Alas, many desired the position, but could not fathom the responsibilities. Igor was very clear on what would need to be done today.
No longer could he fight for the sake of enjoyment. Now, he had to fight with his title as heir-apparent on the line.
But no matter what, he would win.
.
AN
.
It was late afternoon in the Heavenly Realm. The air was dyed red with blood. Corpses, be they from elders in their twilight years or children in the springtime of their youth, none were treated with dignity.
Fantasies of war were shattered. War was spoken about with honour and fervour, yet no one realised how much blood, sweat, and tears they'd have to shed to receive such honour.
The Supreme entities in the sky remained indifferent to the suffering of those below. Who amongst them did not leave mountains of corpses in their wake? It was nigh impossible to garner sympathy from them.
Igor was aware of everyone's feelings below. Pain, despair, anger, and anguish…all of it combined to create an amalgamation of taint that would make those with weak minds go insane.
Their pain and suffering was intense, but it couldn't make his mind budge. The negative emotions of a few million people couldn't compare to the world's anger he had to bear when he first transformed.
Indra's side was losing. He could feel their morality continue to drop under the overwhelming numbers from Shiva's army. By his guess, Indra would have to order a retreat in less than an hour.
Mountains of bodies continued to pile up into mounds. Pristine uniforms were soaked in urine, blood, and fecal matter. Corpses became the new ground to walk on. Tripping on a body was not an uncommon occurrence, but it was deadly nonetheless.
.
|DxD|
.
The time had come.
"RETREAT!!!"
Indra's army was forced to retreat after a Shiva's army secured a moderate victory. Soldiers had to retreat under heavy fire from all kinds of energy blasts and weapons with pointy edges.
The Asura with their multiple arms chased down the remnants of Indra's army. Backs were struck with warhammers and battleaxes or pierced with swords and spears.
Retreat was always a shameful affair for it left your back open for the enemy to strike. It was universally acknowledged amongst warriors that wounds to the back were a mark of shame.
Generals and other warriors did their best to rally the troops and tactfully retreat without suffering further casualties, but plans never truly went well when those with weak minds went into hysteria. For them, their lives were more important than ensuring everyone would make it back.
While the soldiers scattered like ants, Igor met eyes with Atid. He was bare-chested with a budding swarm of chest hair growing on him. The Boosted Gear was already activated on his left arm and every few intervals, the green gem would grow ominously.
The latter's breaths seemed to be heavy with anticipation like a predator's…a beast's.
"..."
Igor could smell it, the scent of a dragon was stronger on Atid than usual. If he could notice that, then Indra and Sun Wukong definitely could. If they didn't act, then it meant everything was fine with his friend…for now. He just couldn't shake that odd feeling.
Through some means, Atid had finally elevated his base strength from High to Peak-God Class. The reason Igor suspected other 'means' was due to how Atid's energy seemed to be in a state of constant flux.
[Whatever method he's using might be causing him to act more different than usual.]
No longer did Igor hold a smirk like previous battles. This time, he was stone-cold serious. Whether Atid used external means to forcefully increase his power or not, their upcoming battle would reveal everything.
Today's fight would be serious without measure. The title of heir was a burden and he couldn't afford to pull his punches. To avoid staining Shiva's name, he'd go all out from the very start.
.
|DxD|
.
The battlefield cleared and all the Supreme Entities were standing on the ground. They all stood in orderly fashions with the heirs and deputy commanders standing at the forefront. Today, it wouldn't just be him and Atid fighting, but several other powerful existences.
Perhaps it was fortunate or unfortunate, but Shiva, Indra, Mahabali, and Sun Wukong wouldn't be joining the fight along with the elders maintaining the resurrection circles.
The combined numbers of these two armies numbered around a few thousand, maybe three-thousand at best. In such a large battlefield, their numbers appeared poultry, but their combined momentum was…astounding.
FUUUUUUUSH!!!
Overwhelming killing intent and crushing pressure filled the region. Warriors in golden armour held their spears in preparation for battle.
Several crushing auras, all ranging from low to High Supreme Class could be felt. These old veterans who've experienced thousands of wars couldn't be compared to the scrubs below God Class.
Igor and Atid were the only young 'uns amongst the old veterans, but their power couldn't be underestimated.
"[HYPERDRIVE!]"
GRUUUU!
An explosion of power burst around Atid, immediately kicking up rocks as his power rose to High-Supreme Class in one go.
Chi! Chi! Chi! Chi! Chi! Chi! Chi! Chi! Chi!
A dense armour of golden lightning covered his form. Golden stripes spread across his body and his emerald eyes bled away to reveal a golden gaze. His power was immense and directly suppressed the aura of the other veterans.
Two massive wings protruded from his back. Just one of them was easily twice the size of his body. In a war like this, wings were notorious targets, but the scales covering them appeared to be very hard.
His torso took on a slightly scaly appearance. If one focused, it could be seen how scales seemed to have formed beneath his skin. The Boosted Gear Gauntlet on his left arm had extended all the way to his left chest, protecting his heart with dense red scales.
Chi! Chi! Chi! Chi! Chi! Chi!
The crinkle of lightning arm continuously sparked around him like an aura cloak. Atid was ready for this fight. If Igor could attack him through his armour of lightning, then his scales would act as an extra measure.
"LORD SHIVA!"
Su!
Atid propelled himself to the skies with his massive wings and dropped right in the middle of No Man's Land.
Boom!
He was between the two armies, completely vulnerable to any attack.
"I AS THE SON AND HEIR OF LORD INDRA, AM NOT CONVINCED BY YOUR HEIR! SO I HEREBY CHALLENGE THEM TO BATTLE!"
His voice boomed throughout the battlefield, surprising not only the Supreme Entities, but also those of the God Class and below who survived the war.
Atid's words weren't as simple as they appeared on the surface. What his words did effectively stalled the battlefield.
Atid's words were an affront to Shiva's dignity. It was tantamount to questioning his ability, his eye in choosing an heir. Naturally, there was only one way to do resolve this.
But if Igor accepted this challenge, no one would be able to interfere. Both armies would have to watch the two heirs fight.
This scenario wasn't all that difference from last month, but there wasn't an agreement between Lord Shiva and Lord Indra. This was purely Atid's own choice. He, a single boy stepped out and chose to disrespect not only the God of Destruction, but his heir too.
If Atid displayed a pathetic showing, then he not only could lose his prestige, but his position as heir. Provoking a god's heir unnecessarily and losing after that reeked of incompetence.
Atid was aware of this, but he was willing to take the risk.
"IGOR!"
"I accept."
A cool voice rang and soon, Igor walked into the forbidden territory. A gentle sheen of golden nature energy covered his form like a cloak. He oozed a sense of refined elegance and nobility, the type an heir of his calibre should naturally have.
It was so quiet on the battlefield even the sound of his sandals walking over the gravel could be heard clearly. His cloak gently billowed in a wind of his own making. It was dark blue and patterned with black splotches that faintly looked like clouds.
Written behind in bold was " पुत्र " which was Sanskrit for "son", a prestigious title awarded to heirs who would inherit the position of the god before them. This position far surpassed that of a mere prince. It would be more accurate to consider heirs as Holy Children, for they would become gods in the future.
Ta ..Ta ..Ta ..Ta ..Ta ..Ta
Igor's steps were neither fast nor slow. He oozed the power of Peak God Class, a far cry from Atid's impressive display. But he showed no fear, for he also had the same power.
Suuuuuuuuu…
It was gentle, but the astonished gazes of many could not be hidden. While walking towards Atid, Igor's power was rising at considerable margins.
Low-Supreme Class!
Mid-Supreme Class!
Peak Mid-Supreme Class!
In front of everyone, his hair started growing longer like porcupine quills. It clumped together and stretched towards his back in an arc.
The diamond tattoo on his forehead slowly spread until it was just above his eyebrows. It looked like a tribal insignia.
All this time, Igor never stopped working. Earth-shattering changes occurred within him seamlessly like a waterfall. The golden aura around him turned lighter in shade, making it appear more yellow than gold.
His aura gradually changed from gentle steam to liquid flame. The transition was quiet. His power climbed to the level of High-Supreme Class without a single splash.
Ta ..Ta ..Ta ..Ta ..Ta ..Ta
With a power-level far surpassing Atid, Igor stopped in front of him. His gaze gold like lava met Atid's head on. There was not an ounce of fear within them.
"I will fight you."
FUUUUUUUSH!