Top floor of the commercial building.
Toichiro Suzuki stood by the window, gazing at the streets below.
Suddenly, the computer on a nearby desk flickered with garbled code.
A moment later, a bespectacled man appeared on the screen.
"Hatori, what's up?"
Toichiro turned his gaze.
"Mr. Suzuki, Shimazaki's defected," Hatori said gravely. "Also, Shibata, Kishi, and the special squad were taken out by the Red Dragon Emperor."
He summarized the ground-floor battle.
For the first time, Toichiro's expression shifted, his brow furrowing.
"The Red Dragon Emperor? You sure it's him?"
"I had doubts, but database checks confirmed it."
The screen split. Roy's photo appeared on the left, while the right played a video.
From Roy entering with Shou, setting the barrier, drawing the special squad, clashing with Shimazaki, to returning and defeating Shibata and Kishi.
The whole thing took under three minutes.
In fast-forward, Toichiro watched it in seconds.
"Crushing the Ultimate 5 so easily… This is the Red Dragon Emperor?"
Toichiro narrowed his eyes, then asked, "Hatori, where's he now?"
"Facing off with Serizawa."
Hatori pulled up another feed.
On-screen, Roy stood in a hallway, talking to a man with an oil-paper umbrella.
No audio, but the umbrella man's expression showed talks failing.
Seconds later, negotiations collapsed.
Roy fired a magic cannon, blasting Katsuya Serizawa away.
A boom echoed into Toichiro's ears.
"Mr. Suzuki, the feed's cut."
"Got it."
Toichiro nodded at the black screen.
Even with Serizawa, the Ultimate 5's top dog, one-shotted, he stayed calm.
As Claw's leader, Toichiro built the group not on wealth or schemes, but raw power.
One-shotting the Ultimate 5? He could do that too.
Aiming at the door, a surge of energy erupted from him.
It morphed into a pure telekinetic shockwave, firing straight ahead.
Boom!
The steel door shattered, the shockwave hurtling toward Roy, who'd just arrived.
A cold flash sliced through, cleaving the wave in two.
Boom! Boom!
The split waves grazed Roy, blasting holes in the hallway's far walls.
"First meeting, Red Dragon Emperor Roy."
Toichiro stepped out, exuding a terrifying aura. "Before we fight, I've got one question."
"Ask away."
Roy summoned the Boosted Gear.
Balance Breaker activated, red armor forming with mechanical whirs.
"BoostBoostBoostBoostBoostBoostBoostBoost!"
Power surged, Roy's aura skyrocketing.
Toichiro, about to speak, snorted. "No patience? I'll beat you down, then ask."
Energy Unlock—50%!
Releasing decades of stored energy, Toichiro's frame swelled, his aura matching Roy's climb.
Their pressures clashed mid-air, the skyscraper trembling.
Fragile glass shattered in a cacophony of cracks.
Cracks spiderwebbed across the concrete structure.
"Gotta end this quick."
Toichiro aimed at Roy, telekinesis flooding out like an ocean.
Instantly, crushing force hit Roy from all sides, trying to flatten him.
But natural energy in the air coalesced, forming a shield around Roy to block it.
"That won't work on me."
Roy poured boosted power into Gram, maxing out Senjutsu.
He blurred into countless afterimages, slashing out waves of sword aura.
"Can't tell which is real? Blast them all!"
Unable to pinpoint Roy, Toichiro frowned, cranking Energy Unlock to 75%.
His aura surged, channeling telekinesis into his fists. He smashed the floor.
A telekinetic shockwave radiated from the impact.
Boom!
The skyscraper, overwhelmed, began to collapse.
On a street a hundred meters away.
"This ain't funny."
"These guys fighting don't hold back at all."
Joseph, watching the collapsing building manipulated by telekinesis toward Roy, sighed.
As a government mole in Claw, his job was gathering intel and aiding the feds when needed.
When he saw Roy invade via monitors, he fled HQ and reported to the government.
His new orders: Observe. If necessary, intervene to contain the fight, protecting civilians.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"Contain this? Yeah, right."
Watching Toichiro wield the skyscraper like a weapon and Roy slice buildings apart, Joseph lit a cigarette, eyes weary.
He was just an average esper, no match for the Ultimate 5.
Forget containing this—he'd be lucky to get near them.
But…
"Why's the barrier still holding?"
Joseph frowned, puzzled.
Thinking, he vanished, searching the area.
Soon, he found Shou and Claw's remnants two streets over.
They'd evacuated HQ after sensing trouble.
Under Shou and Shimazaki's lead, the espers were pouring energy into the barrier core, sustaining it.
"Not enough," Joseph judged after watching.
A magic-tool-based barrier was fragile.
Weak structure, meager energy—it couldn't contain Roy and Toichiro.
"Who's helping? A third party?"
Joseph's brow furrowed.
A voice sounded behind him.
"Aren't you the third party?"
"?!"
Joseph tensed, spinning around.
A burly, thirty-something white man stood there.
"Who're you?!"
"Magnus Ross, here to help you handle this mess."
Magnus?
The name clicked. Joseph's eyes widened. "Magnus, the Machine World Prince wielder?!"
"That's me."
Magnus nodded.
"Didn't expect the feds to send you."
Joseph relaxed.
Machine World Prince, a new Sacred Gear, was deemed Longinus-tier by U.S. tests.
It matched the Boosted Gear's level.
"Sir, you're a lifesaver."
"If you hadn't reinforced the barrier, their fight would've leveled half the city."
"Not me."
"?"
"I didn't reinforce it or seal the battlefield."
Magnus looked skyward at the red figure weaving through telekinetic tides. "That was the Red Dragon Emperor."
"What?"
Joseph's mind blanked.
After seconds, he stammered, "Sir… you mean the Red Dragon Emperor's fighting Toichiro and reinforcing the barrier?"
"Exactly. If he wasn't multitasking, this'd be over."
Magnus's eyes glinted.
He saw Roy's energy split: one part for combat, the other channeled via Boosted Gear to strengthen the barrier.
"The Red Dragon Emperor's threat level needs reevaluation."
High above, on the battlefield.
Toichiro unleashed 100% power, his frame swelling further.
Telekinesis tore the earth, hurling massive boulders at Roy from all directions.
He coated himself in telekinesis, each punch carrying mountain-shattering force.
Booms echoed, dispersing clouds.
For the first time, Toichiro fought at full strength.
Yet, he couldn't gain the upper hand—Roy was suppressing him.
"No way!"
Toichiro, losing calm, roared at Roy, who casually navigated his telekinetic onslaught, countering effortlessly.
"You're diverting energy to the barrier—how do you still have this much power?"
"You haven't noticed?"
Roy chuckled, dispelling the Senjutsu veil around him.
An abyssal torrent of energy erupted.
Toichiro gaped at the endless natural energy pouring from Roy, disbelief in his eyes.
"You… store energy too?"
"Of course. It's not your exclusive trick."
Though Energy Storage was just a Purple entry, used right, it shone.
Two days with Energy Storage, Roy had absorbed natural energy via Senjutsu.
Unlike Toichiro's slow self-accumulation, Roy's external sourcing was far faster.
In two days, his energy hit critical mass.
Natural energy differed from telekinesis.
It couldn't directly enhance like telekinesis due to its nature.
But with enough volume, it was a game-changer.
Diverting some to the barrier was one use.
Roy had others.
Like high-tier Senjutsu.
"Time's up."
Facing the battered Toichiro, Roy snapped his fingers.
Toichiro's internal energy rioted, his aura destabilizing.
"Damn it! What'd you do?!"
Toichiro's face twisted.
"Nothing much. Just triggered the natural energy I slipped into you."
Roy's surface energy surged, conjuring a mist around them.
The mist warped Toichiro's perception—up, down, left, right, front, back flipped like a mirror world, disorienting him.
"You think illusions work on me?!"
Toichiro roared, using telekinesis to lock Roy's position and attack.
But his fist hit air—Roy's form dissolved.
"Crap!"
Toichiro's face fell, trying to retreat.
A massive force struck his back.
Boom!
He crashed into the ground, mind blanking.
Screech!
Gram pierced his chest.
"It's over, Toichiro Suzuki."
Roy appeared, channeling new Senjutsu.
Natural energy flowed through Gram into Toichiro's body.
Black runes rose from Toichiro's skin, his aura plummeting.
Seconds later, a telekinesis-sealing rune locked in.
Powerless and battered, Toichiro passed out.
[Congratulations on defeating Toichiro Suzuki. Obtained Red entry Energy Reservoir Constitution.]
[Energy Reservoir Constitution (Red): Slightly boosts physical stats, increases energy storage capacity by 1000.]
Jackpot.
Roy's lips curved, satisfied.
This fight showed the perks of endless energy.
With Energy Reservoir Constitution, his combat power would soar.
Storing the entry, Roy turned to the street.
A burly white man had appeared.
First meeting, but Roy sensed his strength—Demon Lord-tier, like full-power Toichiro.
"Magnus Ross, CIA agent."
Magnus snapped his fingers. Gundam-like steel giants emerged from the shadows.
"Red Dragon Emperor, I'm here on behalf of the government to hold you accountable."
"For what?"
"Fighting on this scale in a city without warning. You think playing dumb cuts it?"
"I'm doing you a favor, cleaning up terrorists. You should thank me."
Roy chuckled, swinging his sword.
Destruction-infused sword aura obliterated the steel giants, slicing them in half.
"One more thing: next time you wanna intimidate, bring real firepower. These toys don't faze me."
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