Although Leon lost the battle against Miyamoto Musashi, he found it immensely satisfying.
This was the first time since his Zenith Tempest awakened that he had used it against anyone, and Miyamoto Musashi was exceptionally gracious throughout, allowing him to use his full power. Otherwise, with her ability, it would not have been difficult at all for her to place her blade at his neck before he could unleash the true power of the Zenith Tempest.
So, despite the loss, Leon felt no resentment or similar emotion. Instead, he felt a cathartic release, as if his thoughts had been smoothed out.
Aside from wanting to unleash his full power, Leon also wanted to know exactly what level he was currently at after fighting Miyamoto Musashi.
Although he felt that cross-level challenges would definitely not be a problem for him now, this was ultimately just his own feeling.
Prior to this, Leon had never fought an existence on the Ultimate-Class Devil level, and he hadn't even encountered many High-Class Devils of equal standing. Therefore, he was unsure if his self-assessment was accurate.
Thus, in this battle with Miyamoto Musashi, Leon also wanted to take the opportunity to ask her how strong he truly was.
Miyamoto Musashi was a Demon Lord's peerage member and a veteran Devil senior who had lived for several centuries. She had challenged countless powerhouses and battled an endless number of strong opponents. Her eye for detail and experience were far superior to his.
She would certainly be able to give Leon an answer.
As expected...
"Young Master Leon's current strength is certainly not weak. At the very least, among the younger generation of the same era, there shouldn't be many who can serve as your opponent." Miyamoto Musashi seemed to grasp Leon's intention and, after some thought, said to him: "By the younger generation, I don't just mean Devils, but everyone in the Three Factions and those outside the Three Factions as well."
"Quite a few geniuses have emerged in your generation. Not to mention the Red-Haired Princess of the Gremory family, who inherited the 'Destruction' trait just like the current Demon Lord Lucifer, there are also remarkable descendants being born in other Devil households."
"Especially the Bael family. I've met the successor to the current Patriarch once. That young master is extraordinary. Although he isn't highly valued by his family members, his strength has already far surpassed his peers."
"The Church side has also produced several promising talents who could become top Exorcists. Furthermore, the Fallen Angels' Grigori has reportedly cultivated several super-strong Sacred Gear users in recent years, two of whom are even Longinus (Divine Constructs) wielders, whose strength is unmatched among their contemporaries."
Miyamoto Musashi factored all these individuals together before concluding that "there shouldn't be many who can serve as Leon's opponent."
This evaluation was high indeed.
"The original Young Master Leon definitely couldn't be compared with these figures, but the situation changes when you possess the Zenith Tempest, the world's second strongest Longinus."
Miyamoto Musashi spoke candidly, continuing her assessment.
"Based on Young Master Leon's performance just now, among your generation, you should be able to contend for a spot in the top five."
"If you can use the Zenith Tempest proficiently and reach the territory of Balance Breaker (Forbidden Gear), you can contend for the top three."
"At the very least, ordinary Ultimate-Class Devils will not be your match."
Hearing this, Leon asked a follow-up question thoughtfully.
"An ordinary Ultimate-Class Devil refers to the eight-winged class, right? What about the ten-winged class?"
Facing Leon's question, Miyamoto Musashi showed a somewhat difficult expression before responding.
"If your opponent is a ten-winged Ultimate-Class Devil, Young Master Leon, you should still fall short by quite a bit." Miyamoto Musashi told him truthfully: "Ultimate-Class Devils of that level are rare even in the Underworld. Many older generation Devils do not have ten wings, and the ten-winged ones on the Angel and Fallen Angel sides are absolutely at the cadre level. Some can even fight with Demon Lord-level existences, making them far stronger than the eight-winged class."
"Your utilization of the Zenith Tempest is proficient, but not yet refined to the extreme. Against an eight-winged Ultimate-Class Devil, your winning rate should be higher."
"But a ten-winged Ultimate-Class Devil is a different matter. The situation would likely be reversed. Even against one who has just been promoted, your winning rate would not exceed 20%, and might even be lower."
Ultimately, Leon's Zenith Tempest appeared too late; it had only been a month. The fact that he could use it proficiently was thanks to the feedback provided by the "Peerage Assimilation" characteristic. This power was enough to allow him to defeat opponents one level above him, but attempting to cross two levels was still too demanding.
If Leon could utilize the Zenith Tempest to its fullest, he might be able to exchange blows with a newly promoted ten-winged Devil. But to be compared with an existence like Miyamoto Musashi, who was just one step away from the Demon Lord class, was somewhat wishful thinking.
"Of course, this is just my judgment."
Seeing Leon in deep thought, Miyamoto Musashi immediately added a few more lines.
"I drew this conclusion based on Young Master Leon's performance just now, but Sacred Gear users are inherently beings that cannot be measured by common sense, especially Longinus wielders like you. Anything is possible."
Sacred Gears feed on the wielder's will and can continuously change and evolve, thereby becoming stronger. Their strength is also determined by the will. If the host is in a state of low morale, the Sacred Gear's effectiveness will be worse than usual. Conversely, it will boost the power of the Sacred Gear, allowing it to unleash astonishing might in combat.
The original Red Dragon Emperor was not only able to achieve power surges multiple times due to this but, at his most outrageous, managed to punch a cadre-level ten-winged Fallen Angel with his newly awakened Sacred Gear, fully demonstrating the saying that "Longinus is a power that can break the balance."
Miyamoto Musashi had also seen many Sacred Gear users unleash astonishing power in moments of crisis, relying on their unyielding will to turn the impossible into reality.
That's why she said that if the opponent is a Longinus wielder, anything is possible.
If Leon were to unleash an astonishing will, then with the world's second-ranking status of the Zenith Tempest, he might even be able to suppress and beat a Demon Lord.
However, that kind of explosive power was too unstable. In Miyamoto Musashi's view, it was best not to place too much hope in that area.
"I suggest that Young Master Leon puts more energy into developing your Sacred Gear, striving to use it proficiently, reach its maximum potential, and attempt to access the Balance Breaker territory."
Miyamoto Musashi gave the most reliable advice.
"As long as you can achieve Balance Breaker, with the status of the Zenith Tempest, Young Master Leon, you would not be unable to fight even a Demon Lord."
If Leon could reach the territory of Balance Breaker, he should be able to compete with her when she used her full power, right?
Thinking of this, Miyamoto Musashi felt a little anticipation.
"I understand." Leon nodded, accepting the advice, and said, "I think so too. First, I'll find a way to use the Sacred Gear proficiently, and then reach the Balance Breaker territory."
This was the fastest path for Leon to become stronger, and he certainly wouldn't neglect the fundamentals for the trivial.
Of course, he would not ignore his foundation. Only when his own demonic power and abilities are stronger can the power of the Sacred Gear be utilized better and more sustainably.
Even if he reaches the territory of Balance Breaker in the future, the foundation cannot be ignored, or the Balance Breaker state simply won't last long.
The best examples are the current Red Dragon Emperor and the current White Dragon Emperor.
One is the weakest Red Dragon Emperor in history. Even after reincarnating as a Devil, he had little demonic power and couldn't even manage the magic circle teleportation. He could only painstakingly train his physical strength, almost exhausting himself, yet he could only maintain the Balance Breaker state for thirty minutes. He couldn't even use the Sacred Gear's abilities, which would cause additional consumption, or the duration would be further shortened.
The other is the strongest White Dragon Emperor in history. Half of his bloodline came from the deceased former Demon Lord Lucifer. He was born with immense demonic power and talent. Once he activates the Balance Breaker of his Sacred Gear, he can maintain it for a whole month. Such a long duration means activating his abilities at will causes no impact whatsoever, forming a stark contrast with the former.
Leon's foundation is also not bad, a genuine High-Class Devil standard. Even if he squanders the power of the Zenith Tempest as he did just now, he won't be like Yukino Yukinoshita, whose endurance fails her mid-battle. If he reaches the territory of Balance Breaker, even if he can't maintain the Balance Breaker for a month, he should still be much better off than the Red Dragon Emperor.
But the stronger the foundation, the better. If he could possess demonic power as vast as the White Dragon Emperor and reach the Balance Breaker territory, he should be able to surpass him and become stronger than him.
After all, the White Dragon Emperor's Sacred Gear is the sixth-ranked Mid-Tier Longinus, while Leon's Sacred Gear is the second-ranked Upper-Tier Longinus. In a situation where both possess the same foundation and reach the same Sacred Gear level, Leon would certainly be the stronger one.
And the White Dragon Emperor's strength after activating Balance Breaker is... Demon Lord level!
"Before I leave this manor, Young Master Leon is welcome to spar with me anytime."
Seeing that Leon was able to understand things for himself, Miyamoto Musashi felt much more at ease and offered a highly tempting proposal.
"Having a worthy opponent to practice with should be of considerable help to you."
Hearing this, Leon's eyes lit up.
Having a near-Demon Lord-level powerhouse constantly sparring with him would be immensely helpful.
"Then I'll be relying on you, Miss Musashi."
Seeing Leon nod so readily, Miyamoto Musashi also smiled brightly.
Next, it was time to get back to business. Miyamoto Musashi resumed instructing Asuna Yuuki in sword practice.
Having witnessed the power of the two powerful Devils with her own eyes, Asuna Yuuki's motivation seemed to have been ignited, and she became even more serious and diligent.
And so, time moved on to the evening.
As the sky began to darken, Leon brought Asuna Yuuki to attend the last engagement of the day...