Falling Down (1)

Penny and Issei had just finished a request from a local orphanage and were roaming about Kuoh town.

"Woah, so this is the school of this world…" Penny said in awe as she observed students from Kuoh Academy engaging in their club activities.

When Penny expressed her want to learn about his world, Issei couldn't exactly deny it (not that he had reason to), especially when Penny had this overwhelming aura of innocence. For him, rejecting her request would be akin to a grave sin ever committed by man. So, after fulfilling a request from an orphanage near his school, Issei decided to take Penny to his school. He gave her a small tour and now they arrived at the Kendo Club. The boy gained some looks when she brought a girl here and the Kendo Club members who were familiar with Issei's lecherous nature were surprised that he acted decently in front of Penny.

"Are you really Hyoudou Issei?" Katase asked the boy unsurely.

"What? Just because I peek at you guys all the time doesn't mean I can't be decent and polite, you know!"

"So you're aware that you're acting indecent!" Murayama cried while pointing her bokken at Issei.

"Um, Friend Issei, why do you peek at them?" Penny innocently asked, "Can't you just join them if you wanted to join the club? Are boys prohibited from joining the Kendo club?"

Hearing such an innocent question from Penny Murayama and Katase was taken aback.

"N-not really, Polendina-san. Boys are allowed to join. It's just Hyoudou-san and his friend always peeking when the girls are changing."

Penny frowned, "is that wrong?"

""O-of course it is!"" Murayama and Katase cried at the same time. They couldn't get how the girl before them didn't see anything wrong with that, was it that she was too innocent to know it was wrong?

Meanwhile, Penny was thinking that because she came from a different world the custom and thought process might be different here, so she asked.

"Can you feel it, Katase, Murayama?" Issei suddenly asked, prompting the girl to turn, "Can you feel it? The innocent aura? It's radiant, isn't it?"

The Kendo girls turned to Penny who was watching the club members practicing with a curious look on her face, and for the first time in their life, they were on the same page as Issei.

S-so innocent. So cute!!!

Indeed, just like Issei said, Penny's innocent aura was as radiant as the sun. it was like an angel had descended among them, it made them question how such a pure girl could exist. It was an otherworldly aura that even repelled any perverted thoughts from Issei's mind.

"Hyoudou-kun can we take her home?"

"Hell no!"

The desire to protect this innocent girl from the stain of the world was almost overwhelming.

After arguing for a few minutes with Murayama and Katase, Issei took Penny out to town. They were now in a park where children usually play. Now that he was here Issei felt somewhat nostalgic, it reminded him of the days he played with his childhood friend Shidou-san.

Penny was playing the games around the park, her pure expression made the adults present not questioning why a teen was playing with a hobbyhorse.

Issei was sitting on a bench when he noticed a nun walking around the park. The habit she wore cannot hide how lost she looked.

"Sister, are you looking for something?" Issei asked when the nun walked by.

"Oh, um. Yes." the nun confirmed hesitantly, she looked somewhat surprised, "Sir, do you know a church around here?"

"A church?" Issei put a hand on his chin. He recalled any church in Kuoh, but the only one that came to mind was the one on the outskirts of town that had been abandoned for years.

"I think I know one, but it is abandoned."

"Ah, yes that's the one!" the nun suddenly said, earning an eyebrow from the boy, "u-um, I was sent to tend to it, you see."

Ah, a rehabilitation or something like that? Issei mused with a nod. An idea then popped into his head. "Hm, alright, Sister…?"

"Oh, my name is Asia, Asia Argento."

Issei nodded, "Alright, Sister Asia, I can show you the way if you want."

"that would be helpful. thank you, sir…?"

"You can call me Issei." the nun, Asia, nodded.

"Thank you for your generosity, Issei-san. May God repay your kindness!" she said while clasping her hands. Issei grinned sheepishly.

"Friend Issei, who is this?" Penny asked as she suddenly appeared behind Asia, startling her.

"Penny-san, this is Asia-san, she's a Sister." Issei introduced, earning a wide-eyed look from Penny.

"You have a sister?"

"Wha–no! I mean, Asia-san is a Sister—a nun!"

"Oooooh! A Nun." Penny nodded her head up and down. She then tilted her head, "Friend Issei, what is a nun?"

Issei sighed and was about to explain but Asia interjected. "Issei-san, I can explain it to Penny-san if you're willing?"

"Hm? Oh, that might be for the best." Issei admitted, "Penny can be… too curious for me to handle." by that he meant he was usually lost on what to explain. His expertise was on anything perverted, he doubted Penny would ask about those.

It was decided then that Issei would show the way to the church while Asia enlightened Penny about Church and later Catholicism.

They were about to leave the park when a cry from a kid caught their attention. The kid had scraped his knee and Asia was quick to kneel beside him. It greatly surprised the part-timers when Asia summoned a pair of rings and healed the kid.

Sacred Gear…

The two immediately understood what it was. It was the thing that Yoga had explained on their first meeting, the thing that was stolen from Issei through unknown means and took out years of his lifespan.

When the mother of the boy hastily grabbed the boy away, Asia was met by the surprised faces of the part-timers. She turned sheepish as she took them to a more quiet place and began explaining.

Twilight Healing, that was the name of her Sacred Gear. it allows Asia to heal any living creature in exchange for her stamina. but the questioning didn't end there. Penny began asking and Asia finally revealed the supernatural side of Issei's world.

Devil, Angels, Fallen Angels, Yokai, Gods. If it belongs in mythologies they might exist somewhere out there.

Not gonna lie, it makes me rather anxious… Issei mused. He couldn't be sure if he somehow passed by the denizen of this other side, after all, he was only an ordinary pervert until a few days ago. He hoped that none of the girls he offended was some deity in disguise.

Whoa… a world of the supernatural… Meanwhile, Penny had a different reaction. Supernatural was tall tales in her world, she had thought Satin's means of worlds travel was scientific, but now that Aisa had revealed this? It made her curious if her world also had a supernatural side.

Seeing the two people go silent, Asia hesitantly spoke up, "Um… I understand if you don't want to have anything to do with me. I–" she was cut off by Issei who turned his fingers to fire.

"S-Sacred Gear? Issei-san you…"

"Heh, this isn't Sacred Gear," Issei revealed. He raised his arm and turned it into shapeless fire down to his elbow. He reformed it with a jerk before turning to the nun, "Would you believe me if I said I got this from eating a fruit?"

"...are you a magician, Issei-san?"

"Nope. you don't see me chant or have lines on my face, do you?" Asia shook her head. Her limited knowledge of the supernatural didn't make her question the last bit of Issei's words.

"I'm what you call a Devil Fruit user. I ate the [Mera Mera no Mi], turning me into a fire human." Issei admitted it easily, seeing that Asia had the same pure aura that Penny had.

"Devil?" Asia furrowed her brows, "but… you don't feel like a devil to me."

"Told you I'm a human. Devil Fruit is just that, a fruit that gives powers to those who eat it. I doubt it has anything to do with actual devils." at least that's what Yoga told me…

"...such a thing exists." Asia was stunned by the information. She never heard of this Devil Fruit before, she had thought God only blessed this world with Sacred Gears but it seems there was more.

"Speaking of Devils…" Penny suddenly said. She tilted her head at Asia, "Sister Asia, is there a Gun Devil out there?"

"...I'm…not sure." Again her knowledge was very limited. She didn't know that Devil Fruit existed. for all she knew, this Gun Devil might be roaming about somewhere (Not that she had an idea of what it was, but it sounds dangerous.)

"Penny-san, didn't Yoga-san say Gun Devil is from a manga?" Issei deadpanned.

"...Oh yeah, now I remembered!" Penny smacked her head lightly, "Tehe~ I'm sorry, I just underwent a system update, so my memories are blurry on some parts!"

Issei nodded before realizing something, "Uh… is it okay for you to say that?"

"What? Tehe? Is that a bad word?"

"No, the system update part!" Issei frowned, "isn't that supposed to be a secret?"

Penny went thoughtful for a bit, tilting her head up while holding her chin, "...I don't think so. I mean you revealed your Devil Fruit power. I don't think mine is that huge of a secret."

"Penny-san, your secret is a military-grade secret," Issei said flatly.

"Don't worry, don't worry!" she assured, "it's not like people from Atlas would know anything."

"Um, if it's that big of a secret, I'm fine not knowing…" Asia murmured but Penny waved it off.

"That would be rude to you, Sister Asia. you revealed your Sacred Gear to us and Friend Issei showed you his power, it is only logical for me to show mine!"

The girl then stood up in front of the nun and leaned forward. "I said I underwent a system update, do you know what that means…?"

"Um…no?"

"It is because I'm not a human, Sister Asia," Penny revealed, surprising Asia.

"Huh, you're not?" the nun's brows furrowed, "...but you don't feel like a devil… are you a Yukai?"

"It's Yokai, Asia-san." Issei said as he also stood up. He ruffled Penny's hair, "You see, Penny-san here is what you called an Android."

"An…doroid?"

"Yeah, she's a robot who thinks and acts like a human does. She's practically human but with gears inside her body instead of organs."

"..."

Seeing the lost look on the nun's face, Issei asked, "Asia-san, do you know what a robot is?"

"...I do not. I'm sorry."

"There's no need to apologize, Sister Asia. Your ignorance is harmless." Penny straightened up, "I will explain to you, Sister Asia, please pay attention. Robot is…"

Penny began her 10-minute lecture on robotics. Their history, capability, and then finished on the topic of androids. Granted, it was a mishmash of knowledge from her world and information she got from a website on Yoga's world; Wikipedia. But her succinct and to-the-point explanation was understandable enough for Asia.

"So… a robot is like a doll but made from steel and becomes alive with help from things like batteries. While an android is a robot but more humane?" was her conclusion. It was correct in some way so the part-timers just nodded.

"..."

Penny was staring at Asia as if she was expecting a reaction. confused, the nun asked, "Is there something on my face, Penny-san?"

"No, I'm just hoping that this isn't an issue for you, Sister Asia."

"Why should it be an issue for me?"

"The fact I'm manufactured." Penny answered, "I wasn't born from a womb and have no flesh, but—"

"Whether you're man-made or born naturally does not matter, Penny-san." Asia cuts off gently, "In the end, no matter our origin, we are still His children. Even if you're a machine on the inside, I'm sure God loves you all the same."

Penny was surprised by Asia's answer. She then smiled, "Thank you, Sister Asia."

Issei, who watched the exchange, couldn't help but grin.

After that, they talked some more before deciding to continue their journey earlier.

~~~~

On their way, Penny kept asking Issei for anything that caught her eye. The fact that she couldn't read Japanese text was partly the reason. Her [P-System] may assist her speak foreign languages but it cannot translate anything she sees.

[P-System] helped the part-timers understand any foreign language spoken to them by translating it the moment they heard the words spoken. In return, any language spoken by the users would be translated into the language any who heard it understood. For example, when they spoke to Asia, from the nun's perspective they were speaking her language while if anyone else saw it, they would speak Japanese to their ears. It made an amusing sight when a nun was speaking Italian while Issei and Penny replied in fluent Japanese and somehow they understood each other.

During their walk, Asia opened up to the teens, stating that she had a sheltered upbringing. She told them a bit of her past, about how she was left as a baby in front of a church that would later raise her. She had a normal childhood at first, but the day her Sacred Gear awakened, the door to the outside world was all but closed for her. Instead, she was groomed to be a Holy Maiden of sorts. This means minimal interaction with the outside world beyond what is necessary and only stepped outside when there was a religious festival, even so, they forbade her to go out of the church's perimeter.

Hearing how sad Asia's childhood was, Issei had an idea…

"Come on Asia, hit them!"

"Uwawawa!"

Penny cheered on a flustered Asia who was playing a game of whack-a-mole against Issei. The score was 0 - 5 with Issei in the lead. The hammer in her hand was shaking, Asia was still hesitant to hit a single mole even though the part-timers had explained that it was okay.

Even Issei had slowed down and eventually stopped after seeing the nun hadn't lowered her hammer since the start of their game.

They decided to change the game, but…

'She refuses to harm anything, huh…?' Issei mused with a wry smile. He was watching Asia pressing herself on a shooting game cabinet in an attempt to hide from her enemies. As one could guess, she lose. Issei sighed and looked at Penny…

"NEW HIGH SCORE!!!" the game announcer blared in the arcade, catching everyone's attention to a shooting cabinet where Penny was playing—scratch that, she was bulldozing through her enemies with nigh inhuman precision. Understandably, people were starting to gather, watching who would later be dubbed as 'Queen of the Arcade.'

Issei left Penny to wreck everyone's pride and went to play a claw game with Asia instead. In the end, he got Asia a doll while Penny got herself some worshipers.

After the arcade, Issei took them around town. They visited spots that the boy heard in passing from his classmates. He decided to end the tour at a small burger joint.

"You hold it like this," Issei instructed Asia on how to hold a burger. Hesitantly, the nun pressed her fingers, but she ended up pressing too hard and squirting some sauces onto the table. After some apologies, the nun bit into her food.

Issei smiled at Asia's blissful expression. He turned to Penny who was the exact opposite of Asia. the android girl was eating messily, splotches of sauces somehow made their way into her hair. He blamed it on her system update as he wiped her face.

'It's like I'm a babysitter,' Issei mused wryly as he eat his burger. Even so, he didn't regret taking the girls on a tour. Not just he got to spend time with a pair of beautiful gals, but he also got to practically submerge himself in an aura of purity.

'Man, it's as if I almost reach enlightenment….' he was almost lost in this feeling when he noticed Penny suddenly straightened in her seat.

"There you are, Asia!" a voice called as a girl approaches. The trio turned to the girl and Issei quickly zeroed on her busty chest.

She was a girl with long black hair tied in a ponytail and amber eyes. She was a beauty that to Issei almost compared to the Onee-san of Kuoh. when Issei looked up, he was immediately captivated by her amber eyes.

"Miss Raynare!"

"Hmph, you make people at the church wait, you know!" the girl, Raynare, huffed while puffing her cheeks, "didn't I say for you to wait at the park?"

"I-I forgot, I'm sorry, Miss Raynare," Asia lowered her head.

"Don't worry about it. At least you're safe," Raynare waved it off, "now, let's not make the others wait any longer."

With a nod, Asia scurried to Raynare's side. Before they took off, Asia turned to the part-timers. "Thank you for today, Issei-san, Penny-san. I have a lot of fun!"

"Don't worry about it, Asia-san. We're having fun too, right Penny-san?" Penny nodded at Issei's words.

"Hm, today has been a lot of fun. I hope we get to hang out again, Friend Asia!"

Asia suddenly went stiff, eyes wide, "f-friend?"

"Hm? Am I too quick to decide? We spent the day together and enjoyed each other's company. Isn't that the definition of a friend? Hmm… it seems I haven't received your permission on the matter. Well, Sister Asia, would you like to be our friend?"

"..."

Asia went silent as if surprised by Penny's proposal. When she recovered, she smiled at the two, "Yes. I would love to, Penny-san, Issei-san."

With that, Asia bid the two goodbyes and left with Raynare.

After some time, Penny spoke up, "That woman, she seems agitated."

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"I saw some minor tensing of muscles and micro-expressions denoting her irritation." she turned to Issei, "especially when we said we're Asia's friend. She showed hints of disgust."

Issei frowned when he heard this. To be honest, he wasn't too focused on the woman's face, he just couldn't peel his eyes off that bust of hers. "You sure you're not just reading too much into things?"

But He also couldn't deny Penny's claim. Her eyes were probably the best camera they got in her world, she was also packed with radars and stuff, so she would pick the most details on things.

"Maybe so, but did you not see the level of that woman?"

"Level? I didn't." again he hadn't focused on the woman above her chest area.

"She was level 67" Penny stated, causing Issei's face to scrunched.

"67... you're serious? That high?"

Ever since their system got upgraded, the team could see people's level now, located above their heads. It was a new feature for Hunting quests, to make it easier when to engage or avoid an enemy.

Penny nodded and said, "When we passed civilians earlier, the police we saw was level 25 at the highest. Seeing that average civilians are level 6 at best, I concluded that Raynare possessed a combat background."

'Meaning either she was a part of the military or she killed someone in the past.' Issei surmised in his mind. "...are you worried for Asia, Penny-san?"

Penny nodded, "Yes. It may be paranoia born out of my protection directive, but I cannot help but think of Asia's safety right now."

Raynare could be just some ex-military who was discharged for all they know and her disgust was because of Issei's [Anti-Female] skill, but even Issei felt a bit uneasy for some reason.

"...ok, I guess we can check on Asia. She also said that they just moved in, right? We can also use it as an excuse to help around. You know, getting closer to Asia, and maybe they'll tell you more about their religion. How's that sound?" Issei asked Penny, who nodded in agreement.

"That's a brilliant idea. thank you, Friend Issei!"

The two finished their meals before leaving for the church.

On their way to the church, they met a strange woman who handed them strange fliers. They didn't pay it any mind and just pocketed the thing, not bothering to put them in their [Inventory].

Once they arrived at the church, Penny stared for a bit before they knocked on the door.

Surprisingly, Asia answered the door. She was delighted when they said they were going to help clean the place. The nun prepped them some tea as they began cleaning.

They didn't meet Raynare during their stay, but they met a priest named Freed Sellzen, he was a white-haired man with red eyes. They talked for a bit when they cleaned. At first glance, Freed seemed to be a calm man with a rather potty mouth, but for some reason, Penny was on guard every time he was with them.

It was far into the afternoon that they finally finished cleaning. The part-timers spoke with Asia for some time before they decided that it was time to return.

They bid goodbye to Asia and went on their way.

They might not meet Raynare, but with Asia being fine, they felt lighter.

"See? It's all good, right?" Issei shoots Penny a smirk. Penny nodded, blushing.

"Yes. I am sorry for giving you a scare, friend Issei."

"Nah, don't worry about it! I mean, you got senses for those kinds of things, you know? It's okay to feel a bit paranoid, especially for the safety of people you care about. It's understandable!" he paused before asking, "...though, why are you so on guard with Father Sellzen?"

"Hm? Oh, it's my senses. I was being paranoid again, but—"

Penny stopped mid-speech, her eyes roaming on their surroundings. They were near the park, but it was strangely quiet despite it not being that late.

"What is it?" Issei asked warily.

"The people, they disappeared from my radar." Penny relayed seriously before turning in a direction. Issei followed and his eyes landed on a figure of Father Sellzen, approaching them from an alleyway.

"Well, well, well, looks like my guess was correct; You two are something." the priest clapped slowly. Issei's gaze immediately spotted the gun on his hip while Penny noticed the sword handle in his grasp.

"Father Sellzen, what business do you have with us?" Penny asked warily. The priest smirked before shrugging.

"Just your usual exorcist job, you know? Hunting shitty devil's worshipers, killing them. oh, and by that I mean you." he pointed the sword handle at the part-timers.

"Devil worshipers? What the hell do you mean?!" Issei demanded. He took a stance as Penny did the same.

"Oooooooh? Playing dumb, are we? Keh, doesn't matter. The point is…. DIE!"

The priest lunged at them with speed betraying his thin body, and a blade of light came out of the handle. He swung at the part-timers, Penny dodged in time, but Issei wasn't that lucky, he was beheaded where he stood.

Freed cackled, but it was interrupted when the headless body punched him in the jaw. the body then jumped back near Penny.

The punch hardly did any damage, but it made the priest bite his tongue, making him curse madly.

"Are you alright, Issei?!" Penny asked the headless body who gave her a hesitant thumbs up.

Instead of blood and bone, there were flames in his neck stump. Issei's head on the ground turned into flames, flew to his neck, and then reformed. The boy put a hand on his neck, a bead of sweat on his forehead, "that… that was freaky!"

"Be careful when attacking. We don't want to burn nearby houses." Penny warned while materializing her swords. She began shooting them at Freed who dodged. the swords spun and began chasing at high speed.

"Cheater! Cheater! Cheater! What the hell is that ability?! You're supposed to die, you shithead!!!" the priest shouted in anger as he ran, there was a bit of blood on his lips. he dodged a sword aimed at his neck and killed the momentum of another with a swing of his sword.

At this moment, the two got a good look at Freed's level.

[FREED SELLZEN - Level 29]

"Shit, he's high-leveled!" cursed Issei. He balled his fists and lit it aflame, he then pointed finger guns at the running priest.

"HIGAN!!!" he shouted and began shooting bullet-sized compressed fire.

Freed heard the shout and pulled his pistol. he rolled away from the fire bullets, and he shoot down the swords chasing him. The gun produced light projectiles, they were hard enough to stop the blades. he then used his light sword to block more of Issei's [Higan].

"Alright, the kiddie's gloves are off!"

Freed charged at the two while shooting. Penny retracted her swords and formed a spinning shield in front of them, blocking the bullets. the priest lunged at Penny and let out a loud whistle. hooded figures appeared everywhere, surrounding the area. They ran towards the part-timers with swords like Freed's in their hands.

"Issei, take care of the others!" Penny barked. With a gesture, she combined her swords into a pair of segmented swords and charged at Freed.

"You got it!" The boy ran towards the approaching group, engulfed in flame.

~~~~

"Blast Off!!!" Issei screamed as he pounded the ground, conjuring a fiery explosion around him. his enemies, stray exorcists, were blown off by it, throwing them away.

A stray exorcist lunged and engaged in close quarters with him. Issei dodged the sword clumsily despite his enhancement and managed to score a few lucky hits. the ineptness of his combat skill was for all to see, motivating the other stray exorcist to join in. he dodged a stab from behind before kicking the attacker, blasting him in his gut, and knocking him out cold.

A shadow fell over him, warning him of an attack from a group of stray exorcists from above. he dispersed into flame just in time to dodge their plunging attacks, and countered with a [Hiken]

A Stray Exorcist was quick to approach him from behind but he heard their footsteps, once again Issei transformed into fire and dashed away, giving him a brief respite. in this small moment of calm, he steadied his breath while looking above the stray exorcist heads. Unlike the priest who was level 29, these exorcists were in the tens, not too high for him with slight enchantments from his suit. he could manage.

Satin-san had explained to him that the enhancements provided by their uniform were minor ones. It didn't transform them into superhuman, it only made them slightly better than average. They managed to win against a Servant back in Kita Ward because the world cannot support its existence, thus decreasing its strength tremendously. Now, fighting against these stray exorcists, showed just how inexperienced and under-leveled Issei was.

Issei felt a burning point on his back and immediately used his Logia reflex. A light sword passed through his chest in a burst of flame, surprising his attacker. He delivered a fiery elbow to the man's jaw before blowing him away. Issei felt the hole in his chest closed and engaged another stray exorcist. He prepared his Logia reflex and lunged like a berserker. He went to his enemies, attacking more than two at a time. swords met his skin, but they passed harmlessly and he retaliated with fiery attacks.

The way his body opened and closed felt weird. He couldn't exactly feel anything when he morphed into flame, but he still 'feel' those flames were a part of him, it was like his brain was aware of the change. It was hard to describe.

Issei continuously scorched his enemies, yet they seems endless. It was like for every one Stray Exorcist he defeated, three would appear. Not to mention all of them seemed determined to attack his blind spots. Their swords would scratch his skin before he dispersed, he was able to avoid major injury but the minor ones were piling up.

"Shit, just how many are they?!"

Issei was still blasting, but due to numbers and inexperience, he was slowly but surely pushed into a corner.

His body ached as the scratches continued to stack, blood flowed out of them and sometimes got into his eye, distracting him. Slowly but surely, Issei's attack became wilder, his fire attacks became stronger as unconsciously switched to 'fight for survival.'

Seeing Issei's weakened, the stray exorcist attacked as one.

The brunette conjured a ring of fire from under his feet, surrounded him, trying to deter away his enemies. But they kept coming, forcing themselves past his wall of fire, even if some got burnt because of it. the Stray Exorcist attacked relentlessly, he even got wounded in some places because of his deteriorating focus.

Pressured by the relentless attacks, wounds on his body, fatigue, and blood loss, Issei snapped. His wall of fire suddenly flared, forcing the stray exorcist to back away.

Issei pointed his hands downward, palm opened. His hands became red hot in the blink of an eye.

"ENTEI!!!" He shouted, conjuring the strongest blast he could muster.

BOOOOOOOM!!!!

A large explosion engulfed a good part of the park, reducing it to a blazing ruin. Stones under his feet turned pitch black, and trees around the battlefield burned alight. Issei gulped for breath as he stood in the middle of a small crater, his arms twitching. sweat ran down his skin, not out of heat but out of fatigue. his vision blurred, the only thing he could see now was the unclear sight of a fiery ruin the small park reduced into. He couldn't tell if he was still standing or falling over, too tired to register anything.

Not the panicked scream around him, nor the charred corpses that littered the ground.

~~~~~

"You're spunky, girl, I'll give you that much," Freed remarked as they clashed blades.

"..."

The priest backed off when Penny answered with a double stab aimed at his body. He chuckled at Penny's serious gaze. She hadn't deigned him a word ever since the start of their bout.

"A silent fighter, eh? Hoooow cute… it'll be satisfying seeing you break!!!" Freed lunged faster than he had earlier.

Penny crossed her swords, meeting Freed's overhead slash. Somehow, their blades produced sparks when they clashed. The strength behind the priest's attack pushed Penny slightly.

Freed's strength, speed, and reaction time were comparable to experienced huntsmen, he was skilled to boot. Unlike Ken, despite Freed's wild attack, it was far from flailing, it had thoughts and strategy put into them, aiming at her opening no matter how small it was.

Penny parried a slash from the priest, creating a small opening. she whipped her other sword at the man, the action turning it into a longsword. it caught the man off guard and made a gash across his body.

Freed jumped back with a curse. He glanced down at his bleeding wound and looked up to Penny, "Tch, neat swords you got there. What is it, a Sacred Gear? Cuz I'm sure it ain't no ordinary sword."

Penny's swords were in actuality ordinary, but Penny had channeled her Aura on them, essentially enchanting them. But she obviously won't answer.

"Nrgh, stop giving me the silent treatment, girlie! It's annoying!"

"..."

Freed scowled before he suddenly smirked, "Oh, I know, how about I tell you something interesting... like-oh I don't know, that Asia is going to die soon?"

"...what?"

"Finally, a reaction!" he laughed before continuing, "Yes, you see, that bitch Raynare is preparing a ritual, a big one. She's going to take Asia's Sacred Gear, and oh, it's going to be painful! Can you imagine? The face she'll make when she realizes that someone who showed her kindness after being excommunicated used her all along? That she's going to kill her? Bwahahahaha!"

Freed maniacally laughed, he smirks cruelly as he continued, "And Raynare Isn't going to be kind, oh no she won't. Knowing her, she will tell how pathetic the blond bitch's life is! She's like me, you see, kicking people when they're down makes us hard!"

Penny's grip on her sword tightened as Freed continued to babble. unconsciously, she gritted her teeth.

This emotion, it was a new feeling for her. She never felt such a burning feeling in her core before...No, she felt it but in a different way. when her friends declared their friendship to her, that time a different feeling with the same intensity was present in her core. Back then it was Immense joy and happiness. Now it was anger. Penny never felt anger in her life before. This… irrational desire to wipe off the smug look from the priest's face. She never had such an intense flaring in her heart before.

Logically, she could open her mouth and Freed would continue to sputter information willingly only to taunt her... The problem was, the taunt worked. She was completely driven by emotion now, not logical thinking. The directive of 'Protect Asia' overpowering 'Stall for more information.'

Penny burst forward, bringing her blade down on Freed. both of them had become a pair of longswords.

"Now that's more like it!" Freed approved with glee.

As they exchanged blows, Penny came to a decision; she need to neutralize Freed, permanently. after taking account of his personality, her mind ran numerous simulations of what happened if she let the priest go. 90% of them came to the same conclusion: loss of innocent lives. it was proven by this encounter alone where he attacked her and Issei out of nowhere and with nonsensical reason. keeping him alive was out of the question, dozens if not hundreds of life would be lost due to his psychopathic behavior.

Penny blocked a slash from Freed, causing him to back off and began shooting. Instead of blocking the light bullets, Penny activated her newly upgraded Aura Core and lunged, the projectiles brushed harmlessly against her Aura shield. Now only Armor-Piercing rounds could penetrate her defense.

"What?!"

Freed was surprised but he was still able to block a cross-slash from Penny. He buckled under the attack, bending his feet slightly. He abandoned his gun and used his light sword two-handed.

Penny began to strike, her green eyes boring on the priest, searching for an opening as her brain computes where to strike.

Penny's Aura core had boosted her overall strength like regular Aura, even though she didn't have Semblance, she still overpowered Freed with brute strength. If one could see her stats right now, it would be in double digits.

Freed, who was forced on the back foot, cursed relentlessly while blocking Penny's attacks. As a stray exorcist, his armament was limited, since he didn't have the backup of the church anymore. Light sword and gun were the best equipment any stray exorcist could have, he had Holy Water, but it obviously won't work on his enemy.

The two were locked in a dance of death, and at some point in their bout, Penny had an idea.

She struck upwards with one blade, then quickly followed with a horizontal with the other, aimed at the priest's fingers.

"ARRRGH!!!"

The result was a bloodcurdling scream as six fingers dropped to the ground with a spray of blood. The segmented longsword cleaved the fingers cleanly off the priest's hands.

Freed stepped back in pain, his light sword clattered on the ground. Slurs and curses burst out of his mouth relentlessly as he cradled his bloodied hand which had only a thumb left.

Penny ignored the display and went in for the kill. She prepared her swords to a one last cross slash-

CRASSHH!!!

A spear of light pierced her side at a speed faster than a bullet.

Penny's vision was filled with error messages as her attacker dragged her to the ground.

When she halted to a stop, her eyes immediately focused on her attacker who stood above her.

[Fallen Angel, Mittlet - Lv. 45]

"My, oh my, that's a nasty wound you got there, Freed~," said the fallen angel, her eyes focused on the wounded priest. She was a blonde female wearing a gothic Lolita dress.

"Shut up, bitch!" Freed cursed, not even deigning to look up.

"How rude, I just saved your worthless life and not even a thank you? How arrogant, typical of humans." Mittlet snorted in disdain. The fallen angel then shifted her gaze to Penny.

"You squirmed quite well, it's almost unfortunate I have to get rid of you." she said in mock grief, "don't worry, I'll enjoy every last moment of your life and make sure it's the most painful one- oh wait, you can't even felt this, can't you?"

Mittlet twisted her spear on Penny's gut, destroying more vital parts each turn.

"An Automaton... I never thought you human couldn't be any more disgusting." the Fallen Angel sneered, "Oh, who am I kidding? you guys always loved playing God, aren't you? touching something you're not supposed to with those dirty hands of yours.... out of all your vices, this sickens me the most."

with a cold expression, Mittlet ripped away her spear, throwing Penny's innards all over the place.

"Disgusting." the Fallen Angel said when her eyes lands on the mechanical parts strewn on the ground.

*BOOOOOOM!!!*

A strong explosion engulfed a part of the park, breaking the boundary that kept the mundane away. The fiery wave swept the place but it fades away before it reached where Penny was. panicked scream from the civilians echoes in the surrounding neighborhood, making the Fallen Angel scowl.

"Useless. All of you humans are useless. if not for Raynare's order I would already kill you all the moment you showed your faces to us. Now the devils will know we're here." Mittlet growled, looking to the source of the explosion.

her eyes landed on Issei and she smiled cruelly upon seeing his state. he was completely out of it with hands over his face and blood all over his body.

"cute guy, your friend?" the Fallen Angel asked. Panicked, Penny tried to warn the boy-

Crush! Bzzzt! Bzzzt!

"oh~ we can't have that, can we?" Mittlet said as she crushed Penny's neck under her heel. It didn't kill her but it destroyed her voice modulator.

"Now, why don't you be a good little doll while I have a nice chat with your friend? don't worry, it won't take long. tata~"

The fallen angel's words caused Penny's mind to go haywire. Especially when she slowly approaches Issei, a spear of light in hand.

Miss Satin might have said in the past that Part-timers had an extra life, but it wasn't the case for Issei right now.

That feature only activated once a part-timer was out of their original world, but once they were inside again, they continued to just have one life. It was a compromise to balance certain things in the world.

Her mind screamed to move, but her body was unable to respond. Mittlet had broken her spine when she crushed her neck.

A new feeling engulfed her.

Despair.

Due to her weakness, she couldn't protect Issei and now he would pay for her negligence.

She didn't want that. She refused that. She denied that outcome. She wanted– no, she needed to protect Issei. She had left one friend in the clutch of danger, and she refused to let another one suffer the same!

Penny was so focused that she didn't register that Freed had kicked her sides repeatedly while cursing.

Penny was created with one directive in mind: "to save the world", but General Ironwood, the head of the project, didn't want just a protector, he wanted the protector to see what they were protecting. The people had enough stalwart shields. what they needed was a shielder, someone who could see the enemies beyond the shield and connect to those behind it.

Thus, Penny was created with emotion in mind.

To connect. To cherish. To cry. To learn.

She might not be perfect, but she was not made to be perfect. She was made to be flawed. She was created with chains called logic and rust which were emotions. She was flawed in purpose because flawed beings would always strive to be better.

In her mind's eye, Penny opened up her [P-System] and chose a certain item. Without hesitation, she used it.

Suddenly, her vision goes dark. Her body was still laying on the ground, but she couldn't see anything beyond herself. In this abyss, somehow, her body became its own source of light.

Then, something came to light as a deep voice rumbled.

It belonged to an abomination. Tall as a skyscraper, the creature's body was made of suffering and death connected to all sorts of firearms. The creature opened its jagged maw, speaking in a thousand voices. it looked down on her, a speck compared to its colossal form.

"Well, well, well… looks like the Doll is backed to a corner~"

It sneered with glee at Penny's pitiful form. Penny steeled herself and opened her mouth.

"I want to make a contract with you."