Chapter 54 - Praise the Gauntlet, Punish the Priest

{Issei's POV}

After the intense battle with Viser, I barely had time to catch my breath before Rias handed me another assignment. This time, it was a standard devil's contract—fulfilling a client's request. Sounded simple enough, especially compared to fighting monstrous stray devils.

As I walked through the quiet streets of Kuoh Town, I couldn't help but feel a strange mix of excitement and dread. The recent awakening of my Sacred Gear—the Boosted Gear—had me fired up. But the looming threat of Malrik doubling my training tomorrow?

Yeah, not so much.

"Man, doubling my physical training? I'm gonna die before I even get a harem," I muttered, rubbing the back of my head with a sigh.

Eventually, I arrived at the address Rias gave me. A normal house, tucked in a quiet neighborhood. Nothing about it screamed 'demonic activity' or 'trap.' Just a client waiting to have their request fulfilled by their friendly neighborhood devil.

I knocked on the door.

No response.

Weird.

Frowning, I tested the knob. It turned. The door creaked open.

"Hello?" I called out cautiously, stepping inside. "I'm here about the request…"

The air was thick. Still. Unnaturally so.

Then the scent hit me—metallic, iron-like. Blood.

My heart began to race.

I turned a corner into the living room—and stopped cold.

Blood was everywhere. Splashed across the walls, pooled beneath a lifeless body sprawled across the carpet.

The client. Dead.

"What the hell…?" My voice barely made it past the lump in my throat. A chill crawled down my spine.

And then—clap, clap, clap.

A slow, mocking applause echoed from the shadows.

"Punish the wicked. Words to live by," a voice drawled, oozing with theatrical venom. "Yes, wise advice to heed... from a holy man."

I whirled around.

Emerging from the gloom was a man dressed in black clerical robes, though he looked more like a psychopath than a priest. Wild white hair framed his face, and his yellow eyes glowed with manic delight.

"Freed Sellzen, at your service," he said with a bow so sarcastic it made my skin crawl. "And you must be the scared little devil whose ass I'm about to exorcise."

"A… priest?" I asked, blinking in disbelief.

"Yup! I work for a certain devil-purging organization," he replied, twirling a glowing light sword in one hand, a pistol in the other. Both looked very real. And very deadly.

My fists clenched. "So you're the one who did this?"

He chuckled. "Summoning a devil like you? Proof enough the guy was done being human. I'm just cleaning up the trash."

Before I could respond, he lunged forward, unnervingly fast. His light sword came down in a flash aimed right for my throat.

I dodged—barely. The blade nicked the ends of my hair.

"Whoa! Chill!" I yelped, stumbling back.

With no other choice, I summoned my Sacred Gear. A surge of energy pulsed through me as the red gauntlet appeared on my left arm, its core glowing like a heartbeat.

Freed's eyes widened in excitement. "Ooooh~ A Sacred Gear user! This just got interesting!"

He opened fire.

Light bullets exploded from his gun in rapid succession. I ducked, rolled, tried to close the distance.

"Boost!" The mechanical voice chimed inside my mind, and a rush of strength filled my body.

I charged, fist cocked, aiming to shut that smug mouth of his.

He sidestepped and drove a knee into my gut.

Pain flared. I hit the floor hard, gasping.

"Come on, is that it?" he laughed, pacing toward me. "I expected more from a devil's new pet."

My vision swam, but I forced myself up, blood trickling from my lip.

"Boost!" Another surge of power. My arm trembled with energy.

I couldn't beat him with brute force. Not like this.

He was fast. Skilled. And clearly insane.

Freed tilted his head, lips curled into a grin. "Cat got your tongue?"

I didn't answer. Instead, I took a breath—focused.

If I could just hold out a bit longer…

If I could just think…

If I could just—

———

{Malrik's POV}

We were already there.

Aika, Mittelt, and I stood in the corner of the blood-soaked room, cloaked in my invisibility spell. The air was thick with the iron scent of death and the stench of holy arrogance.

Freed Sellzen's voice was grating, like nails dragging across a choir boy's funeral hymn. He moved with the erratic grace of a man too used to violence and not nearly used to consequences.

I could feel Aika tense beside me, her breath catching the second Issei hit the ground again.

She opened her mouth to speak.

I pressed a finger gently to her lips and gave her a look. Not yet.

She pouted slightly—adorably—but nodded. Mittelt, standing on my other side, didn't say a word. Her arms were crossed, blue eyes locked on Freed like she was calculating how many spells it would take to vaporize him.

I watched silently as Issei struggled to his feet. He was getting tossed around, sure—but this was progress. Much better than how he fared in the original story. He was adapting. Learning.

"Looks like the training's already paying off," I thought with a smirk.

Then the scream.

A girl's scream—sharp, sudden, and desperate.

All three of us turned at the same time.

Asia stood at the edge of the room, framed in the doorway, her emerald eyes wide with horror.

Freed looked over his shoulder, exhaling with exasperated glee.

"Asia~ What are you doing here? Done setting up the barrier already?"

Her hands trembled as she stepped closer. "Don't do this… please."

Freed laughed. "Ooh, the newbie's having doubts. Guess it's time for your next lesson."

His grin widened. "This is what we do, my dear. We cleanse the vermin who've been bewitched by devils."

Asia shook her head, stepping in front of Issei, who was barely conscious on the floor. "He hasn't done anything wrong! Can't we… forgive him?"

Freed's smile twisted. "Forgive? You forget the orders of the Fallen already? You're not supposed to talk to devils, let alone protect them."

She stood firm. "It doesn't matter what he is. There's goodness in him. I know it."

My fingers curled slightly.

Now.

Freed raised his sword with a snarl, light gleaming off the blade. "Enough of this bullsh—"

I flicked my wrist, sending a pebble through the air like a bullet.

CRACK.

The chunk of debris hit Freed's sword mid-swing, knocking it just enough off-target.

Issei's eyes widened. He saw his chance.

He surged up from the ground, red gauntlet glowing faintly—still cracked, still unpolished—but he had the heart.

He slammed into Freed's side with a desperate shout, sending the man staggering back.

And right then—

A crimson glow enveloped the room.

A large magic circle appeared beneath our feet, swirling with power and elegance.

Rias.

She arrived just in time, her entire peerage materializing beside her—Kiba, Koneko, Akeno—eyes locked onto Freed.

Rias's eyes scanned the carnage in a heartbeat. Her expression went from confusion to fury.

Freed blinked, backing away. "Well, well. Looks like the whole circus came to play."

He didn't realize it yet—but his part in this show was just about over.

Time for Act Two.

-----

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