Boosted Gear

Boosted Gear, also known as the Red Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet, is a Sacred Gear wielded by Issei Hyoudou. Listed as one of the thirteen Longinus, it has the spirit of the Welsh Dragon, Ddraig, residing within it. It has the ability to double the user's power every 10 seconds.

Summary
In the past, Ddraig fought against his arch-rival, the Vanishing Dragon, Albion, in a battle that was interrupted by the Angels, Devils, and Fallen Angels who were at war during the time. In anger, both Dragons attacked the leaders of the Three Factions, which led to their bodies being destroyed and their souls being sealed into two separate Sacred Gears, with Ddraig moving into the "Boosted Gear", a Sacred Gear that eventually became one of the thirteen varieties of Longinus.

In Volume 9 of the Light Novels, it is revealed that when a host of the Boosted Gear dies, a fragment of their consciousness is stored inside the Boosted Gear normally only waking up during the activation of the Juggernaut Drive. However, there are two people who maintain a degree of consciousness; Belzard and Elsha. Belzard is known as the strongest Boosted Gear possessor for defeating two White Dragon Emperors in his lifetime, while Elsha is known as the second strongest and the strongest female.

In Volume 10, it is revealed that a past possessor of Divine Dividing was stored within the Boosted Gear when Issei used one of Albion's jewels to create the Dividing Gear. The past possessor of the Divine Dividing then used his halving power to diminish the dark thoughts of the Boosted Gear's past possessors, allowing Issei to awaken a power opposite to Juggernaut Drive: Cardinal Crimson Promotion, with a different chant.

In Volume 12, all the past possessors sacrificed themselves in order to save Issei's soul from Samael's curse.

In Volume 16, Euclid Lucifuge reveals that he created a replica version of the Boosted Gear by collecting information of the Sekiryuutei's soul and the Sacred Gear from Issei's original body that was left in the Dimensional Gap by using the Holy Grail. Unlike the original Boosted Gear however, the Boosted Gear Replica appears on the user's right hand with silver lining and uses the souls of famous Dragons to activate it. In the following Volume, the replica was destroyed after Euclid's defeat against Issei.

Appearance
In its initial state, the Boosted Gear looks like a regular Twice Critical. After a certain time, it transforms to a more Dragon-like gauntlet that covers up the user's hand and a majority of the arm. When the Boosted Gear reaches its second liberation, it gains another green jewel and once again covers up more of the user's arm.

Abilities
The Boosted Gear has the ability to double the user's power every ten seconds. With further changes in response to the user's feelings, the Boosted Gear can transform into the Boosted Gear Gift, which has the ability to transfer the increased power to other people or objects. The transfer can be performed on multiple people/objects at the same time, however, this decreases the efficiency, and some of the power will be lost in the transfer.

In Volume 3, Boosted Gear gains the ability to determine an opponent's power level, and tells Issei when his boost has built up sufficient power to possibly defeat an opponent, either by utilizing it himself or transferring it to an ally. However, this ability has not been used since the fight with Kokabiel.

Its Balance Breaker, the Boosted Gear Scale Mail, creates an armor that covers the user's body and grants further power to the user. When active, the user can double their power without the 10-second time limit

Like the Divine Dividing, the Boosted Gear also has a forbidden form called the Juggernaut Drive. The Juggernaut Drive unleashes the full power of the Welsh Dragon, but the user will lose their sanity and their life will also be devoured. However, by the beginning of Volume 12, the curse of Juggernaut Drive had ended.

Weaknesses
With Ddraig sealed within the Boosted Gear, its possessors become vulnerable to Dragon-slaying magics, swords, and curses, as if they themselves were Dragons. Also, continuous use of the Boosted Gear will drain the wielder's stamina to a significant degree.

Announcements

 * Dragon Booster: Summons the Boosted Gear.
 * Boost: Doubles the user's power. This call is announced every 10 seconds until the user reaches his/her physical limit. In Balance Breaker mode, this call is announced repeatedly until the user reaches his/her limit.
 * Explosion: Releases the Boosted Gear's stored power for a short period of time.
 * Reset: This announcement is called after all the Boosted Gear's stored power during Explosion is drained. Once called, the user cannot use Boost again until he releases another Explosion, so long as his body is not near its physical limits.
 * Burst: This announcement is called when the Boosted Gear's wielder reaches his/her physical limit. Once called, all of the user's increased powers are drained.
 * Dragon Booster Second Liberation: Changes the Boosted Gear into the Boosted Gear Gift. This announcement was used only once during the Rating Game between Rias and Riser.
 * Transfer: Transfers increased power to other people or objects.
 * Welsh Dragon Over Booster/Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker: Activates the Scale Mail armor, Boosted Gear Scale Mail. The first call was used in Issei's final showdown against Riser when he used an incomplete Scale Mail, while the second (and subsequent) call was used during Issei's battle with Kuroka where he had attained his complete Balance Breaker.
 * Vanishing Dragon Power is Taken: This call was announced when Issei formed the Dividing Gear with one of Albion's jewels during his battle with Vali.
 * Divide: Halves the opponent's power. This call is announced every 10 seconds when the Dividing Gear is in use. In Juggernaut Drive, this call can be announced repeatedly.
 * Blade: Summons Ascalon.
 * Juggernaut Drive: Activates Juggernaut Drive.
 * Longinus Smasher: The chest armor of the Scale Mail slides open and fire a powerful shot. This attack was used only thrice in the series: in Volume 6 when Issei blasted Shalba Beelzebub while in Juggernaut Drive, in Volume 12 when it is used to completely blast away the last of the Jabberwocky, where Ddraig reveals that this is a forbidden and sealed attack, and in Volume 17 where, with the help of his Dividing Wyvern Fairy's boosting power, he was able to achieve it.
 * Jet: Allows Issei to fly with his Dragon Wings while in Scale Mail mode. Accessed after Issei entered Juggernaut Drive.
 * Change Star Sonic: Used in Illegal Move Triaina. Changes the Scale Mail armor into the Welsh Sonic Boost Knight.
 * Change Solid Impact: Used in Illegal Move Triaina. Changes the Scale Mail into the Welsh Dragonic Rook.
 * Change Fang Blast: Used in Illegal Move Triaina. Changes the Scale Mail into the Welsh Blaster Bishop.
 * Cardinal Crimson Full Drive: Activates Cardinal Crimson Promotion.
 * Bust: Announced whenever Issei touches Rias' breasts. This replenishes Issei's power and stamina, albeit at the cost of Rias' breasts shrinking with each use (though they do grow back to normal within a day's rest, according to Rias). This announcement is called repeatedly.
 * Star Sonic Booster: Used while in Cardinal Crimson Promotion. Grants the user godlike speed that far surpasses Welsh Sonic Boost Knight's.
 * Solid Impact Booster: Used while in Cardinal Crimson Promotion. Morphs one of Cardinal Crimson Promotion's fists into one of the Welsh Dragonic Rook's, allowing for an enhanced version of Solid Impact.
 * Fang Blast Booster: Used while in Cardinal Crimson Promotion. Fires the Crimson Blaster, an enhanced version of Welsh Blaster Bishop's "Dragon Blaster".
 * Reflect: It's one of the two abilities of Dividing Wyvern Fairy and the original power of Albion. The white dragons can reflect any incoming attack to a certain degree. It was first used against Euclid Lucifuge.
 * Penetrate: One of Ddraig's original abilities.  Allows Issei's attacks to ignore all defenses and defensive abilities and hit.

Base Form: Twice Critical (Anime only)
The initial form of the Boosted Gear in the anime. It takes a form of a red, armored bracer with yellow accents and a green jewel on top of the palm area. The fingers aren't covered. It was initially mistaken as a Twice Critical.

Initial Form: Boosted Gear
The form where it was finally realized that it is the Boosted Gear. It first debuted during Issei's last battle with Raynare. It is a red, claw-shaped gauntlet with yellow accents and green inscriptions. It is also known as the Dragon Booster.

Upgraded Form: Boosted Gear Gift
Boosted Gear Gift, also known as the Gift from the Red Dragon Emperor, is Boosted Gear's third and final form in the shape of a gauntlet. It has the same appearance as the original Boosted Gear, except with a second jewel that grants the user the Transfer ability and that it covers more of the user's arm. It debuted during Rias' Rating Game against Riser Phenex.

Dividing Gear
Dividing Gear, also known as the White Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet, is the Boosted Gear version of Divine Dividing. It debuted in Volume 4 during Issei's first battle against Vali, where the former placed one of Albion's jewels on his right gauntlet. The Dividing Gear resembles the Boosted Gear but is white in color, has a blue jewel instead of a green, and rests on Issei's right hand, as opposed to his left. With Dividing Gear, Issei gains all the powers of Divine Dividing. However, due to it consuming his lifespan, it was banned from use by Azazel. In Volume 16, Issei can no longer activate Dividing Gear after gaining a new ability; Dividing Wyvern Fairy that creates small white dragons from the gems of his armor that can not only divide but can also reflect incoming attacks. Unlike the Dividing Gear, this does not reduce Issei's lifespan.

Scale Mail
The Balance Breaker of Boosted Gear which creates a Red Dragon Armor with green jewels that cover the user's body and strengthens its powers and abilities.

Normal Balance Breaker
The initial state for Boosted Gear's Balance Breaker. Originally, it did not have wings, however, after Issei goes into Juggernaut Drive in Volume 6, it gains Dragon wings. In the third season of the anime, Issei's perfect Balance Breaker already has wings.

Juggernaut Drive
Issei first went into Juggernaut Drive in Volume 6, which would also be his last time. In Juggernaut Drive, Issei's Scale Mail assumes the form of a miniature version of Ddraig, and it gains the white wings of the Divine Dividing and all its powers, which he took from Vali in their first battle. It also has access to the Longinus Smasher, exclusive to this form and Cardinal Crimson Promotion, and other unique powers that he has yet to otherwise show.

Illegal Move Triaina
Illegal Move Triaina is the enhanced form of Issei's Scale Mail, where the armor changes to various forms based on the Evil Pieces' traits.

Cardinal Crimson Promotion
Cardinal Crimson Promotion, also known as the True Crimson Dragon Emperor, is the Scale Mail's Queen form that debuted in Volume 10 of the light novels during Rias' Rating Game battle against Sairaorg. It changes the color of Issei's Scale Mail armor from red to crimson. Cardinal Crimson Promotion incorporates all three Evil Pieces traits, making it the most balanced and most powerful form of Issei's Scale Mail. It is Issei's answer to a power different from the Juggernaut Drive, making it at least as powerful as the latter. This form, however, is still unstable and requires mastering the three forms of Illegal Move Triaina in order to stabilize its powers.

When Issei first used Cardinal Crimson Promotion, he uses a modified version of the chant for Juggernaut Drive.


 * "I, who is about to awaken
 * Am the Red Dragon Emperor who has discarded the principles of domination
 * I shall walk the road of righteousness by having infinite hopes and dreams
 * I shall become the King of Crimson Dragon
 * And I promise you all! I shall show you the future which shines in true crimson light!"

Issei uses a different chant with some old wordings in Volume 11 during his battle with Shalba Beelzebub.


 * "I, who is about to awaken
 * Am the Red Dragon Emperor who holds the truth of the king up high
 * Holding the infinite hopes and unbreakable dreams and walking the path of righteousness
 * I will become an Emperor of Crimson Dragon
 * And I will lead you to the Path of Heaven, glowing in deep crimson light!"

After which the Boosted Gear announces "Cardinal Crimson Full Drive!"

Super Gigantic Balance Breaker
The form that Issei takes after combining with Great Red in Volume 12. It resembles Boosted Gear's normal Scale Mail, except that it is incredibly enormous in size and now has access to the Longinus Smasher that was previously exclusive to the Juggernaut Drive.

Trivia

 * In the anime, the Third Form: Boosted Gear Gift had four golden spikes in the upper part of the gauntlet and two on the side of the wrist whereas in the manga, which follows the light novels, the six golden spikes aren't shown.
 * In the anime, using Boosted Gear Gift appears to cause a pleasurable sensation in females whom the "Gift" is given to.
 * Cardinal Crimson Promotion is modeled after the ZGMF-X10A Freedom Gundam from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED.
 * In the Afterword of Volume 12, the author stated that Super Gigantic Balance Breaker is a special form for this volume only.
 * Longinus Smasher and Super Gigantic Balance Breaker appear to be homages to the Mega Smasher and Gigantic Exceed of Guyver.
 * Interestingly enough, Issei's second chant to use Cardinal Crimson Promotion, which was used against Shalba Beelzebub, foreshadows Issei's resurrection at the hands of both Ophis and Great Red.
 * In Episode 11 and 12 of the anime's second season, Issei demonstrated the ability of extending the blade far longer than it's normal length, whether this is a normal ability of the sword or an ability gained with the fusion with the Boosted Gear is not clear.