Chapter 20: Turning point part 4

Walking through the streets of Paris so late at night, was kind of a surreal feeling.

I couldn't really put it into words, but this feeling of danger, and that I was being watched was a dozen times more intense here than Kuoh.

I was in the lower part of the city, where the beauty of Paris was nonexistent.

Abandoned buildings, broken windows, street rats and this constant sewer smell. I shouldn't be surprised, every country has such areas somewhere.

Vritra told me though he could sense the existence of one of his gears, he could not pinpoint its precise location. So I had to act like a metal detector and just wander around till he could sense it again.

"I don't like being here at all."

This place gave me a horror movies vibe, this was the kind of place where the movie protagonist would be jump scared by a monster or a psycho.

My guard was up, since no one was around, I called up my new and improved [Delete Field] with my [Prison Wings].

Unlike last time when my sacred gear became a full-on chest plate, it had now shrunken down back into a smaller form, a pauldron on both of my shoulders.

"Hey, Vritra, why isn't my gear as cool as before?" I asked.

The black chest plate with the gem in the middle was just a piece of art, if I had the option I would constantly put it on.

'That partner was a particularly complicated situation. Your will to live and desires had boosted your compatibility with gear so much, that they forced it into an incomplete [Balance Breaker] for a split second.

'Of course, unless you don't gather my other 3 major gears, stepping beyond that line would be impossible.'

Wait did he say 'major'?

"What, so there are like minor gears?" Just how many gears did this dragon have?

'Yes I have many gears, but they are considered minors since you can gain their exact power by combining the four major ones. They only hold a scrap of my soul to keep it functioning.'

Wow, that was just cruel, just how much did he suffer from having his soul broken like a piece of glass into many shards?

*Crash*

"...!"

My heart lurched from my chest as I whipped my head around in fright. "Who is there!?"

I surveyed my surroundings while having my wings be ready to take off at any moment.

I spotted an old abandoned apartment complex, with a broken door showing me the darkness inside.

As I approached the house, I smelled the old musky smell of the complex.

"Hurgh!" I gaged over a putrid smell that was coming from that building. "Smells like, rotten eggs mixed with sewage waters...and blood."

The scent reminded me of the night I hunted down Bawler, there were dead people inside for sure.

I wrapped my hands around the dusty door handle and slowly pull open the broken door. "Let's just hope there is no ghost inside."

The inside looks like what you'd expect. Cobwebs lingered in every which way, and antique furniture layered with dust sat perfectly arranged in the living room.

Even with the moon out this night, it could hardly illuminate the inside of the building.

Cautiously, I walked further into the house to explore. With every heavy step and pressure on the floorboards, it felt as if the house would collapse on top of me.

I made my way into the kitchen. An old wooden table sat in the corner, along with matching chairs. Water dripping out of the faucet in the corner.

I opened the cabinet out of curiosity, but there are only more cobwebs. Anxious to finish scouting out this place, I started to walk back to the door and exit but stopped dead in my track.

*Bang!*

My heartbeat increased as I intently listened to a hard pounding noise, that appeared to be getting louder by the second and then just suddenly stopped.

"The sound came from downstairs, the basement perhaps," I muttered to myself, trying to keep my cool.

I should invest in a sword, going in empty-handed doesn't make me feel safe at all.

"Vritra don't these wings do anything else other than flying?" Since I just got them, I needed to know everything.

'Well...that's up to you, I never had wings in my true form. Sacred gears abilities can change depending on the user, not the spirit.' replied Vritra. 'Even my previous hosts used something different when it came to flying.'

I shelved that info for later as I made my way further inside the building.

Ever since I partially activated my [Balance Breaker] I had a small boost in my powers and all the training with Akeno helped me increase my stamina.

So I could use [Delete Field] more often and for longer periods.

[Delete Field!]

I activated my sacred gear's ability and encompassed the entire structure from the inside and outside.

Whatever it was inside, it wouldn't be able to use its full force against me.

*Rustle*

*Rustle*

The inside was a mess, broken walls, more cobwebs, growing moss, insects and rats everywhere. I found many red stains on the floor all leading towards a single door.

'The basement...I feel it there.' Vritra began picking up the signals of his sacred gear.

"How should we proceed?" If I went to the basement where my exits might get closed off then I better have a plan.

'Summon your wings and use them as a shield if you have to. These walls are quite brittle so flying off wouldn't be a problem.'

As I approached the basement door, the putrid stench kept getting worse. Whatever was beyond this point, I better be prepared for.

*Inhale*

*Exhale*

Taking a deep breath I burst open the door full force, calling out my [Prison Wings] that sliced the nearby walls and spammed my abilities!

[Restrict!]

[Restrict!]

[Restrict!]

You might be wondering why I made such a reckless and wasteful move, but something was waiting for me behind the door I would have been caught off guard.

My [Delete Field] was still active.

"...!'

As I looked below, I finally saw the source of the stench.

Corpses.

Many, many corpses.

From adults to small children, I could not believe my eyes. Again the cruelty of this world hit me like a freight train. It made me realise, though I treated this world as a cheap budget hentai manga, it was something far more darker.

Their bodies were sunken and pale white, which was likely from being drained of their blood.

Many had their limbs cut and some were half-eaten with bite marks as well as claw marks.

This made me sick to my stomach.

I could feel my anger rising.

'It's near.' Warned Vritra.

*Creak*

.

.

.

I stood in the middle silently...

... waiting for something to happen.

.

.

.

The fear I felt was long gone, replaced with determination to kill whatever was responsible for this carnage.

"..."

'It's here, partner.'

"Alright." I tensed my muscles and prepared my offensive spells.

'It's below!' Vritra screamed while I snapped my head downwards.

*Crash!*

Spear like tentacles with a small red orb in the middle jutted from the floorboard, all around me.

They all aimed their spearhead at me and nearly killed me if I hadn't activated my wings.

[Prison Wings!]

My wings unfolded with blinding speed, using its razor edge tips to cut off all the tentacles.

I then jumped high in the air, putting a distance between the floor and me. I unleashed my strongest attack!

[Magic Arrows!]

A multitude of arrows bigger than my arm formed around me and shot towards the floor with such force that it collapsed the ground filling the room in heavy smoke.

*Cough* "That's unpleasant."

"SCREEEEEEEEEEE!" A disturbing screech came from below, a creature jumped out of the smoke and came at with more tentacles.

[Restrict!]

My sacred gear was much more powerful than before as I now required but a single use of it to slow down my opponents considerably.

[Magic Arrows!]

I shot another concentrate arrow, now at point-blank of the creatures face!

*Crash!*

"SCREEEEE!!!!" Another hellish screech left the creature's mouth, threatening to pierce my eardrums. The sound no doubt altering others to its presence

The impact launched it upwards through the upper floor.

I followed it while I made sure to not get speared through by a hidden tentacle.

The monster had a tough defence, my attack just now couldn't even pierce its face. I was way stronger than I was back against Bawler, I could take it on. "Now let's see what you look like."

As I flew out of the basement, I got a good look at the creature, and to say I was

shocked would be an understatement.

"What the heck?"

'It is as I feared.' muttered the dragon.

The monster heavily resembled Vritra.

It had the same dragon-like face, half of its body was covered in black scales, the arms and legs looked reptilian. What was even more disturbing was the absurd amount of tentacles coming out of every corner of its body.

"Vritra, explain!" I shouted out for an explanation.

'It seems that this...beast possesses one of my minor sacred gears but somehow got affected by the madness aspect. Though it can't activate [Juggernaut Drive] it did have parts of its body turned into that of a dragon's.' he said apprehensively.

"Are you telling me, I would have turned into that abomination, if I had sacrificed one of my limbs!?" This had got to be a joke, what kind of bullshit was this?

'No!' I flinched a bit at Vritra's tone. "I do not know why this individual ended up in such a state, but you wouldn't have experienced anything nearly as bad!

'Something does not seem right here.'

I did have time to give a reply as the monster rushed forward with a greater speed than before!

"No, you don't!"

[Restrict!]

[Restrict!]

He momentarily paused before getting a knee kick to its chin! I followed up by taking hold of some of the tentacles and cutting them with my wings.

"SCREEEEE!!!" The monster wailed in pain and anger as its blood painted the surrounding walls.

Its movement became more aggressive and animalistic.

I began shooting arrows after arrows, drowning the monster in a see of yellow lights.

It could not escape nor use its full power with my [Delete Field] still being active.

But as all my focus was on it, I did not notice a stray red magical shot aimed at me, coming from behind.

'A sneak attack!?'

'Look out!' Even with Vritra's warning, I did not have enough time to dodge. I pulled my wings together as a way to protect myself.

"...!" I braced for impact.

"I got you!"

Only to have a sword intercept the attack.

"What?" I turned my attention to my apparent saviour and saw a beautiful young foreign woman with blonde hair and sky blue eyes.

She wore a girl gakuran, with armour worn on top of it while wielding a rapier.

She stood valiantly on the rooftop, he hair fluttering from the wind. Giving her the usual cliché superhero entrance vibe.

'Great, a wild weirdo has appeared.' Can I no longer take a normal walk, without having something dangerous or over the top to happen?

"Fear not, for I, Jeanne have come to save the day!"

I wonder if she knows that I can see her panties.

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Author's random question: So...how was Christmas this year?