Chapter 9
It was then that Shuri noticed the wounds and bruises on Igor's body. She particularly took notice of his chest having slightly caved in and a rib on his right side visibly stretching his skin.
Without a word, she turned him to his left side before standing up straight.
"Dear~"
Baraquiel's face paled. The sound of ropes and whips filled in his mind.
Gulp
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|DxD|
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1995/08/06-1995, August 9th (Wed), Kuoh Town, Japan
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"I love you~ You love me~ We're a happy family~
I love you~ You love me~ We're a happy family~
I love you~ You…" *
In the room where Igor was holed in, Akeno was sitting on a chair next to Igor's bed. She was happily singing a nursery rhyme while she seemed to scribble something on a book with her crayons and coloured pencils. With the curtains to the room drawn, the evening sun shined brightly on her happy face.
The cause for her happiness was being allowed to be absent from kindergarden today. All she had to say was that she was going to take care of Igor as an excuse and her mother allowed her to stay home. Now, she could happily draw pictures of her family while her classmates were stuck in school.
Nothing could get better than this and absolutely nothing could ruin it…until Igor woke up on the wrong side of the bed and chose violence to start the day.
Waking up with a groan, the blonde turned his head to take a good look at his source of annoyance.
"Shut up. Your singing stinks worse than your father's boots."
Akeno looked up from her drawing at Igor. Her angry violet eyes met his bored cerulean gaze.
"W-well YOU stink worse than your father's boots!"
Igor looked at the furious Akeno with a deadpan gaze.
"My father is dead."
"W-wha…"
Akeno lost all her momentum with that statement. She was about to apologise when Igor's words cranked her rage up to eleven.
"He died after hearing you sing."
That did it. She got up down from her chair and clenched her little fists. That positioned her right in front of him.
"W-WELL…Well…well…WELL YOU STINK!"
She struggled for a bit to figure out how to continue. She seemed to be dancing on the spot before she decided to just show her tongue.
"Bleh! Hmph!"
Giving a wry smile at her actions, Igor was about to offer a retort when his eyes glimpsed upon her drawing that had fallen to the floor.
He took notice that there were three people holding hands in the picture.
"Huh? Is this you and your parents?"
Akeno looked at the picture and picked it up.
"Y-yeah…"
Wondering why she was suddenly shy, his musings were interrupted when Shuri walked into the room.
"Ara? Looks like you've woken up?"
Igor gave a sigh, flopping his head onto the pillow in the process.
"Hard to stay asleep when she's singing."
"Hey!"
Shuri giggled before she walked over to Igor. She knelt down and held his hand in hers.
"Now then. How are you feeling?"
Whether it was because his age had regressed to 4, or whether it's because his mind mainly concerned itself with training, but Igor felt nothing when a woman as beautiful as Shuri initiated close contact with him.*
"Pretty energetic actually. I feel like I could go ten rounds with your father again."
Shuri, in the beginning, was somewhat surprised. Usually, any male she treated would become flustered when she got close to them. With her being the miko and an exorcist of the shrine in Kuoh, she's met a lot of people and enough males to know she's quite the catch.
But while pondering those thoughts, they came to a screeching halt when she suddenly realised the last part of Igor's sentence.
'...your father again.'
Cough cough cough cough
She somehow choked on her saliva, the absurdity of the situation getting to her. Immediately, Akeno ran over to Shuri while crying out.
"Momma! Momma are you okay?!"
It was now Igor's turn to do a spit-take.
"M-mother?! SHE'S YOUR MOTHER?!"
Akeno looked at Igor with a pout.
"Yeah! So what?!"
She thought that Igor's outrage was due to her mixed heritage. Mixed-breeds were not well received in the supernatural world.
But that topic was far from his thoughts at the moment.
[H-how?!]
Picturing Baraquiel's old rusty face, Igor could not understand how he managed to snag such a pretty young woman like Shuri.
His initial assumption was that Shuri and Akeno were sisters or something.
[I mean, she looks 21 at best and that old bastard is over twice her age.]
It was then that he realised something.
[Wait…that old man could be old enough to be her ancestor!]
The revelation blew him out of his mind.
"FUCK!"
"Ara-"
"YOUR HUSBAND'S A PEDOPHILE!"
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|DxD|
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Far up in the skies, Baraquiel was hovering just slightly below the clouds with all ten wings unfurled. Keeping his eyes and senses locked onto his home, he formed a magic circle on his ear.
Without being able to get a word in, an enthused voice of another man hollers in his hear.
"Baraquiel! My man! How's it going? It hasn't even been a week since you called lil' ol' me. You want some more tips to please your Shuri dearest~? Because I have to tell you-"
Baraquiel interrupted the conversation with one word.
"Aryan."
Silence…
"...say that again."
Baraquiel replies with a serious tone of voice, his eyes focusing on his house and the presence of Igor.
"Azazel. I found an Aryan."
"..."
Baraquiel soon heard the sounds of papers falling and screams of: "GET BACK HERE AZAZEL!", before a magic circle appeared next to him and showed Azazel in all his glory.
Azazel was in a black suit that looked brand new. The man looked to be in his late thirties and amongst his head of black, a yellow tuft spanned the range of his forehead. Sporting a goatee, the man's usually laid-back visage was replaced by a deadly serious one.
He easily sensed the presence of a human with abnormally powerful vitality in Baraquiel's home.
"I'm listening."
Just like that, both entered business mode. Having lived for several millennia, both brothers have developed a tacit understanding of how to operate.
"I found him in the woods with my daughter. I first assumed he was a hunter that somehow managed to sense and capture her. So naturally, I punched him away. I assumed he would be knocked unconscious, but I miscalculated. To my surprise, he came flying back…with his body covered in-"
"Ki…"
Baraquiel snorted to himself.
"I was so caught by surprise that I barely managed to block his attack and get Akeno out of the way."
Azazel chuckled. Business mode ended.
"He made you look like your bratty self huh?"
"Hmph. That was thousands of years ago, Azazel."
Azazel turned his head towards Baraquiel with a coy grin.
"Doesn't matter. The boy made you wear out the soles of your boots."
"..."
Baraquiel wanted to argue. But with a quick glance down, he noticed the heels of his boots were indeed, slightly worn out.
"Tch. Regardless, the boy possesses enough ki to cause, THAT."
Baraquiel pointed the 200-metre long trench caused by the explosion of the [Galick Gun].
"Did I mention that he's 4-years-old?"
Azazel nearly did a spit-take at Baraquiel's statement.
"F-FOUR?!"
He practically glared at Baraquiel with a gaze that demanded answers.
"How is he FOUR?!"
Baraquiel didn't remove his gaze from his home as he replied.
"Although he appears as an adolescent, I could sense his vitality. I didn't believe it myself in the beginning. So I also grabbed his arm and verified his bone age. Despite all odds, that boy is indeed, four-years of age."
Azazel rubbed his head tiredly.
"Sheesh! Talk about overkill. What were we doing when we were four again? I recall you always liked to brood and stuff."
"And you were a pervert."
"Heyyy! I mean, have you SEEN our dear sisters?"
Baraquiel couldn't help but want to sigh at Azazel's abrupt change in mood. It was a testament to the governor's lack of ability to take things seriously for long enough.
But eventually, Azazel composes himself before gaze his turns serious.
"I know you didn't call just to tell me the boy's Aryan. You have a plan of action don't you?"
At Azazel's questioning, Baraquiel seems to mull it over a bit before nodding.
"Yes. I plan to take this boy as my student."
Azazel was quiet. Baraquiel's decision surprised him since the man had not taken a disciple for millennia.
Not since…
"Yered?"
Baraquiel replied with a nod.
"Yered. The boy reminds me of him."
Baraquiel reminisced of the times he spent with Yered, a blood descendant of Adam himself.
"The boy looks just like him."
Uncharacteristically, he chuckled.
"Even their way of speaking is the same. Just like Yered, this boy also has quite the sharp tongue on him."
Azazel smiled after seeing the reminiscent gaze and smile of his brother.
"Ha! Now I really have to see what this boy is truly like if you compare him to that brat, Yered."
A grinning Azazel was about to fly down when Baraquiel held him back by the shoulder.
"Wait. I still need to see what will happen first."
Azazel naturally sensed both Akeno and Shuri along with Igor. He also knew that should Igor try anything, both would be able to get there with in an instant and prevent any incidents.
But still…
"That is out of character for you. Normally, you'd be hiding in the bushes, or the closet, or under the sofa-"
"I get it. There is no need to elaborate."
"Oh…"
There was silence for a while before Azazel continued.
"So…why are you not under the sofa-"
"I said I get it, Azazel."
That elicited a chuckle from Azazel, the Leader of Grigori taking delight in his brother's groans of annoyance.
But no sooner did that chuckle appear that he turned serious.
"So, are you telling me you trust this kid to not murder your entire family?"
Recalling Akeno's description of him, Baraquiel released a resigned sigh.
"If what my daughter said is correct…"
His mind briefly flashed to the conversation he had with Akeno, of how Igor still treated her normally despite her heritage.
"...then yes. I'll trust the brat."
Chapter 10
"If what my daughter said is correct…"
His mind briefly flashed to the conversation he had with Akeno, of how Igor still treated her normally despite her heritage.
"...then yes. I'll trust the brat."
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|DxD|
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It was around 10:00 in the morning. After settling the little squabble Igor had with Shuri and Akeno, the young blonde had taken to going outside. He didn't know if Baraquiel did it on purpose, but his weighted clothing was still left at where he dropped it off.
Shuri had offered him one of Baraquiel's jackets but at a rare moment of respect, Igor had replied:
'Sorry Aunty. My father taught me that a man does not share clothing with another man. Even if I am not a proper man yet, I am not his son. I am a son of Dimori. Therefore, you giving me, the son of another man, his clothing, would be the same as slapping him in the face.'
To say Shuri was upset at being called 'aunty' was an understatement. But she stomached this resentment in favour of acknowledging his reasons for not wanting any clothing.
This left the blonde with only his torn and worn pants. However, he didn't have a problem at his current state. Being topless and barefoot was already how he mostly was in the time chamber when he was meditating.
So repeating what he usually did when outside the time chamber, he scoured the yard and found a nice tree to sit down and lean against.
Crossing his legs, he began meditating. He calmed his breaths in line with his raging ki. The moment he breathed in, his ki surged enough to create a faint blue aura cloak on his body. But when he breathed out, the aura retreated into his body.
He repeated the process over and over again. Each time when he breathed in, the aura of ki surrounding his body would grow thicker and opaquer and when he breathed out, it would retreat into his body completely.
What Igor was doing was a ki-control method of 'Push-and-Pull'. Everytime he breathed in, he would power up in stages, circulating his ki faster and more forcefully. When he breathed out, he would draw in all that ki as quickly as possible within the time of a single breath. If all his ki is withdrawn into his body, then he can ascend to the next stage and power up further. If there is even a faint outline of wisp of aura by the end of the breath, then he will have to stay within that stage and hone his control. It also works the same way for drawing in breath. If he winces during the process of powering up, then he must remain within that stage until mastery.
Although this exercise seems pointless or time-wasting on the surface, it was extremely important in that, mastery over this exercise can influence battles in an instant. In fights, the one who can masterfully control their energy output can instantly power up to deliver crucial blows, or decrease that output to maintain their stamina.
'Fighters who can maintain a higher energy output without leakage will have a higher chance of winning, even if their opponent is more powerful than them.' -Nakamura
It was one of the few things Igor picked up from Nakamura's book. Training his body served to increase the capacity of his ki while meditating like this served to hone his control over it. However, Igor had started to see diminishing returns in his training.
In the last decade(year), the rate of his strength increases had decreased by almost half, causing him to have some concerns. But a quick analysis simply told him that he was reaching the limits of his current physique.
That is why even while meditating, Igor had a plan of action in mind.
[I'll spend one last year in the time chamber before hiding somewhere in the Himalayas and wait to grow up. Although it pains me, maybe six-years will be needed before I can build up more potential. Once I reach age ten, I can boost my body's strength even further. If I remember correctly, things should start getting hectic somewhere before the 2010 world cup, right? My memory's shaky after so long. But I do know I must keep an eye out for some red-dragon…guy? Wait. It was the red-dragon…what was it again?]
Unfortunately, he pondered so much on the topic that when he breathed in, he unintentionally powered up too rapidly and this caused his muscles to cease up.
"Argh! Cramp! Cramp! CRAMP! Fuck! CRAMP! Cramp cramp cramp cramp cramp cramp! CRAAAAMP! SHIT! Fuck! FUUUUCK! Fuck my life! Waaaaaaa!"
His muscles were visibly bulging with veins twitching all over his body. Even his neck muscles seemed twisted, causing his head to remain stiff. His eyes were wide open, his pupils noticeably narrowing in pain.
He didn't hear the pitter patter of feet rushing up to him, but he definitely heard what he would consider, the dumbest question of all time.
"Are you alright?!"
With tear-stained eyes, Igor glared at Akeno with all the fury he could muster. Nothing could sum up the amount of pain and anger within those eyes of his.
"Fuck your mother!* Do I LOOK ALRIGHT?! SHIT! FUCK! This hurts! THIS REALLY HUUUURTS!"
Igor really wanted to continue slinging curses to dull the pain of every single muscle in his body seemingly twist on itself.
But when he heard that…
"Ara?"
…and saw Shuri Himejima look at him with cold eyes, he really wanted to cry at that moment, especially since he was defenseless.
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|DxD|
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{"Romero. I have always…ALWAYS loved you~"}
{"I know my sweet Natalie. I have loved you since the dawn of time as-"}
"Pfffffft"
Igor couldn't take it anymore.
"Fuck! How do you watch this brain-melting, cringe-inducing shi-"
"LANGUAGE…Dimori-kun~"
Igor growled in his restraints . A white blanket was wrapped around him like a straight jacket, complete with thick cargo ropes used on trucks. He had tried to shout his way out, even going so far as swear upon his family name to remain quiet as long as Shuri released him. She didn't.
Now, it's already been an hour since he's been forced to watch this romantic movie and it was killing him inside.
"Look at his noodle arms! I could snap him in half!"
"..."
*Vein Bulge*
Shuri couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed the remote and turned off the television…with elegance of course.
She sat down properly and turned towards Igor, a small smile accompanied by a slight vein bulging on her forehead.
"Dimori-kun. Why do you hate this actor so much~?"
It took all her strength to not growl her words out. From the beginning of the movie, Igor had been shaming the protagonist with all kinds of colourful words. She had even resorted to having Akeno sit on her lap and cover her ears whenever the blonde would go on one of his tirades.
This time, Shuri couldn't hold it back anymore. She wanted to know why he wouldn't stop.
Naturally, Igor provided an Igor-like answer.
"Why? Because he's a pansy."
He replied as if it was a matter-of-fact. He would've lifted his hands to emphasize his point, but his whole body still felt as if it was vibrating.
Shuri nodded politely and prodded.
"Since you say he is, what you say he is-"
"A pansy."
*Vein Bulge*
"...yes, could you elaborate, Dimori-kun?"
Igor ignored the strain of lifting up his head in thought.
"Welllll…he's a pansy."
*Vein twitch*
"Yes but-"
"I mean, come on aunty. This guy has been GIVEN everything. He didn't work for anything and he didn't improve his body. While his father is busy running the estate, he's going around hunting girls. Then for some reason, he meets a pure maiden and falls for her."
He took a deep breath in, his gaze turning serious.
"My problem now is, he's chasing after her using his FATHER'S ASSETS! Everything from the car he drives to the apartment he stays in, BELONGS to his father. When he invites her for the night, it's in his father's property. When he offers her a lift, it's in his father's car. Even the money he spends on her belongs to his father! The bastard can't even afford his own clothing yet he has the balls to chase after a girl with his father's assets! Do you remember the construction worker from the beginning?"
Shuri nodded absentmindedly. His words were intriguing her, his tongue unleashing sentences far more profound than a child his age should be.
"I do."
"THAT…is a man. He had his life in gear. If he was the main character, it would've been much better. But nooo. Tell all the girls that strings and bling is the way. Ignore the capable guy. Accept the pansy who uses daddy's money."
His tone began to lower.
"Tch! I hate that. I hate that with every fibre of my being. It spits on the essence of what it means to BE a man."
Silence…
Shuri couldn't believe her ears. She watched as Igor seemed to recall something in his head.
[Never would I have imagined that the boy with such a foul mouth, could speak such compelling words.]
She was so out of sync with the world that a quick elbow jab from Akeno brought her out of her stupor. When she came to, she was embarrassed when she saw Igor stare at her with intense curiosity.
But before she could get a word out, Igor spoke. And in that one sentence, every good opinion Shuri developed went down the drain.
"Aunty. Are you one of those people that has that thing called demunten…dementin…dementu? Ah fuck it. Old people syndrome?"
Shuri…had had it up to here.
"Dimori-kun. First it was calling me 'aunty'. Now you are telling me that I have dementia-"
"Dementia! I knew the word was on the tip of my tongue-"
"Dimori-kun!"
Akeno darted her head between Igor and her mother with a confused expression. Igor was looking at her mother with a curiously confused gaze. As for her mother, she appeared to be smiling. But the steadily increasing number of vein bulges on her forehead said otherwise.
Akeno didn't fully understand what was happening, but she felt one word would be appropriate to use to describe the situation.
"Fuck!"
That cute, high pitched voice saying such a word caused the entire room to freeze.
"..."
"..."
Glance!
Glance!
A certain boy smiled like they just found a comrade. His eyes were shining brightly like he just saw the stars themselves descend upon the world.
A certain miko froze like they just witnessed the beginning of Armageddon. Her pupils shrunk in disbelief, her mind encountering errors in attempts to process what it just heard.
But before anyone could properly react, the window to the room broke open. While others saw pieces of glass, all Igor saw was a massive tanned fist covering his vision.
And like a man, he faced it with his face.
Glare!
BOOOM
Chapter 11
But before anyone could properly react, the window to the room broke open. While others saw pieces of glass, all Igor saw was a massive tanned fist covering his vision.
And like a man, he faced it with his face.
Glare!
BOOOM
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|DxD|
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The dust in the room began to clear, revealing two figures. One was Baraquiel, his fist outstretched and his face displaying the typical expression of an angry father.
The second was Igor. Despite getting punched, he was standing tall. His fists were clenched, his body unyielding as stone. The blanket restraining him as well as the couch had been destroyed by the explosion of his ki.
When Baraquiel slowly withdrew his fist, it revealed the blonde to only have a single trail of blood flowing from his mouth.
But despite that, his cold gaze was fixed on Baraquiel's gaze. Both of them glared at each other. Despite knowing the Fallen's strength, Igor remained steadfast.
The stare-down was growing in intensity, and an observing Azazel was not liking the direction it was going.
So waving his hands placatingly, he approached the duo.
"Hey hey hey. Calm down-"
The moment Igor spotted Baraquiel's gaze shift, a very dense aura of fiery blue ki covered him like a cloak.
[Aura-Burning State!]
FUUUSHHHHH
The sudden spike in energy did alert Baraquiel but at this point, Igor had secured the advantage.
Tswiii!
With a quick instant vanish, Igor appeared behind Baraquiel and launched a quick side kick to his head. With his power having increased twice over, Igor's kick slipped past Baraquiel's guard, allowing the blonde to connect cleanly.
Gu!
Boom Boom
Being sent flying through the walls of his house and the garden, Baraquiel could barely react when Igor suddenly appeared behind him.
But react he did.
Twist…CLASH
He barely managed to twist himself in time and block a knee strike that would've buried itself into his back.
But…
Tswii! Tswii!
Igor used [Instant Vanish] twice to appear above Baraquiel, seemingly posing for an overhead heel kick, before vanishing again and appearing just below his waistline. With Baraquiel falling for his feint, Igor was able to connect a rising kick to the Fallen's abdomen, causing him to skid back.
Krrrrrrrgh
Grass was uprooted during his slide. But like before, Igor instantly appeared and landed an uppercut to his chin. This time, he couldn't block the attack and the blonde took full advantage.
Pressing on with his seemingly unlimited stamina, Igor abused [Instant Vanish], using the skill to continuously hurl the Fallen higher and higher into the skies. Igor unleashed every drop of bottled up rage he had churning within him.
He wanted the fallen to feel pain. For him to get punched like that for no reason made him angry…very angry.
FUUUSH
Du! Du! Du! Du! Du! Du!
Every strike he landed was swift and precise. He absolutely would not let Baraquiel get the chance to recover. Even in his haze of rage, he still knew what the fallen would do to him once he recovered.
So he continued.
Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom
With every passing second, his attacks began to pack more power. And with Baraquiel's ever increasing momentum, it culminated in Igor's attacks starting to sound like explosions going off in the skies.
Azazel looked on with a resigned sigh. Even though he was on the ground, his keen eyesight could easily see and process everything that was happening.
"Haaaaaa. This won't end well."
He had already moved Shuri and Akeno from here to one of his houses in Kuoh the moment Baraquiel smashed through the window.
Now, he could watch this minor scuffle in peace.
"Though, it's been a while since I've seen my dearest brother get a beating like this."
He couldn't stop the slight up curl of his mouth.
"Then again, this'll probably end in about…3…2…"
"ENOUGH!"
Gu! Suuuuu…
BOOOM
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|DxD|
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Baraquiel was finally starting to come to. His holy energy had gathered enough to passively cushion his body and head from Igor's constant blows. The rattling of his brain had ceased quite a bit with his holy energy instinctively reinforcing his body. It was why that as the brunt of Igor's blows was dispersed by his energy, he soon started to come out of his dazed state.
So when the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was an elbow coming right for his nose…
"?!"
…he was rightfully, very angry.
*Lightning Crackle*
"ENOUGH!"
In an instant, three things happened. One, all of Baraquiel's ten wings were unfurled. Two, he instantly positioned himself in front of Igor, his fist raised to strike.
Three…
Gu! Suuuuu…
BOOOM
Everything happened so fast that Igor hadn't even comprehended Baraquiel's words before he suddenly found himself tearing through three trees before finally crashing into the ground. The blow was so severe that his aura of ki was directly snuffed out.
It was only fortunate that his [Aura Burning State] was still active before he crashed or he may have suffered even more severe injuries. But unfortunately, if the blow from Baraquiel didn't knock him unconscious, then the crash did.
Igor was lying face up with the whites of his eyes exposed. He was completely unmoving within the massive crater created by his landing. His arms were sprawled out, blood covering his entire form. His skin was slightly red while a small trickle of blood streamed from his mouth.
But Baraquiel didn't care about that.
Crackle…Crackle.. .Crackle Crackle CRACKLE CRACKLE CRACKLE CRACKLE
He was too angered, too humiliated, to care anymore. He, a cadre, was humiliated by a brat who hadn't even grown his second set of hairs.
No coherent thoughts were running through his mind. Right now, he only wanted to do one thing-
"Woah there, brother. Calm down."
But Baraquiel wasn't willing to listen.
CRACKLE CRACKLE CRACKLE-
"Baraquiel."
Azazel's tone was serious. His grip on Baraquiel's shoulder was tight, tight enough to bring back some form of mental clarity in the Fallen's mind.
The angry cadre wanted to retort, but when he saw Azazel's darkened face…
CRACKLE CRACKLE Crackle Crackle crackle crackle…crackle…
Unwillingly, he cancelled his golden lightning.
"Tch!"
He crossed his arms, unwillingness written in capital letters on his face.
"Fine. But I'll beat him to death the next time he does this."
With that, he vanished, not wanting to spend even a second longer in this place.
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|DxD|
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Azazel was intrigued…greatly intrigued. Right now, he stood over the unconscious form of Igor, eyeing the blonde with great interest.
[I thought the last Aryan died in 1945, yet here's one before me.]
The Aryans were annihilated in 1945 after the location of their secret realm became exposed in 1939. It resulted in one of the greatest wars in history, including both the mundane and the supernatural in their skirmish. In a bid to defend themselves, the Aryans used Adolf Hitler to fight against the mundane for them while their core forces dealt with the supernatural.
But no matter how much they fought, they were only one race against the entire world.
[If news of this little one's existence came to light, they would immediately want to eliminate him.]
Although Azazel never truly participated, he knew how powerful the Aryans were. All their core warriors were ultimate-class elites while the bulk of their forces were high-class. But that would not be enough for them to cause a stir.
The true reason why the Aryans were viewed as such a massive threat, was because of their patriarch. Their patriarch was said to be a human who had broken the curse God placed on them. It was an unprecedented scenario that caused the majority of the supernatural society to unite once again in thousands of years.
Just thinking of these things made Azazel scratch his head.
"Haaa~. Troublesome, troublesome, troublesome."
He stretched out his hand towards the blonde and in that moment, a magic circle formed underneath him.
"I'll deal with all of this later. I might as well get him healed fir-"
But before the circle could even function, Baraquiel suddenly appeared and dispelled it.
"Don't send him to Grigori."
Azazel was about to refuse. But when he saw his brother's tsundere-like expression, he couldn't help but release a grin.
"Aaa~? What do you mean~?"
Vein Twitch
Baraquiel really wanted to slap Azazel away, especially with how close he had shimmied over to him.
"I mean, it's not good if he gets sent over to Grigori. Others there may figure out his lineage. So, the fewer people know about him, the better."
Silence…
"Pfft…pfft…"
Glare!
"Okay okay! Sheesh. Take the brat then. Just make sure he doesn't kill you when he wakes up."
"Tch."
Baraquiel didn't speak any further and simply hoisted Igor into his arms.
"Farewell, brother."
With that said, he flew away, not daring to look back. Baraquiel could practically imagine the smug look on his brother's face.
"Hmph. I'm just doing this because my baby girl asked me to heal him."
"Then why don't you let me take him to Grigori? I have a couple of healers there as well."
"..."
Baraquiel sighed. He could count on Azazel to be annoying at the worst of times.
"...why aren't you heading back?"
Azazel gave a cheerful smile.
"Can't I fly together with my brother? It's been a while since we took to the skies together-"
"The REAL reason."
"I'm looking forward to his reaction when he wakes up-"
"I said THE REAL reason."
"..."
*Cough*
"Shemhazai has a lot of work for me to do."
Azazel spoke abashedly. Yet despite his tone of speaking, he showed no intention of going back to Grigori.
"...fine"
With both brothers flying in the sky, only the grumbles of Baraquiel could be heard in reply to Azazel's shameless laughter.
Chapter 12
"Bastard old man!"
Swoo- SLAP
"Sit down."
Baraquiel sighed.
"We have to talk."
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|DxD|
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"Brother. I don't think I need to say this, but do you understand how important that boy is?"
"...I know."
Currently, Baraquiel and Azazel were in the latter's penthouse in Kuoh. While Akeno was told to stay in the living room, Shuri was currently nursing Igor in one of the guestrooms.
Right now, both Baraquiel and Azazel were standing outside of the guestroom, the latter give the former an intense gaze.
"Look, brother…*sigh*, this kid, is the LAST Aryan. Under no circumstances, can he die. And under NO circumstances, should he become our enemy. Because brother, if this kid realises his potential, he can either become our biggest ally, or our biggest enemy. I wanted to draft him into Grigori, but I doubt he will accept considering that personality of his. So our next option is him becoming an ally or our associate."
He then shoved his finger into Baraquiel's chest.
"This is where YOU come in. When we wake that kid up, I won't be surprised if he says a bunch of words and attacks you. What I want you to do, is NOT beat him into the ground again."
Silence…
"Mm."
Baraquiel gave a gruff nod and moved his hand to open the door. But before he could do that, Azazel grabbed his hand.
"I am serious, brother. I can find sacred gears. I can find talents. I can even find a Longinus. What I CANNOT find, is another Aryan."
Azazel looked into his eyes, his gaze intense and his meaning clear.
"Do not RUIN this, brother."
He let go of Baraquiel's hand and proceeded to open the door. Once that door swung open, his serious demeanor vanished like a fart in the wind.
Holding up his hand to greet, he gave his typical, lighthearted smile.
"Hey, Shuri~. How's the kid holding up?"
"Oh my~ Azazel-kun. Well he's…"
As the conversation continued, Baraquiel stood outside the door, the words of Azazel spinning the cogs in his head.
[With that brat's personality, I won't be surprised if he's more stubborn than a donkey.]
In the end, he couldn't stop a light smile from forming on his face.
"Hmph."
He walked inside, adjusting his collar in the process. Upon entering the room, the sudden brightness emanating from the globe on the ceiling caused him to squint. Regardless, he was able to quickly adjust to the sudden glare while keeping his hands to his sides. It would've been humiliating if a man of his calibre shielded his eyes from sudden brightness of all things.
His eyes instantly took in the whole room. A small double-bed with white pillows and covers and cream-white walls with a single globed lamp on the ceiling. On the cabinets on both sides of the bed were various medicines and bandages. On the bed was Igor with white bandages wrapped around his entire torso.
With his sense of hearing, Baraquiel could hear that the blonde's heart rate was low…too low for a normal human. *
But he couldn't focus on that fact before his wife walked over to him.
"Husband."
He looked down, assuming to see the smile of his lovely wife ready to give him the morning kiss he needed.
But…
"How are you~?"
Looking at that smile of hers, he could be certain she was about to change his well-being…for the worse.
And he could do nothing but offer an awkward smile.
"H-Hi dear. I'm fine…you?"
"Ufufufu~. I'm fine…but Dimori-kun certainly isn't~."
"Oh…"
Azazel simply watched on from the sides, the situation clearly amusing him.
[Haaaa…brother. You sure know how to pick 'em.]
.
|DxD|
.
As Azazel expected, the blonde was difficult. Even though the lad didn't attack Baraquiel after the first attempt, he was in a predictably, sour mood.
But even worse was, his brother outright asked for the boy to become his disciple.
"I can teach you certain-"
"Teach, my ass!"
"I can aid you in fine-tuning your combat repertoire and-"
"I can manage JUST fine on my own old man!"
Although Igor was much calmer than Azazel expected…well, as calm as the blonde could be.
"But regardless, I have-"
"Your mother!"
"?!"
Azazel's head snapped up, Igor's curse rattling his brain. He immediately gave the blonde another once-over.
He looked down again, his brows furrowed in contemplation.
[It's been so long since I've heard such an old style of swearing, especially from someone who's not even of Asian descent.]
Azazel could easily tell that Igor never grew up in Japan or any other eastern countries. His way of speaking was too crude, forward, and impolite. In fact, he was too quick to cussing just like everyone was during the…
"World Wars…"
Baraquiel and Igor didn't hear his quiet mutter. If they did, they ignored him. Igor was swinging colourful words like a pro boxer while Baraquiel's entire face was red and bulging from frustration. The anger on the fallen's face could not be described in mere words. But keeping it in and trying to speak politely was causing him to develop the smile of someone who's suffering from constipation.
If Azazel was paying attention, he would've laughed. If Shuri was paying attention, she would've stopped the powder keg threatening to explode. Although it hadn't been that long since she had reentered the room, Igor and Baraquiel didn't notice her.
But while Azazel was engrossed in his own thoughts, Shuri looked towards the former with some concern.
"Azazel-kun. What do you mean by the world wars?"
Azazel held up his chin with his fists, a momentary "hmmmmm" acting as acknowledgement to Shuri's questioning.
"Well…I know that soldiers, be they from the mundane to the supernatural, have a tendency to swear. It isn't as frequent now, but back in those days, curses were a daily occurrence since it was a period of great war. And the way Igor speaks is almost like an Aryan during the war. If a child grew up hearing those words…"
Just a glance towards the blonde sneaking in explicit content in his words was more than enough for Shuri to feel a bit flushed.
She had never heard so many synonyms for a person's private parts before.
"I…understand-"
But she then came to a sudden realisation.
"Wait. You don't mean…"
Azazel nodded.
"This son of Dimori, may be much older than he looks."
Given the numerous things he's seen, Azazel wouldn't be surprised. There were no lack of methods to prolong or halt aging.
[But he doesn't show any signs of being much older than he looks.] *
In the end, he shook his head. Standing up, he put the whole thought process behind him.
[Coming up with conjectures like this from just his way of speaking? Maybe I am going senile. In any case, I should help my dearest brother out because at this rate, my beautiful house will get destroyed.]
He put on a confident look and approached the young blonde.
"Hey kid. How about I tell you a few things. For starters, do you know what you are?"
.
|DxD|
.
(Before Igor woke up)
.
Akeno was quietly sitting in the living room. The television was on, and cartoons were put on for her. But while she sat on the carpet, she wasn't watching the cartoons. Her mind was more focused on what happened previously.
But more importantly, she was more focused on pronouncing a certain word that she had come to like.
"Ffffffuuuuuuuckkkk~ Fuck!"
She said it with such childish wonder and innocence, that it would not seem strange if the word was placed between 'fluffy rabbits' and 'teddy-bears'.
It was amazing to her how a single word could cause everyone to panic. It was fun to watch all those adults run around and to see her mother's panicked expression was even funnier.
But there was another phrase that both confused and interested her more.
"Your…mother. Your mo-ther."
The previous word was more understandable. She had never heard of it before so Akeno didn't make too much of a fuss about it. All she knew was that if she said that word, Igor would get beaten up. That would count as payback for him calling her "Little chick".
But the latter phrase completely confused her. She had no idea why when Igor said it, her father seemed just about ready to pop a blood vessel.
She kept trying to roll the words around her tongue.
"Your mother! Yourrrr…motherrrrr."
She was trying to see if pronouncing it slowly or differently would yield different results. She crossed her legs and held her chin up with her hand. She would occasionally sway her head from side to side, almost as if she could see a hologram of 'Your Mother' floating in front of her. It was her own little bid to see if she could find a way to obtain enlightenment over the word's understanding.
But while Akeno mulled about in profanity interpretation, Shuri had just descended the stairs when she chanced upon her daughter happily singing in front of the television.
"Your mother~ Your mother~ Your mother~ Your mother~ Your…"
On a normal day, Shuri would simply smile and carry on with her day. If it was during the pre-Igor era, she would not have thought so much.
But the moment she heard the 'lyrics' of her daughter's improvised nursery rhyme, she experienced a flashback.
'Fuck your mother! Do I LOOK ALRIGHT?! SHIT! FUCK! This hurts! THIS REALLY HUUUURTS!'
She almost dropped the roll of old bandages in her hands, a cold sweat covering her brow. She looked over to her daughter, the epitome of innocence in her heart. Her mind threatened to freeze over. It could easily picture the scene of hell freezing over. But for the life of her, her mind could not picture a future where her little bundle of joy would cuss like soldiers in trench warfare.
It was why with a determined gaze, she trudged forward, her motherly instincts taking over.
"Akeno!"
She hastily grabbed her daughter's shoulders and made her turn towards her.
"Don't say bad words like that!"
Akeno turned to face her mother. There was evident childlike confusion on her face that was followed by a predictable…
"Why?"
Luckily, years of motherly instincts passed down from mother to mother allowed Shuri to quickly provide an answer.
"Because only bad people speak like that. And you, my girl…"
She neatly straightened out her daughter's dress.
"...are my little princess. Princesses don't speak like hooligans."
"So…Dimori-san is a holi…hoole…bad person?"
Shuri's smile became strained.
"Not…really.I believe that Dimori-kun is a good boy. We just have to stop him from using bad words."
"Oh...will we be able to?"
"..."
Shuri considered it. She truly did. But it hasn't been a week and…
"We'll try?"
…she had very little confidence.
.
|DxD|
.
"Uh…uncle Azazel. My answer is no. I have everything I need at home."
Chapter 13
"Uh…Uncle Azazel. My answer is no. I have everything I need at home."
.
|DxD|
.
(Ten minutes earlier)
.
Azazel walked over confidently towards the blonde, ready to use his tried and tested method of recruitment.
"Hey kid. How about I tell you a few things. For starters, do you know what you are?"
Igor looked away from Baraquiel. But instead of looking at Azazel with curiosity, he looked at the cadre with a slightly confused gaze.
His head tilted slightly while he raised his hand to point at himself.
"Me? I'm a Dimori."
"..."
Azazel coughed lightly, choosing to ignore the blonde's ignorant reply.
"You're partially correct. But you're more than that. You, are an Aryan, direct descendants of Adam."
Silence…
"Oh…cool. And?"
For all his confidence, Azazel almost fell over himself. But where would his dignity be if he let the stupidity of a four-year old on steroids falter him.
So, bringing back his smile, he explained further.
"You are a superior race of humans identified by their characteristic traits of blonde hair and blue eyes. Being direct descendants of Adam, they possess immense strength and capabilities that far surpass ordinary humans."
Silence…
Azazel inwardly smiled to himself.
[He must be very awed-]
"Huh…neat."
"..."
Azazel stared blankly at the boy. He almost wanted to drown him in light spears then and there, but years of living allowed him to keep his cool-
"Can I go now?"
"..."
*Vein Bulge*
Spotting his brother was about to lose himself, Baraquiel muffled Azazel's mouth with his hand while he explained to the blonde in a language he knew he would understand.
"What Azazel means brat, is that your people could make things explode using their own power."
Igor looked at Baraquiel weirdly.
"I'm not stupid. I'm a kid. I know what Uncle Azazel said, old man. What confuses me is that you people keep saying I'm an Aryan when I'm not one."
Baraquiel looked at the blonde…REALLY looked at him. It was as if he was judging where to accurately punch the idiot so that his brain would rewire itself.
But remembering his brother who was taking deep breaths, he thought to do the same.
*Breathes in*…*Breathes out*
"If you say you are indeed, not an Aryan, then explain this. My daughter is 5-years old this year. How is it then that despite you being a year younger, you have shown me the power of a peak high-class entity?" *
Igor's eyes narrowed to the size of a pinhole. His face was completely frozen like that of a statue. Baraquiel was about to give himself a pat on the back for uncovering the blonde's lie. Azazel looked on in intensity, eager to see how Igor would break himself out of this predicament.
[He probably never guessed we would figure out his true age.]
But far from their expectations, Igor's face morphed into one of excitement.
"HIGH CLASS?! I'M A PEAK HIGH CLASS?! REALLY?! REALLY REALLY?!"
Igor was very proud of himself. Being ranked as high-class gave him a world of confidence. Thinking about how his hard work paid off was enough to excite him for days. All those years of training himself into the dirt were not for nothing. He was ready to shout to the skies about his monumental achievement.
That was until he remembered…
"Hey old man. How powerful is high-class again?"
""…""
Baraquiel and Azazel stood gobsmacked. Azazel was especially tired.
[I give up.]
Baraquiel however, decided to answer the blonde's question.
"From what I've seen so far, you're strong enough to destroy a good chunk of this city. This makes you high-class."
"Nice!"
Igor nodded to himself appreciatively. But while he was flexing his muscles, Azazel decided to push forward.
"Hey kid. You sure you don't want to work with us?"
In the midst of his excitement, Igor calmed down and looked at Azazel. Spotting the man's downtrodden expression, Igor smiled awkwardly.
"Uh…Uncle Azazel. My answer is no. I have everything I need at home."
"Oh…"
While Azazel sunk into a semi-depression, Baraquiel caught one important word in the blonde's sentence.
"And where is this home you speak of?"
With a look of clear suspicion, Igor replied.
"Why would I tell a weird old man where my home is?"
*Vein Bulge*
"What are you trying to…imply?"
The wood was piled up and the oil was spilt onto it. Just one more stupid word and Baraquiel was ready to forsake his promise and beat Igor up then and there.
It was only through sheer will that he-
"You're a pedophile..."
"..."
Even though Igor said it through the quietest of whispers, his words didn't escape the ears of the Fallen.
*Eye Twitch*
So many veins bulged on Baraquiel's face that it seemed as if worms were crawling underneath his skin.
"Pedophile, you say?"
"?!"
Igor immediately raised his guard. He knew not to let his guard down when Baraquiel got like this. The spark had been lit and the flames were about to burst. Emphasis on 'were'.
It was only because Azazel still hadn't left that he quickly defused the situation.
"Relax brother~ I'm sure the brat is joking."
Had he not been there, another fight might've broke out.
[I wasn't even able to place my hand on the door handle and those two were about to fight again.]
Surprisingly, Igor didn't take advantage of the situation. Instead, his gaze became serious, something that caught both fallen, especially Baraquiel off-guard.
"Uncle Azazel. Old man. My home is my home. I acknowledge that both of you are much stronger than me. And despite my…behavior, I am thankful for you two not…"
He looked to the side for a bit, his brows scrunched up in hesitation.
"...killing me."
As much as it grated his pride to admit it, Igor knew he was outclassed in every way possible.
[The first time I lost, I could use my weighted clothing as an excuse for my loss. But the second time…]
The second time, he had the complete advantage. The element of surprise was with him and he had the momentum. He can't even elude his loss to the [Aura Burning Technique] draining him of ki since he didn't even last long enough for the skill's side-effects to show.
In short, he wholeheartedly lost and he acknowledged his loss.
So, standing to the side of the bed, he continued his previous statement.
"Although I still don't get this Aryan stuff, I do know how to repay debts. Although I cannot join you, or any other faction, I will owe you a favour for sparing my life and for nursing my injuries."
And inwardly, he added.
[And for ignoring what I said about you being a…yeah…]
Although it was Baraquiel who started all of this, Igor would ignore the semantics…for now.
[I'll still beat him up in the future.]
Even if Igor tried to hide it, both Azazel and Baraquiel could see the twinge of battle lust the boy was exuding. Azazel released a sigh while Baraquiel released a proud smile. Both their reactions confused the blonde for a bit.
But before he could further focus on why they looked at him like that, he suddenly felt a hand ruffling his head.
"?!"
He quickly looked up to see Baraquiel smiling gently at him, which in turn caused Igor to get angry.
"Stop touching me!"
He tried to remove Baraquiel's oversized hand, but the job was proving to be harder than normal. He almost opted to use ki to reinforce his body, but Baraquiel's next words made him falter.
"You remind me of my first student. His name was Yered, although many know him as Jared. He was the great-grandson of Adam. He was quite the disobedient brat."
Baraquiel's gaze seemed to gain a filter of nostalgia atop it. When he looked at the curious Igor, his face would briefly overlap with that of another grinning blonde boy with a ponytail.
"Kid."
His gaze turned serious, and Igor naturally felt it.
"Are you sure you don't want to be my disciple? I may not be the strongest in the world, but I've lived for a very long time. I can show you techniques you wouldn't find in any libraries and styles of combat long since lost to history. Although I may not seem like it, I possess an oasis of knowledge that few could compare to. So even though I may be a Fallen, there will be no problems with me training you. So I ask again. Are you sure you don't want to be my disciple?"
Igor's gaze changed into one of embarrassment and shyness.
[How…]
He looked down at his feet.
[How do I say no to him?]
It was indeed a dilemma for the young blonde. For one, he had a library full of books, possibly hundreds of them. Of those hundreds, just reading one allowed him to reach his current level of strength. If all he had was the time chamber, then maybe he would've considered it. He may have even accepted. But that time chamber came with everything he would ever need. Although Baraquiel's offer would appeal to others, there was no merit for him in accepting it.
But that wasn't his biggest problem. He had just been told that he was the last of a race of very powerful humans by two very powerful people.
Both made their intentions to recruit him clear.
[Will they kill me if I say no this time?]
Having Baraquiel's palm on his head didn't help much to dissuade his fears. That seemingly gentle hand on his head could easily splatter it. Although Igor knew that he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, he wasn't dumb. After all, the entire reason for his current existence in this world was a result of the concept of: 'If you are not with me, then you are against me.'. Even though four decades had passed from his perspective, he had not forgotten how his entire family was gunned down just because his father was a potential rival for the leadership position in the syndicate.
So he wouldn't be surprised if for some reason, both Fallen decided to outright kill him here. Even if logic dictated that he should accept now and vanish later, there was something within him that refused to follow through with such a disgraceful action.
So steeling his gaze, he looked up to the Fallen with a gaze of finality.
"Like I said old man, I have everything at home."
Silence…
The room was locked in complete silence and Igor was wary his fears would come true. But he was not afraid.
In fact, the blood in his veins seemed to churn at the prospect of fighting them.
[Even though the situation is dangerous…]
He unconsciously began to smile.
[I can't help but feel excited!]
Chapter 14
[Even though the situation is dangerous…]
He unconsciously began to smile.
[I can't help but feel excited!]
.
|DxD|
.
[This brat is willing to fight?]
Baraquiel really couldn't keep it in anymore. Lightning started to flicker around him. While he looked at Igor in the eye, he used his other hand to motion to Azazel.
The meaning was pretty simple.
[Don't interfere.]
He didn't even pay attention to what his brother's reaction would be before he grinned at the blonde under his palm.
"Since you refuse, you know what is about to happen, correct?"
Igor's only indication of replying, was a subtle blue line of aura emanating from him like the gentle flickers of a flame.
"As long as the final blow is not from behind." *
Tswii! CLASH!
With one arm, Baraquiel blocked Igor's left foot that was aimed for his head. But it wasn't like Igor didn't learn anything from their past exchanges.
While still midair, he aimed his hand towards Baraquiel's abdomen. A light golden orb formed in his hand, a sign that Baraquiel didn't take lightly.
So the man shifted his remaining left hand to his stomach, ready to protect from the impending energy wave attack.
But beyond his expectations, the energy wave didn't come from Igor's hand.
"RAAAAAAA!"
It came from his mouth.
BOOOM
The energy wave pushed Baraquiel back, forcing him to tear through the walls of the house. Igor didn't continue to supply ki to the attack, causing Baraquiel to be pushed further and further away.
It was only when the fallen was pushed outside the house and onto the streets, did Igor finally cancel the attack. When the dust and debris cleared, it revealed Baraquiel to have protected his chest with three of his left wings.
Baraquiel looked at his smoking wings with a smile.
"If that one had landed, I would've had to get a new coat."
With those words, he vanished, causing Igor who had charged over to suddenly halt his tracks and look around. Fortunately, or unfortunately, he didn't have to wait for long.
Baraquiel appeared below the blonde with his fist poised for an uppercut.
"Grigori doesn't have money for damages. So…"
Du!
Igor was flung up. He had barely managed to form a cross-guard before the punch landed on his forearms. The lightning of Baraquiel caused him to feel a tingling sensation that numbed them.
But he couldn't dwell on the feeling for too long because Baraquiel appeared in front of him with his leg outstretched.
"...let's take this somewhere else."
GU!
This time, Igor couldn't block the kick. Besides the fact that he had temporarily lost all feeling in his arms, Baraquiel was just moving that fast.
And his kick was just that powerful.
SUUUUUUuuuuuuuuu
The blow was so powerful that Igor temporarily lost consciousness. His limp form flew over all the buildings of Kuoh towards the outskirts of the town. It was only after he was falling over the forest of Kuoh, did he begin to descend.
It was also in that moment when he regained his consciousness.
"?!"
Flaring his ki, he managed to stop his descent just a metre or so from the first tree that would've dug into his back.
But Baraquiel aimed to rectify that statement. The cadre appeared above Igor, his lightning-covered fist raised and a grin on his face.
At that moment, Igor only had one thought.
[Fuck…]
BOOOM
.
|DxD|
.
Azazel was still dazed at the destruction of his penthouse. Four walls were torn down while expensive furnishings were either broken, burnt, or incinerated. Furthermore, there were atleast a few dozen humans that had witnessed the spectacle.
It only took a wave of his hand for him to wipe out their memories. But the biggest hassle would be finding any photographic evidence. Although people rarely carry cameras, there may be a few tourists.
Just thinking of the work he had to do, made him feel like weeping.
"Why me..."
.
|DxD|
.
Shuri and Akeno looked at the penthouse that had a massive hole in the wall. Both mother and child had just come back from shopping.
Shuri just stood still, not sure what to do. She could see Azazel standing silently by the gate. The man was practically looking at her with eyes that were pleading for help.
Shuri looked at him silently, her heart coming to a decision.
"Akeno"
"Yes, mama?"
Azazel watched on, hope budding in his eyes. Shuri raised her foot…and turned around.
"Let's go back to the store. We are missing a few ingredients for tonight."
"Okay~"
Azazel watched both mother and child walk away, his eyes empty from despair.
"W-why…"
Azazel was hoping Shuri would help him detain Baraquiel and force him to clean up his own mess. But now, it seemed as if he, the Governor of Grigori, truly had to wipe after his brother. Although he could call for a squadron of fallen angels to do the work for him, they weren't nearby since Kuoh was currently a…devil territory.
"Oh no…"
The familiar sound of a teleportation circle forming a few metres from him entered his ears. His posture slumped when he saw the short white-haired woman that appeared from it.
Spotting her questioning gaze, Azazel couldn't help but weep.
*Sad Azazel noises*
.
|DxD|
.
Igor was levitating a dozen-or-so metres from Baraquiel. He stood straight while the latter had their wings out and their arms crossed. Both were floating just a few metres above the treetops while the afternoon sun blared down on them.
The skies were clear, but only those with supernaturally enhanced eyesight could see the slight shimmers of the barrier that surrounded the entire forest.
Although Igor appeared confident, there was the slightest bit of nervousness. The uncertainty of the situation was killing him. Here he was, prepared for a fight to the death. Everything had even went as he expected. From being hit with an uppercut that rammed like a truck, he got acquainted with the toe of Baraquiel's boot that had him black out in an instant.
But after he got punched into the trees, things started to change from there. He had risen from the rubble and attacked Baraquiel. But the fallen only blocked his attacks…with a finger.
That had frustrated the blonde to no end. The anger and humiliation he felt caused his attacks to become even sloppier, arousing Baraquiel's own annoyance at the situation. Eventually, the fallen hit Igor with a palm strike to the stomach that pushed him away.
The blonde had wanted to retaliate, but the cadre stopped him with a motion of his hand. This event led to the current moment of them just levitating in the air in silence.
For the past ten-minutes, Igor had been tense while Baraquiel was relaxed with his eyes closed and arms folded.
But as time dragged on, Baraquiel finally decided it was time to speak.
"First rule of combat: keep calm at all times. During this whole time, I was hoping your fists would unclench and your heart rate would decrease. But instead, it has increased."
Silence…
"Oh…"
Igor chuckled while rubbing his head.
"Hehe. Hard to relax when a blink could be your last, old man."
He felt a bit of embarrassment, but it allowed him to finally relax a bit.
"Hmph. And you say you don't need a teacher."
"Hehe…"
Igor chuckled nervously. But Baraquiel continued.
"Listen, brat. I've seen some of your techniques and I assume you know more. I acknowledge that I cannot teach you techniques. But what I can do…
*Cracks knuckles*
"...is teach you how to fight."
"..."
Igor got into a wide stance, his gaze morphing into resolute confidence.
"Alright old man. I'm ready."
"Good. Now, I want you to fight me at your full power. I will wait."
"Mn."
Igor abandoned his stance and stood straight. His hands clenched into fists, his arms slowly rising towards chest level.
A faint pressure started to emanate from him, wisps of blue ki slowly crackling to life.
"NdaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAA!"
GrUUU Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su
Ki surged like blue flames around him. The intensity and density continued to grow every minute second. Baraquiel watched with a fascinated gaze as Igor powered up. He could feel the blonde shatter the energy reserves of high-class entities and was gradually encroaching on the limits of ultimate-class.
Baraquiel felt it was quite impressive for Igor to have this much power.
[If he's like this before his teenage years, I wonder how strong he'll get before he…hmm?]
Igor's power reached its peak. The fiery blue aura around him was swirling around agitatingly.
Su Su Su Su Su Su Su SUAAA!
The pressure of him reaching full power resulted in the extra ki he generated explode outward. Having powered up, a visible blue aura surrounded him.
Closing his eyes, Igor focused for a bit before the aura gradually receded into his body. The level of control he had over his ki had even Baraquiel nod in approval.
Slowly, the blonde opened his eyes, obvious battle lust emanating from them.
"Whuuu…"
Having let out a deep breath, he began removing the bandages around his torso and threw them down the forest below.
Looking at Baraquiel, he didn't even utter a word before he rushed forward in a burst of speed.
Suuuu!
But before he could get far, Baraquiel suddenly appeared in front of him.
"?!"
Guu!
"Pwuargh!"
Striking the blonde with a powerful gut punch, Baraquiel spoke.
"You didn't listen."
Hoisting the blonde up, he threw him down towards the forest floor.
Kra Kra Kra Kra Kra Kra…BOOOOM
Crashing through dozens of trees, Igor hit the ground hard enough to launch up a giant plume of dust, debris, and branches.
But Baraquiel didn't care for any harm the blonde might've gone through.
"I said!"
He only wanted to see one thing at the moment.
"SHOW ME YOUR FULL POWER!"
Silence…
But instead of being disappointed, Baraquiel smiled.
[Yes!]
*TREMBLE* *TREMBLE* *TREMBLE* *TREMBLE* *Tremble* *Tremble* *Tremble *Tremble*
Silence…
"[AURA-BURNING STATE!]"
GRUUUUUUuuuuuuuu Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su
The sudden power-up unleashed a powerful burst of ki that instantly uprooted and toppled every single tree around Igor. Everything from the leaf litter to the loose soil was pushed away by the powerful force, leaving the blonde with a relatively large clearing around him.
Igor slowly flew up, a very intense aura of dark blue ki surrounding him. Only a vague silhouette of his appearance could be seen due to just how dense the ki emanating from him was.
Having levitated to Baraquiel's level, Igor spoke with a slightly strained voice.
"I'm on a time limit old man. So let's make this quick."
Tswii! Swoosh…CLASH!