Balance Breaker!

Kiba found himself within his very soul, surrounded by his friends, stunned. "... everyone..." he said, trying to hold himself together, and not quite succeeding. "I... I couldn't stop wondering... If it was truly alright for me to be alive... Some of you had greater dreams than I..." he began to sob, wiping his tears with his sleeve. "Some of you longed to live more than I did... Can you all... Really forgive the fact that I lived and you died?"

Before he could go any further, one of his former friends moved in, before she embraced him. "Kiba... We're okay now. It's fine. Live. And keep fighting. But above all else... Keep moving forward," she told him. Kiba froze as she spoke.

"None of us can do much alone..." another of them spoke.

"But together, even if there is no God watching over us, we can achieve miracles..." a third stated.

"We have accepted the Holy Sword, and fear nothing anymore," the fourth said.

"Whatever happens," they all intoned as what was left of their spirits flowed into Kiba. "Our hearts will always be..."

"One," Kiba finished, before his eyes snapped open, back in the real world, power flowing around him.

"What... What is this!?" Issei asked, trying to make sense of the aura around Kiba.

"You should already have an idea, Partner," Ddraig spoke within his mind. "You got a taste of it before, when you fought Riser... Then again, you were given temporary access instead of unlocking it, due to our deal. The Knight has peaked. A Secured Gear grows stronger with the feelings of its users, using them as nourishment. But there is an entirely different level to it. When a user's emotions violently erupt against the flow of the world, the Sacred Gear awakens... It's called... Balance Breaker."

Kiba straightened, a new resolve in his eyes, and Issei nodded. "So, it's like Scale Mail?" he asked the Gauntlet.

"Indeed. You didn't unlock it, but because my will is part of the Gear, I could give you access to it for a limited period of time, because you made a deal. Your arm for access to it for as long as your body could handle it at the time of the deal. Speaking of which... You haven't fully collected your part of it," Ddraig informed Issei.

"...wait, you mean... Those nine seconds I had leftover from the fight with Riser..." Issei realized.

"Yes. They are currently "banked." You can use Scale Mail for nine more seconds whenever you choose. I believe this fight is as good a time as any to cash in the remainder," Ddraig replied. Issei made a note of it, and decided to save it until they were down to Kokabiel himself. He had the feeling they would need every advantage they could get when it got to that point.

"I now exist as a Devil," Kiba said quietly as he took a step forward. "That is what I wish, and what Rias wished. But I couldn't forget my hatred of the Holy Swords, or the regrets of my friends... Even though I want to, because of the new friends I made... And yet, now, I feel I can finally move on... My old friends just told me that they didn't want any sort of ****... That said, this still isn't over. Not until you are dead, Valper. So history can't repeat itself! I swear to strike you down, here and now!"

As Valper scoffed, Freed stepped forward, the new Excalibur in hand. "Just try it, you shitty Devil! I'll become the wielder of the complete Excalibur, and cut you down to attain it!" he stated.

Valper's eyes widened as he saw Holy Power in Kiba's left hand, Demonic in his right. How could a Devil even channel Holy Power, Balance Breaker or not!? "Freed! I won't let you sully the spirits of my friends any longer! I'll cut you down along with Valper!" Kiba shouted. He then channeled his power into his Sacred Gear. "Come forth!" he declared, a new blade forming in his hands. "Balance Breaker, Sword of the Betrayer! I'll destroy you both with a sword that combines both Demonic and Holy powers!"