21 - My Time in Front of a Gun

Freed Sellzen, for some reason, started laughing when I turned toward him with an unfriendly expression. His laughter was maddening, echoing through every inch of that small church.

Suddenly, Freed put one hand inside his overcoat, and the silver blur of movement I had seen a moment ago turned into a thick-barreled pistol—a Desert Eagle.

I knew he wouldn't shoot at first because he liked to talk about himself, but my first instinct was to use Boosted Gear.

"Now, Ddraig!"

["Boost!"]

The green glow lit up around me and blinded Freed for a moment. That was enough time for me to run toward one of the pews and turn it around to protect myself.

The smile on Freed's face disappeared. "Hey, hey, hey, that Sacred Gear... You're the kid who beat Raynare that day, aren't you? AHAHAHA! Dohnaseek told me everything that happened!"

'Dohnaseek?!' My eyes widened because the name sounded familiar. 'He's probably one of those Fallen Angels who worked with Raynare... Yes, it makes sense that she wasn't acting alone that day.'

"Tell me something: why didn't he help your partner that day?" I asked, buying time for the next boost.

"Who? Dohnaseek? Oh, he said Raynare demanded he not interfere, and he even thought about going against her demands, but when he realized you had already called that Gremory and her other race mates."

Her answer gave me enough time for the next Boost, so the green glow once again illuminated the entire church as Ddraig shouted:

["Boost!"]

Since the old pews in this church were made of wood, there was no point in using them as cover for long. So, I used the extra strength from the Boost to lift it halfway up and throw it at Freed Sellzen.

The bench flew through the air, spinning, and the exorcist bit his lip in anger. However, he was probably expecting this to be one of my moves, so his right hand was already gripping the hilt of his sword, and it was easy for him to simply draw it.

Freed easily cut the bench with his sword and was about to laugh at my move, but that's when he realized that the bench had been a distraction from the start.

While the pieces of the wooden bench were still scattered in the air, I had already taken advantage of his moment of carelessness to close the distance between us.

I tried to hit him with my right fist, but he smiled and dodged it easily. Still, I used the momentum from my run to try to land a spinning kick — a move courtesy of the martial arts classes at my world's Compulsory Military Training School

Freed's insane eyes widened, and he ducked down, dodging again.

"Interesting, very interesting! Let's see what you're capable of, little demon!"

He then raised his pistol and pulled the trigger. Instinctively, I raised my left hand and heard the clink of the bullet hitting the Boosted Gear.

It was only because of the natural resistance of the Boosted Gear that the shot didn't pierce my skull, as I saw the mark of the bullet in a superficial scratch when I lowered the Boosted Gear. "Hehe! Sorry about that, devil." Freed blew the smoke out of the muzzle of the Desert Eagle.

"I'm not like Mittelt or Kalawarner, who like to have fun during fights. I'm straight to the point!"

Freed pointed the pistol at me again, but I had no intention of faltering now that I knew he would kill me at the first opportunity he got.

["Boost!"]

Thanks to the power of Boosted Gear at just the right moment, I was able to run faster and zigzag to avoid being hit. Even though one of the shots grazed my left thigh, I managed to get close enough for him to drop the pistol and grab the sword with both hands. I feigned a punch, and he fell for it, turning his sword to defend himself. However, I changed my stance at the last second and grabbed his arm. That caught him off guard.

Freed frowned and widened his eyes when he was caught. Immediately, I took the opportunity to spin my body and use the centrifugal force to throw him against the wall with all my strength.

The maniacal exorcist flew like a rag doll and crashed into the wall behind the altar, spitting blood upon impact.

["Boost!"]

The green light from the Boosted Gear illuminated Freed's face as he slowly got to his feet.

"You're stronger than I thought, little devil," he admitted, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. "But that would never be enough to stop me!"

Freed then rushed forward and used the altar to jump high, his sword raised above his head.

All I had to do to dodge that blow was take a step to the side, and his sword hit the ground. However, I didn't have time to attack him. Freed raised his sword with an upward swing and began swinging it wildly, without any technique or refined handling.

To me, having grown up training at the Compulsory Education Academy, it looked like first-year children playing with wooden swords.

I backed away while easily dodging his blows. This angered him.

"Are you playing with me?!" Freed growled.

When his blade moved in a downward arc once more, I saw my chance.

With my superhuman speed, I lowered my torso and landed a punch with my left fist to his abdomen. I don't know if the punch was stronger because it was with Boosted Gear, but it sent Freed flying backwards.

He gasped, trying to catch his breath, but I wasn't so merciful.

I lunged forward and grabbed his neck with my right hand. This was an astonishing sight for me. I could defeat him, I could kill him right there. For me, who had always dreamed of a combat system, the opportunities I had gained since acquiring this new system—being in the DxD universe and also becoming a devil here—seemed like part of a dream.

"L-Leonard-kun?" Just as I was about to crush Freed Sellzen's jugular, an innocent voice interrupted me. "What are you doing to Father Freed?"

I looked to my left and saw Asia Argento, looking at me with her hands in front of her mouth and a frightened look on her face.