I made my way towards the downed Red Dragon Emperor. It was time to extract his Sacred Gear and get out of this weird reality. I reached into my inventory to grab the Sacred Gear Extractor I had purchased earlier.
Except… It wasn't there!
"What the hell?" I said out loud. "Where is it?" I frantically started searching every metaphorical nook and cranny in my inventory! I couldn't find it!
"Something wrong, Layla?" Heather asked from nearby. She was sitting down, on some steps, next to Kunou and was carefully patting the fox girl on the back. Now that the fighting was over, Kunou had started sobbing quietly.
"The Sacred Gear extractor is missing!" I lamented. "I don't know how!" No one since the Ancient One had been able to mess with my inventory. And that was back when I was a low-leveled noob! It should be impossible now!
[I think I know what happened to it. I think your Sacred Gear…ate it. I'm pretty sure you know which one.]
'What!?' I exclaimed in my head. 'Why would it do that!?'
[Who knows… Try using your Gear on Issei though. See what happens.]
I supposed it couldn't hurt to try. I wasn't quite sure what I was trying, though. I reached down and placed my hand over his torso. I called on my Orb of Anywhere. I willed it to help remove Issei's Sacred Gear. To my surprise, a small purple portal opened up directly on top of his chest. I hesitated for a moment upon seeing it.
[Go for it! Stick your hand into the weird tiny portal! I'm sure you'll be fine…]
With the system's 'encouraging' words, I did just that. I shoved my hand inside the small portal above his torso. My arm sunk about halfway through before my fingers brushed up against something. It wasn't very big, about the size of a tennis ball. I grasped onto it and pulled! I felt a bit of resistance, as if the object I was holding didn't want to go with me. I tugged harder, and it yanked free! I pulled my arm all the way out of the small portal. It quickly faded away once my arm was out.
I looked at the object in my hand, and my eyes widened. It was a glowing green orb, giving off the same draconic signature that Issei had earlier.
"The Boosted Gear. I took it out just like that?" I asked out loud. Issei didn't even wake up. Not only that, but he was still alive as well! Did I now have the ability to remove people's Sacred Gears whenever I wanted to? With no repercussions?
"Is that what we came for, Layla?" Heather stepped away from Kunou and walked over. "That's what a Sacred Gear looks like outside of someone?" Heather asked. "I expected it to be more flashy or magical. It's just a boring glowing green rock."
"Life is often full of disappointments," I said sagely while nodding my head.
Heather deadpanned at me. "Uh huh… Says the incredibly beautiful immortal being blessed with her very own harem. You have a real disappointing life don't you?" Heather added sarcastically.
I had to admit, she got me there.
"Are we leaving now?" Heather asked.
I nodded. "Yeah, we can."
Nearby, Kunou's ears drooped when she heard that. "You're leaving!?" She exclaimed. Her nine tails sagged behind her. "Are you going to leave me behind?"
"The truth is, Kunou, Heather and I aren't from here. We're from another Universe. One that's not quite as messed up as this one. Why don't you come with us?" I offered. "Your mother is still alive in our home universe. There's also an adorable younger version of you."
Kunou's eyes widened, and her tails twitched in excitement when she heard my offer. "A better world where all of my people are still alive and not hunted? Please let me come with you!"
"Of course, you can!" I said before my eyes widened. I quickly stepped in front of both younger girls!
THRUM!!!
"No one will be going anywhere! I will not let you take my toys from me!" A spiteful voice rang out across the destroyed courtyard.
There was a flash of brilliant golden light from across from us. A familiar figure materialized in front of me. One my memories told me that I hadn't seen in hundreds of years!
My eyes widened…
It was my father. Although…
…Something about him felt off to me. Sure, he looked the same. He was a wise looking older man, with a long white beard and wearing a white toga. But he didn't feel the same. I couldn't sense him at all, actually.
He didn't come alone. There were more golden flashes from all around us. Over a dozen Angels, in their human vessels, appeared nearby as well. The two familiar signatures I was hoping to feel weren't among them. I noticed that Gabriel and Michael weren't here.
My father looked at me with a disturbing smirk on his face. "Look at you! Layla of the Fallen! You're a long way from home, aren't you? I wasn't aware that you had the ability to traverse Universes like I could… It does explain your sudden rise to power, though."
Transverse Universes? I frowned. "And how exactly do you know about me?"
He smiled at me and spread his arms wide. "Why? Because I'm God after all! The Alpha and the Omega! The creator of the universe!" The way he said it left some very sarcastic undertones that all the Angels around us missed.
"That's right!"
"Father is the greatest!"
"She's a Fallen? Let's kill her!"
A few of the Angels circling us started shouting out.
Kunou started trembling when all of the Angel's started shouting at us and letting out bits of their Holy Auras. It wasn't enough to harm me or Heather, but Kunou was feeling it.
I placed my hand gently on her head. Her fox ears were very fluffy and soft. "It'll be ok, Kunou. I bless you with my Light so that you might stand against its twisted counterparts."
Kunou's eyes widened when my Light Energy entered her body. The Angel's around her could no longer affect her with their Aura's. She looked at them all defiantly after that.
→Faith Energy +5!
Heather leaned in and whispered to me. "Layla? Is that really God? He feels weird." Because she was also blessed with my Light, Heather could feel what I could as well.
The toga-wearing man certainly looked the part, but he felt off. He felt like pure evil…
XXX
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