'Woah, this guy is no joke!' Was Issei's first thought after witnessing the destruction from just a single punch.
'Will I be able to do that one day?' He thought, as he looked at his sacred gear.
"There goes the element of surprise, let's move in." Kiba rubbed his forehead, and followed Jinrang.
"Saves us the trouble of looking for them, they'll come looking for us." Jinrang reasoned.
As his words fell, a maniacal laughter resounded in the church, "What do we have here?! Filthy devil scum I smell, and you! A traitor to your race, I thought you were a good guy, but it turns out you're trash as well." Freed pointed his sword at us.
"You're talking too much, remember the plan." Another voice, this time it was a fallen angel, evident from his wings.
He wore a trench-coat and a fedora, this was Dohnaseek the fallen angel who almost killed Issei the second time.
"Enough talk, let's just fight." Jinrang cut in, as he dashed towards the fallen angel.
And struck with his elbow straight at his face, Dohnaseek managed to block him just barely, Jinrang's strength was overwhelming.
'Just one strike which I blocked, and my hand feels numb?!' Dohnaseek thought as he looked down at his hand.
He conjured up a light spear, a signature weapon of both the fallen angels and their counterparts, the angels.
"That impatience is going to be his downfall." Kiba muttered as he went in his stance, "Issei, move in, we'll be right behind you after we get rid of them."
Issei nodded and rushed down the stairs.
"Beat us you say?! And just how is a filthy devil gonna do that?!" Freed yelled and shot at Kiba who dodged the bullest and quickly covered the distance, the two clashed swords.
As they clashed, Kiba's superiority in terms of swordsmanship and speed quickly became evident, as Freed began to gradually loose the exchange.
But his experience as an exorcist were still there, he quickly made distance and started shooting, Kiba avoided all of them and using the maximum of his speed, covered the distance once more and dealt a single devastating slash across his upper body.
Freed muttered profanities before succumbing to blood loss.
He looked towards Jinrang who was still fighting his opponent.
He was avoiding the slashes from the spear, while countering some of the attacks, the opponent had a really tough time dealing with the counters as each one, had devastating power.
Dohnaseek accepted the fact that a head-on confrontation would end with him loosing, so he unfurled his wings and took flight.
"Hey, that's cheating." Jinrang called out from below.
Dohnaseek smirked as he conjured up more spears and rained them down on Jinrang, he believed this to be the best way to deal with someone like him, but his enemy dodged quickly and gracefully, which was unexpected given his size and build.
Jinrang took a couple of steps before jumping right at the fallen angel.
"No more flying, birdie." He said as he landed a solid elbow strike right in Dohnaseek's face, who after smashed right into the floor, which cracked from impact.
Jinrang landed next to the now knocked out fallen, "I would say, that it was a good fight or you had my blood pumping… but I hate lying."
He sighed and walked back to Kiba.
'Strong, agile and very talented.' Kiba observed.
"Let's go, Issei might need our help." The blonde spoke as he passed Jinrang he went and stabbed Dohnaseek in the heart, the duo made their way to their other companion.
They moved deeper inside the church, in order to check out the situation. They were met with a grim sight.
Issei cradling a yellow-haired girl, he himself was bloodied up, his legs had two holes, his face was covered with tears and the worst, was the fallen angel looking down on him.
'This… is too much.' Jinrang thought as he frowned, he was about to reveal himself and help, but Kiba stopped him.
"Wait, have some trust in him." Kiba advised, he wanted to see just how far Issei could go, i he could triumph over this seemingly impossible odds.
"…Fine." Jinrang reluctantly agreed as they watched Issei's struggle.
"God… you're up there right? Why do this to Asia… she was a kind girl… she didn't deserve this." Issei muttered while crying.
"Hah? Look at this, a devil crying to god? First time seeing something like this… but do you truly believe? He'll answer your call?"
Raynare mocked his pain.
'Despite his perverted tendencies, and personality, he's a kind dude isn't he? I can respect that.' Unknowingly a smile crept up his face.
Kiba noticed, this was the first time he's seen Jinrang smile. 'A rare day indeed.'
Issei glared hatefully, his desire to avenge Asia, his desire to destroy his opponent, was the driving force for what happened next.
His arm started glowing once more, and the gauntlet changed.
This new form looked more… complete.
"You were right, that sacred gear wasn't twice critical, it's something much more." Kiba said to Jinrang who nodded.
[BOOST!]
The gauntlet made a sound as Issei slowly stood up, his body was swaying, his legs fidgeting but there he stood, determined to take revenge.
"W-what is this?!" Raynare stumbled back in shock.
"It's just a twice critical!" She yelled out as she conjured up a light spear.
The thrown spear was effortlessly parried by Issei.
Raynare was intimidated, she turned around to escape, but Issei caught up and grabbed her hand.
Finally, with his gauntlet he punched her face with full force, Raynare flew right through the wall leaving a hole.
Issei panted from exhaustion, just as he was about to fall, Kiba moved and caught him.
"Good job Issei, you did well." Kiba complimented Issei, who smiled weakly.
"W-what held you guys up?" Issei asked tiredly.
"Think of it as a test, you passed with flying colors." Kiba spoke gently.
"Indeed, you've grown Issei." Rias voice resounded, as she made her entrance, following behind her was Koneko, who was dragging the fallen angel with her wing.
"Well, look who we have here? You must be Raynare, I am Rias Gremory, Heiress to the Gremory family."
"G-Gremory?" The fallen, now known as Raynare repeated in shock.
"Well don't have time to chat so I'll make this quick, Oh, by the way you'll be joining your friends I disposed of earlier." She said as she dropped their feathers down on the ground.
"So you killed them?" Issei asked, in shock.
"Indeed, she's very protective of what belongs to her, her nickname is the Princess of Ruin."
Kiba informed him.
"Wow, that's so cool…" Issei muttered.
"That reminds me there was another fallen, I got rid of the body was that your doing Kiba?" Rias questioned.
"No, that was Jinrang I just finished him off."
"I see, good job both of you." She complimented, The boy in question just gave a thumbs up.
"I thought they'd be stronger." He said as he crossed his arms and sat down on the ground.
"They were middle-class." Kiba noted.
"That was middle-class?"
"Sure was."
"Damn."
"I'd say you're at the level of a high-class devil." Rias said to him, after that she focused all her attention on Issei.
"Hm? Let me see your sacred gear Issei." Riss grabbed his arm and examined it closely, her eyes narrowed.
"I see. Rejoice Raynare, you weren't beaten by a measly twice critical, this is the Boosted Gear one of thirteen Longinus varieties, it doubles the owner's power every 10 seconds, effectively making it possible to surpass both god and satan at the same time."
"W-what?! Power to kill god in the hands of a foolish boy?!" She croaked out.
"Oh, I also took that ring from you." Rias said as Koneko handed her a ring.
'Asia's sacred gear I think.' Jinrang glanced at it.
"N-No! That power is for Lord Azazel!" She screamed but it fell on deaf ears.
Rias looked at Issei, and continued speaking, "The only reason you lost, is because you let your guard down."
"Issei please." A soft voice called out, it was Raynare who transformed into a younger girl this was the form she used to lure out Issei and kill him.
She pleaded for her life, trying to manipulate Issei's feelings, she reminded him of the time they spent together, the date and all that.
She even apologized for killing him.
The others behind Rias prepared to move to destroy her, though she stopped them.
Jinrang sighed and got up, "Issei, do you want me to get rid of her?"
Raynare stopped abruptly, as Issei looked at Jinrang and nodded, his lips quivering.
The giant moved towards Raynare, and for the first time the fallen angel felt like an ant.
"I really, dislike your kind. Not fallen angels, just… your kind of opportunistic and manipulative people."
Before Raynare could even register the words, Jinrang's massive fist made contact with her face, and it exploded like a watermelon dying him in red.
The punch shook the building they were in, and for the first time, his friends got a glimpse of his true self.
Jinrang moved to Issei, "Listen friend, don't let that thing's words weigh down on you and don't let it cloud your judgement either, just like humans there are many kinds if fallen angels, some like her and some like us."
He rubbed Issei's head just like how an older brother would, seeing that Rias and others smiled.
"Well said." Rias complimented, Koneko and Kiba nodded.
She then looked closely at thering Koneko gave her earlier and smiled, "This is beautiful, shall we return it?"
She moved and put the ring on Asia's finger, then she pulled out a bishop piece and reincarnated her as a devil.
She then began to wake up.
"Issei?" She called out to him as Issei hugged her close, afraid to loose her again.
"Asia!" He called out her name, and started to cry once again.
Jinrang got up, "I'll go look for Akeno." He informed Rias who smirked at him before going out of the building.
Akeno was just waiting outside.
"Hey, why didn't you come in?" He questioned.
Akeno turned towards him and noticed all the blood, she got dangerously close to examine him, she let out a sigh of relief after seeing thst the blood wasn't his.
"I was cleaning up the feathers those crows left behind, what about you?"
He sighed, "Everything's said and done, I came to keep you company."
"Oh my, thank you." She smiled.
She observed him for a while, his bored face dark eyes, and clothes.
'Huh, this is the first time I've seen him outside school uniform, how handsome.' She thought.
Jinrang's thoughts were pretty similar as well,
'How beautiful.'
They stood there, observing each other properly for the first time.
Soon enough, the group emerged from the church, Asia in tow who was clinging to Issei.
Apparently, they decided to have a party of sorts Jinrang noticing the blood still on him decided to invite them over to his house.
His fridge was also full of food and snacks so they wouldn't have to go to the store.
They teleported to his house, which wasn't too big nor too small, but enough for the group.
Jinrang excused himself and took a bath before they begun celebrating, after he came out the party officially started.
They all had fun, especially Asia who was happy to be next to Issei and make new friends, after the celebration was over, they now had to figure out where Asia would live.
"Jinrang, can Asia move in with you?" Rias suddenly asked.
Akeno glanced at him, awaiting his answer.
"That's not a good idea, I don't think I'll be able to take care of her." Jinrang denied immediately.
Rias let out an "oh of understanding" before coming up with the brilliant idea to have her live in Issei's home.
Soon after everyone left, except Akeno who volunteered to stay to help him clean up the place.
"Thanks for helping Akeno." Jinrang thanked her, just before she left.
"Do you… want to hang out sometimes? Just the two of us?" She abruptly asked avoiding his eyes.
Jinrang's cheeks reddened just a tiny bit, "Sure, anytime."
Akeno's smile was sweeter than honey as she left with a spring in her step.
'What a day.'