress bar was advancing nicely, he was already thinking about the next stage.
What would Incinerate Anthem look like after achieving Balance Breaker?
"After a Longinus activates Balance Breaker, what is it usually like?"
Hearing the question, Lavinia struggled to stay awake and thought for a moment before answering, "I'm not completely sure about all the details. For example, when my Sacred Gear enters Balance Breaker, it can unleash far greater power than usual. But honestly, I haven't used it yet, its normal power is already enough for most situations."
"So, Rod, are you thinking about what your Balance Breaker might look like?"
"You don't need to worry too much. Once the Sacred Gear merges with you, it becomes part of your body. So whatever form you hope it will take, there's a high chance your Balance Breaker will resemble that."
"But you must also be careful. Balance Breaker means you can use the true power of your Sacred Gear, but never let that power cloud your mind."
"So sleepy… Rod, I'm going to take a nap. Wake me when it's time to eat…"
Unable to resist the drowsiness any longer, Lavinia leaned against Rod's shoulder and fell asleep.
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