This is part five to chapter 4. Leave your Power Stones and like story tags if you enjoyed reading.
Please enjoy.
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They went around to the backside of the church, still within the forest outside the detection line Issei could view. Neither of them knew if this strategy could work a third time, but it had put in enough work as it is. In case they could drop off a third fallen, the two of them stuck with the plan. As they say, don't fix what isn't broken.
"By the way... the other two fallen are whores," The monotone girl spoke as she began climbing another tree.
A blank expression crossed Issei's face before he turned up at her confused. "The hell does that mean?"
"They're women."
Issei grimaced. "Shit... Boobs, huh?" As he feared, he'd face his greatest weakness once again.
"Shut it. Another is coming."
The Game popped up another warning indicator as Issei could make out the red outline of a hostile coming their way. The figure was smaller than the other two, but moving faster and more urgently. They definitely knew something was up.
Within a few short seconds, the figure popped into view, landing down swiftly in front of him. "Are you serious?! Did those two run off?!"
"H-huh...?" Issei stared at the newest fallen angel arrival with a mixture of confusion and unease. The woman was... much shorter than he expected. Just a few inches taller than Koneko, the fallen had azure eyes and messy blonde hair done up in two pigtails with a large black bow hairband in front of them. Her dress was gothic lolita styled with a short skirt and white thigh high stockings that had garter belts running up her thighs.
Issei was a man of boobs and though her chest was awfully small, she was definitely the type of girl he'd want serving him in a maid cafe. Intentional or not, she certainly gave off the vibe.
"Where'd those two go?! Weren't they supposed to've kicked your ass already?!" The tiny woman glared at him as her dark feathered wings retracted into her body. Her hands were placed firmly on her hips as she stood stout, her chest puffing up arrogantly. Her vile personality was on bold display, coming off as bratty given her disposition. "They better not be off fucking somewhere!"
Is that what she really thought? She wasn't suspicious of him, but her comrades? They must not have much faith or trust in each other. More importantly, he had no idea why she was telling him this or what to even say to such an odd girl.
"Hmph! Whatevs, I'll just do it myself!" Smirking as she somehow grew more haughty, the girl then pointed a finger at him like an action hero in a cartoon. "You're about to get creamed!" She proudly declared.
For a second, Issei thought that may have been sexual and a delightful thrill rushed through him. Before he could ask, his partner had hopped down from her hiding spot and punted the fallen angel into the ground. Surprisingly, the blonde minx had managed to react to Koneko's impatient strike in time, avoiding a nasty blow to the head and getting slammed in the back instead.
"Ow-ow-ow-ow-owww!" The girl dry heaved painfully as the white-haired devil sat on top of her flattened back, hiking up her stocking-clad legs into a Boston Crab wrestling hold. She whined with bated breath, aggressively tapping the ground. "I tap! I tappp!"
Issei stared blankly at the scene, watching the goth-loli get man-handled by a kitty-loli. If Koneko weren't actively trying to kill the girl, it could've been misunderstood as cute by a third party, or in his eyes hot.
Put them in bikinis with hot lotion all over their bodies... yeah...
"Issei!" An angry voice barked at him.
"Y-Yes?!" His focused returned upon hearing his name, fearing the wrath of his short friend.
"Gonna stand there with your dick in your hand, or are you gonna kick her face off?"
"M-my face!" The girl's eyes bulged hearing that, struggling and failing to push Koneko off her back with her free hands. "No, please! Not my pretty face!"
"Shut it." Koneko flexed her arms, straining the fallen's legs further and causing her to cry out again. "Gear up. Not gonna be able to pick 'em off anymore."
Nodding in understanding, Issei's Sacred Gear came to life on his left arm. Holding it out in front of him, he called upon its power for the first time.
Boost!
Witnessing the flash of crimson light, the fallen angel's eyebrows shot up high, instantly recognizing the scaled gauntlet on the human's arm. A breath later and her face crumpled, looking as if she were ready to cry. "Wait, wait! Mercy! Please, give me mercy!"
A pang of guilt washed over Issei as he got into a sprinter's position. They had to dispatch her quickly now that his power had been activated. The other fallen angel would sense it and come running, along with several stray priests. He had to be the one to finish her off.
"I'll kiss you!"
"Guh-!" He faltered after hearing that tempting offer.
"Issei!" Koneko's head tilted back to glare, leaning her torso backwards and pushing the fallen angel's legs back even further.
"Ohhh-!" The gothic girl moaned in pain, which sounded somewhat sexual to the perv, given her peculiar position. Seeing his hesitation, she continued on despite the severe leg and back pain. "I'll even let you grab my assssss-!" She whined again, her legs getting bent further.
Shaking his head and ignoring her pleas, Issei forced himself to commit. Preparing his sprint again, his muscles tensed up. "Hut hut, hike!" He began charging at her full speed. The girl gasped horrified and braced herself with her arms, hiding her doll-like face behind them. Though she tried, she was no match for his kick, his boosted power soccer kicking her directly under the chin past her limbs.
Out like a light, the blonde fallen angel's head shot backwards before dropping in the dirt. Feeling the woman go limp in her arms, Koneko carefully released her hold and stood back up. Staring at the unconscious girl for all but a second, the devil's eyes quickly shot up.
"They're coming."
His eyes tethered towards the direction of the church, only momentarily lingering on the fallen angel at his feet. He hadn't killed her with that kick, feeling a small flicker of relief amidst the ambivalent whirlwind inside him. He didn't want to kill anyone if he could avoid it, but those elusive hopes were likely delaying the inevitable.
Boost!
"What do you want me to do?" Asking the girl who'd become honorary leader of their operation, Issei managed to keep his panic under control. Conflicted and anxious as he was, they had already beaten three of the most dangerous enemies. Underneath the turmoil, belief was beginning to sprout. They could really do this.
"Go around. Fly if you have to." Cracking her knuckles under her gloves, Koneko began taking steps ahead. "I got this."
"No, you can't! We're in it together, right?!" Through the sight of Assistance Mode, Issei could make out the remaining fallen angel flying through the air. The other enemies hadn't yet appeared on his radar, being too far away and too slow to keep up with the unholy being.
"It's cool. I have a plan," She gave him a small accusing look. "One that's better than fishing out crows." Pointing towards her right, she commanded him to leave as she waited for battle. "Go, don't worry about me."
Wanting to rebut her, Issei cursed as he obeyed his contemporary. With a running start, Issei leaped into the air and activated his Flight ability. He'd gotten better with the skill over the past week and could feasibly use it to move around now.
"Ack-! Stupid ass trees!" He spat out spiky fir pines that had swatted him in the face, a few loose ones having entered his mouth. There was still some learning to be done with the power. The forest had much more obstacles in his way than the open air he'd practiced flying in. Of course, only when there weren't any onlookers.
Guilt began wreaking through him again. This was now the second time he had abandoned Koneko all alone. Technically, he was moving ahead instead of running away - a tactical decision. That didn't change the fact that she was facing a wicked fallen angel and gangsters in the facade of priests all by herself.
It wasn't fair to her. She may have been his guard, but he knew she was far from invincible. Heck, she was only five levels above him now. While it was a good deal stronger, it was possible he could catch up to her strength and even surpass it with the Boosted Gear. There was more than a strong urge to turn back now and help her jump those evil creeps.
...But he had faith. If Koneko said she had a plan and she would be fine, then Issei believed her. He knew she was prideful and that she could've been masquerading confidence to trick him so that he didn't get hurt. That possibility was there, but that look in her eye had said otherwise.
She knew what she was doing. He believed in her - both mind and power.