Point of View: Hajime
The morning light filtered through the cracks in the bedroom curtains. Hajime opened his eyes slowly, already awake before the sun had fully touched the horizon. Beside him, curled up like a satisfied cat, Kuroka slept soundly, her breathing light and steady. Her tail swayed lazily, as if she were dreaming.
He remained in bed for a few more minutes, staring at the ceiling and sorting his thoughts. The previous day had changed everything. The awakening of the Boosted Gear wasn't a minor event. It was a cry in the dark, drawing hungry eyes from all directions.
Issei was now at the center of a web he had no idea even existed. And Hajime, though reluctant, found himself increasingly entangled in the gears of this supernatural world.
Kuroka stirred, stretching with a light yawn before opening her golden eyes.
— "Nyaa~ you're already up? I thought you'd sleep in after yesterday…"
— "I don't have that luxury," Hajime replied, sitting on the edge of the bed. "The world won't wait."
She slid behind him and wrapped her arms around his torso.
— "He won't survive unless you shape him with discipline. But don't forget to shape yourself too, nyaa~. You're getting 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 next morning felt heavier. The air seemed charged, as if every particle carried electricity. Issei descended the stairs of the mansion, still feeling the lingering presence of Ddraig within him. It wasn't a constant voice, but a sleeping consciousness—always there, always watching.
He found Hajime in the kitchen, preparing a simple breakfast.
— "Did you sleep?" the alchemist asked without looking up.
— "Not much... I kept thinking about what he said. Ddraig. It's kinda crazy. An ancient dragon's voice inside my head."
— "Get used to it. You haven't even scratched the surface yet. What you feel now is just the echo of his presence. When you reach your true Balance Breaker, it'll be like having a collapsing sun inside your chest."
Issei swallowed hard. Hajime handed him a mug.
— "Are we training again today?"
— "Until your body gives out," Hajime replied coldly. "You've got a monster inside you now. You'll need to be more monstrous than it, or it'll consume you."
Issei fell silent for a moment, staring at his reflection in the dark liquid. Part of him still clung to normalcy. But that world was long gone. The moment Ddraig awoke, everything he knew had been crushed.
Point of View: Rias
At Kuoh Academy, Rias Gremory walked the hallways with measured steps. The atmosphere among the Occult Research Club members was tense. They had all sensed the surge of power from the eastern side of town. Akeno, unusually quiet, was even more alert than usual. Kiba kept one hand discreetly near the hilt of his sword.
Rias stopped in front of a second-floor window and looked out over the school grounds. Students went about their routines, unaware of the storm brewing beneath the surface of reality.
— "Today, I'm going to talk to him," she said at last.
Akeno raised an eyebrow.
— "You're going to confront him directly?"
— "Yes. The awakening of a Sacred Gear of that level under the guidance of a stranger is unacceptable. I need to know who Hajime Nagumo really is. The real Hajime."
Akeno nodded, but concern flickered in her eyes.
— "And if he's more than we imagined?"
— "Then I'll have to be more too."
Point of View: Hajime
Training that day was brutal. Hajime pushed Issei to his limits, demanding he summon the Boosted Gear's power over and over again. Containment runes pulsed along the walls of the underground room, keeping the space stable even as bursts of energy began to crackle.
— "You're trying to control power out of fear. Dragons don't fear. They devour," Hajime shouted.
Issei roared, his body nearly collapsing. The red gauntlet appeared in erratic flashes, still unstable.
— "I... I'm not a monster like you!" he shouted back.
Hajime walked up and grabbed him by the collar.
— "No. You're still just human. But that won't be enough."
He let go and turned his back.
— "If you want to survive, you'll have to become something more."
Point of View: Kuroka
Kuroka watched from above again, seated on the pillar—not with pity, but with understanding in her eyes.
— "This cruel approach... he thinks he's helping, but he's just scaring the boy."
She leapt down and approached Issei, who was on his knees, panting.
— "Hey, kid... sometimes what you need is to remember why you're fighting. What do you want to protect? You won't control that power if all you feel is fear."
Issei looked up 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 every nerve.
— "Boost!" he shouted, and the gauntlet fully manifested, the central ruby glowing with intensity.
Hajime paused and looked back. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Point of View: Rias
At day's end, Rias waited at the academy's entrance. She knew Hajime usually took a side route to avoid crowds. She stood 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?"
A long moment passed in silence.
— "Depends. About what?"
— "About you. About Issei. About what you really are."
He met her gaze, his red eyes slightly more intense.
— "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 wasted no time.
— "Are you human?"
— "I was, once. 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 nearly anyone. But I'm not stopping you from watching."
She gave a faint smile—almost admiring.
— "One day, you'll have to choose a side."
— "Maybe. But not today."
Point of View: Kuroka
Later that night, lying beside Hajime again, Kuroka traced lazy circles across his chest with the tip of her tail.
— "So the princess came to talk to you, nyaa~?"
— "She did. She's curious. And cautious."
— "Are you going to tell her about me?"
— "Not yet. That would just bring more trouble."
She purred softly.
— "I like when you think... but don't forget to rest too."
He closed his eyes, and for a brief moment, the weight of the world disappeared.
To be continued...