I crouched in the low grass on the outskirts of Kuoh City, watching the ruined church silhouette under a pale moon.
The discarded gravestones of the churchyard lay beyond, but I remained outside—in the neglected gardens, steps away from cracked stained-glass windows.
I came here specifically to test my two sacred gears.
Suddenly a faint ripple in ambient mana drifted across the night air, barely perceptible. I sensed fluctuating patterns—four distinct souls active inside.
I didn't yet know who they were, only that the signature was decently powerful. My grip tightened on the edge of my coat.
I got interested and decided to go look who would come to this abandoned church at this hour.
I consealed my presence using my magic. My demonic power was perfectly suppressed, there was no sound and smell.
I pressed forward, weaving silently through ivy-choked pathways. Each footstep was calculated.
I slipped past collapsed sections of wall and ancient shards of glass—no presence, only purpose. At the mouth of the crumbling entrance, I cupped my breath and peeked inside.
Four figures: Raynare, Kalawarner, Mittelt, and Dohnaseek. All fallen angels, hungry in aura and proud in posture.
Now that I saw them, recognition flared.
They were probably using this abandoned church as their base like in the original series.
I heard them talking about how they were planning to kill and extract sacred gears from many unawakend and weak sacred gear holders.
That aligned with their goals in the original series as well.
Since I am here to test my sacred gears why don't I taje this opportunity and test them against these fallen angels.
With a gentle breath, I activated Boosted Gear. Power surged beneath my skin, energizing every fiber.
The red gauntlet glowed with an emerald core pulsing with life. My limbs felt denser, my reflexes sharper, time slower.
I stepped forward.
In the abandoned sanctuary, broken pews lay scattered. At my entrance, the fallen angels turned.
Their surprise was immediate. They saw a lone boy. Immediately below them.
"How did this boy get here without anyone of us noticeing?". Dohnaseek asked.
"He looks cute, Just my type". Mittelt said while chuckling.
"Ohh!! I love ruining innocent boys. I will make him my plaything and teach him all about woman's body". Kalawarner licked her lips seductively while making eye contact with.
"Stop fooling around Kalawarner. Dohnaseek go kill the boy". Raynare commanded ruthlessly.
Dohnaseek lunged at me flapping this wings.
I met it with forearm bone, the one with the red gauntlet absorbing the blow, and let loose a rippling gut strike. He buckled, stumbling into broken glass, wind knocked out.
The three female fallen angels were surprised seeing me defeat their fellow colleague get beaten up this easily.
They seem to be wary of me now. I thought.
Dohnaseek recovered from my attack. He was seething with rage and humiliated that he got beat up so easily infront of the other three.
He charge at me with the intention to kill again.
Raynare charged a ball of brilliant light. Kalawarner summoned three lanced orbs tracking my shadow. Mittelt slashed her wings manifesting swords of phantom mana. They moved in unison—a trained quartet prepared to kill.
I shifted, lighter than faultless armor, stepping into the gap between spear and swing. I punched Kalawarner, the gauntlet's power cracking her jaw. Raynare's orb detonated, I closed my eyes my vision stripped.
Time stopped.
When time resumed, I was inside the quartet's guard. My strike launched Mittelt into a cracked crucifix. Raynare's vision whined, half blinded. Kalawarner raised a shaky wing in defense.
I'm not just ranged. Grayfia's training made me strong—stronger baseline than Issei ever was. That means Boosted Gear's effect is magnified through me.
I pressed the advantage, unleashing a chain of strikes: a spinning slash of gauntlet to Kalawarner's ribs, elbow to Raynare's solar plexus, then a low sweep to take Mittelt's legs out.
They staggered. Their aura faltered. They looked fearful now. Good. I thought. Fear is information. Fear is control.
They regrouped—still weak. Kalawarner, breathless, summoned a long-range light lance, followed by Mittelt's lanced wing feathers and Raynare's and Dohnaseek's celestial spear. All three weapons launched simultaneously.
I smirked internally. Time pause.
Everything froze midair.
No shape shifted. No mana rippled. Silence.
I stepped over shard and bone, closing the distance again. With Boosted Gear pushing, my strength rippled outward. My right gauntlet snapped forward as time resumed, cleaving Raynare's lance to splinters. Flesh and light disconnected.
Kalawarner flew backward into a shattered column. Mittelt's feathers rent themselves on debris. Dohnaseek staggered into stained glass. I followed through with a grounded hammer-fist that shoved him into pew remains.
Silence returned. The barrier shimmered into place, sealing the church doors without warning.
They were trapped.
Raynare, bleeding from crooked lips, formed a final orb of blinding light. She threw it in desperation. I lifted my gauntleted arm—and the orb bled harmlessly across its surface. Her eyes widened. The orb cracked and dissolved.
She stepped back. Kalawarner fell to her knees with broken thoughts. Mittelt and Dohnaseek looked away.
I stood unmoving, breath even, eyes calm.
Not only am I powerful in magic—but I can close distance, fight physically, withstand illusions, resist blinding light, manipulate space and time.
They trembled as I took a step forward. The cracked tiles crunching underfoot. Stained-glass trickles of red and blue glimmered in the broken crosslight.
No plea came.
No attack.
They had only fear.
I paused, just a few meters away. The barrier behind them held firm. My red gauntlet pulsed softly, black tendrils of Balor View curled from my free hand.
Tonight, they learned strength. Tomorrow… they'll learn restraint.
I stepped forward again, and the silence deepened.
I pondered. Should I just kill them all now. But they were the reason that Asia came to Kuoh. It was a part of their sinister plan.
They had colluded with Diodora Astaroth, a nun loving freak. Asia was expelled from her church for healing Diodora ,a devil unknowningly.
Asia who had nowhere to go accepted the invitation of Freed a exorcist working for the fallen angels.
They had planned all of this to steal Asia's sacred gear Twilight healing.
I decided that I would not kill them since they will bring Asia to Kuoh. Instead, I will make them my slaves.
I laughed maniacally. Ofcourse only internally.
I don't want to ruin my image.
Then, I started bullying them again.
End of Chapter 22.