For Rias and the others, Roy had only been gone for less than a day, so they didn't feel much absence.
After lunch, Roy rested in the ORC until the lunch break ended, then returned to class.
The girls in his class greeted him warmly, crowding around to ask about his brief absence.
As one of the most attractive students, Roy's leave had drawn attention.
The teacher had mentioned he'd be gone for a while, yet he returned in just a day.
Roy smiled awkwardly, answering their questions vaguely.
When the class bell rang, the girls dispersed to their seats.
"Roy, did you sneak off to a beauty salon or something?" Kiryuu teased, eyeing him up and down. "You seem even more attractive now."
"Am I that vain?" Roy said, rolling his eyes.
His Lust skill did enhance his appeal to others, but Kiryuu's sharp observation caught him off guard.
"Maybe it's that male glow up at eighteen?" Kiryuu continued, her gaze lingering.
"If those fangirls saw you now, they'd probably faint from excitement."
Roy sighed inwardly. His deskmate was getting bolder.
"Kiryuu, you're the one being inappropriate! Roy just got back, and you're already teasing him. Can't you behave?" Katase scolded, poking Kiryuu's back, with Murayama nodding in agreement.
"You two are just jealous!" Kiryuu shot back, undeterred.
"I'm not wrong. Roy's even more striking than before. Don't you see it?"
"Roy's always been ," Katase mumbled, her cheeks flushing as she glanced at him briefly before looking away.
"You're just dodging the topic," Murayama added quietly.
"You're the ones missing the point!" Kiryuu said confidently. "As Roy's friends, you should notice these things. Don't you know how popular he is? Those 3rd year girls have been asking about him!"
Her words left Katase and Murayama deflated, as if they'd failed some test.
Roy shook his head at their weak comeback, but the teacher arrived, cutting Kiryuu's antics short as class began.
The afternoon classes passed quickly. Afterward, Roy returned to ORC.
Everyone was there except Kiba, who Rias had assigned to monitor Issei. As a member of the go home club, Issei left school immediately after classes, and Kiba followed him.
"Rias, can you set up a barrier?" Roy asked.
"A barrier? What for?" Rias asked curiously, nodding in agreement.
"I want to try the Balance Breaker, but I'm worried I might not control the power well the first time," Roy explained.
He could find a secluded spot to test it, but the Balance Breaker unleashed immense energy that could damage the surroundings and attract unwanted attention.
A barrier from Rias would be safer.
"The Balance Breaker of the Boosted Gear?" Akeno asked, looking surprised.
Koneko paused her game, her golden eyes fixed on Roy.
Asia looked curious but less shocked.
"You've only had the Boosted Gear for a few days, right?" Akeno said, her expression complex.
The Balance Breaker was the ultimate state of a sacred gear, a realm many hosts never reached. Historically, only exceptional individuals achieved it.
Even for the Red and White Dragon Emperors, few hosts unlocked the Balance Breaker.
Roy, who awakened his sacred gear recently, claiming to reach it after a day's training was astonishing.
Not just Akeno, but Rias and Koneko felt the pressure.
Having such a rapidly progressing prodigy nearby challenged even them, the geniuses among the young devils.
"Akeno, help me with the barrier," Rias instructed, beginning to set up a crystalline barrier to contain any energy leakage.
Soon, the barrier was complete, shimmering like a crystal dome.
A crimson gauntlet appeared on Roy's right hand.
He closed his eyes, activating Omniscient to sense the Boosted Gear's rhythm.
A spark of insight hit him, and he opened his eyes.
A brilliant light burst from the jewel on his gauntlet.
"Success, partner!" Ddraig's voice rang out.
"Balance Breaker!" Roy declared.
A surge of power erupted from him, sweeping through the barrier like a gust of wind.
Red light exploded from the gauntlet, enveloping Roy.
"This is the Balance Breaker?" Rias murmured, maintaining the barrier as she felt the overwhelming power radiating from Roy.
It was her first time witnessing a Balance Breaker.
The violent energy could have razed the Occult Research Club if she and Akeno weren't reinforcing the barrier.
"Such a vibrant color. It suits you, Rias," Akeno said with a smile, though her eyes held awe.
"This intensity… it's captivating."
"Such strong power," Koneko observed, staring at Roy.
"Amazing," Asia whispered, squinting against the energy's gust.
The red light around Roy grew dazzling, then abruptly contracted, fusing into his body.
Crimson armor enveloped him, the iconic Scale Mail of the Red Dragon Emperor.
"As the records describe, this is the Boosted Gear's Balance Breaker," Rias said, her voice tinged with surprise.
"It actually worked," Akeno said, her eyes wide at the imposing red armor, its mere presence radiating oppression.
Roy's aura gradually stabilized, the wild energy calming.
The suffocating pressure in the room faded.
With remarkable speed, Roy adapted to the Balance Breaker's power, mastering it effortlessly.
"If I'm not fighting, I could maintain this for a week," he said, moving his limbs. The armor felt heavy, but it was manageable.
He regretted the lack of an opponent to test his new power. With a thought, he dispelled the Balance Breaker, the armor vanishing.
"Impressive control," Rias said, lowering the barrier.
"You've surpassed expectations, Roy." ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel•fire.net
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