"You did well to defend yourself and Asia. Do not regret that."
"..."
*Hug~*
Akeno hid her head in his chest and nodded against it
"M-mn…"
"And you too, Sia. You supported Akeno at a crucial moment. Your attack destroyed their attempts."
He walked over to her and ruffled her hair.
"Good work, little sister."
.
|DxD|
.
Time passed slowly. On the coasts of Japan, Igor did not perform another training session nor go hunting. Instead, he began pointing out the flaws of the battle his two sisters just had.
To do such an action shortly after Akeno had her first kill would seem like a horrible thing to do, but he knew what he was doing. In events like this, the more he treated this matter as a simple methodical operation, the more he'd nurture their disregard for life.
If he was honest with himself, what he was doing could potentially backfire and worsen Akeno's guilt and apprehension, but he needed to drill it into their heads that this was how the supernatural world functioned---lives were only numbers on a statistics sheet.
Those six people will be labelled as losses…simple tallies with their worth given a finite number. In the mortal world, they could receive a burial and a condescending "heartfelt" message on a newspaper, if they're worthy of a page in the first place.
In the supernatural world? Nevermind a complete corpse, you'll be lucky if your soul is not degraded to an ingredient. It was the simple reality of things. Nothing could be changed.
The world was harsh and even harsher on the oblivious and innocent. His two little sisters were budding sapplings beneath his shade. Sooner or later, they will need to be moved into the Sun. It was his role as the big brother to prepare them for the storms and hurricanes that came with.
Preparing them for rampant attempts at their lives and freedom, for the many tumultuous events they will face in the centuries to come would require not only strength, but resolve, guts, and more guts.
Today was just one of the steps he's prepared for their rite of passage. The world will not allow them to age so he needed to get their heads in gear.
"I want the both of you to listen to me. What I will say next is important."
The two girls sat in front of him with their legs crossed. They were so focused they cared not for the decaying leaves that fell on their heads nor the sting of salt from the ocean entering their eyes.
Their onesies were covered in burn spots and discoloured splotches, but they didn't have any lingering injuries.
"Akeno. Asia. Both of you did well handling that situation, but you could've done it better. Akeno. You hesitated in trusting your instincts. Your senses were warning you, yet you almost made the costly mistake of dismissing them. Next time, don't do such a thing. Instincts exist for a reason."
His sharp gaze then turned towards the little blonde.
"Asia. You are too lax on your guard. Akeno suggested you fly back, but you insisted on running the whole way, giving the enemy ample time to prepare an ambush. The supernatural world is a dangerous place for the weak, especially for you two. You are my younger sisters. Many want to kidnap you so they can control me."
""...""
His words they casually dismissed hit harder at this moment. He was only gone for a while, but there were people already prepared to take them.
"You've been living a carefree life in Kuoh so you never understood how dangerous it is outside. I won't always be there to protect you, nor will Aurelia or Shuri. Some day in the future, you will be completely alone. Once that moment arrives, you need to have the strength to deal with that yourselves or atleast hold on until someone rescues you."
His departure next month would not go unnoticed for long. In less than a year, someone would eventually realise he's gone. By the second year, schemes and attacks would begin. Once that happens, Aurelia and Shuri would be hard-pressed to keep the two kids safe. He could only hope they were never sent out of Kuoh for once he comes back, he'd kill all those who revealed themselves.
"Moving on, I'll continue with you, Akeno. You hesitated, but you eventually listened to your instincts. You did a great job in releasing that strike. You managed to make one of the two unconscious. I dealt with that one."
It was a lie. He couldn't say she killed all four of them on the spot. Some time in the future, he'd tell her her first kill was actually her fifth.
"What is problematic was your lapse in guard after releasing the attack. You must remember to thank Asia for saving you. Otherwise, there is nothing more to complain about. Your decisiveness in ending your enemy was the best choice in this scenario. His suit augmented his speed so should you have been light-handed and spared him, he would've become a problem.
Next, he faced Asia once more.
"Asia. Your initial guard is lacking, but your situational awareness is worthy of praise. When combat began, you quickly spread your senses, identified the enemy, and decisively struck him down. What is problematic is when you become focused on the enemy, you lose track of your surroundings. That is why you nearly boiled yourself to death just to follow up on your attack. You further made the mistake of letting your guard down after Akeno dealt with the enemy. I understand you were concerned for her, but your sense of danger mustn't come with an off switch."
He gave them appropriate praise and admonishment. The words he said right now was the same as striking the iron while its hot.
"Nonetheless, both of you did extremely well for your first real fight. Placed in a similar situation, many would've failed."
He walked towards them and crouched down. The moment he did so however, two separate magic circles appeared---one red and the other golden.
Vwong! Vwong!
Still, Igor didn't stop his movements. He stretched out his hands and pat them on the head.
"I'm proud of you two."
He gave them one last pat on the head before he stood up to face Aurelia and Shuri. Immediately, he could see their eyes were focused on the children, a horrible realisation spawning on their faces.
"Akeno!"
Shuri rushed to her child and instantly wrapped her in a tight hug.
"Mama's here. It'll be okay…"
She didn't know the situation. All she knew was her daughter had lost her innocence. She had taken…a life.
Applaud had to be given where deserved. Under the warm embrace of her mother, Akeno remained strong. Shuri's care was like a battering ram slamming against the walls of her composure.
She remembered her brother's words over and over again.
'The supernatural world is not for the weak. It does not have mercy and is not understanding. Only the strong are allowed to move untethered.'
She knows the threat of death. That night when the Himejima came, that night when she had to leave her mother behind was her first glaring experience in just how vile the world could be.
Igor took the time to train her. She couldn't disappoint him by showing weakness, not after all the effort he's put into her--
{It's okay, little chick. You don't have to be strong when I'm around. I'll hold up the wall for you.}
"..."
*Trickle*…*Trickle*…
His simple words were the last straw. Steady streams of tears stained her mother's dress. Her body quivered as she held her sobs in. But when she felt Asia's hand on her back…
"I'm here for you, sis."
…and her soothing voice, she truly couldn't hold it in anymore.
.
|DxD|
.
Killing intent is the resentment of all those who died unfairly, unjustly, or were unwilling to leave this world. Their resentment sticks to their murderer like a pungent stench. From animals to sentient beings, everything that dies will release its resentment upon its killer.
When Akeno killed that devil, his resentment clung onto her like the stench of a skunk. For Igor who'd killed hundreds of thousands, adding one person to his body count was nothing. For Akeno, that first body would change everything for her. The only condolence she had was it was in self-defence.
It took a while for Igor to explain the situation to Shuri, even going so far as to reveal Akeno had killed five, but only witnessed one die by her attack.
Aurelia had tactfully led the two children to the village to trade for some refreshments while Igor would bring Shuri up to date.
In truth, he debated letting those two lances pierce the devil, but he ultimately decided to let nature take its course.
"Dimori-kun. Did you…did you force her?"
"No. I also didn't expect her to kill him. I assumed they'd try and capture him, but Akeno's decisiveness surprised me."
Igor casually leaned against the tree while Shuri stood a few ways off, her hands clutching her dress tightly. She was a nervous wreck. Taking a life would change someone's eyes…dull them. She never wanted her daughter to lose that innocent light in her eyes.
"Dimori-kun. Why did you let her do it? You could've stopped it."
"..."
Igor quietly looked at Shuri. His eyes stated the obvious---what she was saying was redundant.
"Shuri. You should know our world by now. I love the little chick, but I understand the dangers of our world. I would never force Akeno to kill, but I also wouldn't stop her. The sooner she learns, the better."
"But…"
"In this world, you can either be mediocre, or rise to the top. There is no in-between. You can blend in with the grass or grow to become a tree so large nothing can chop it down. You should understand that. Akeno and Asia need to grow up quickly. We cannot afford to coddle them like we've been doing, Shuri. If one day…"
Sigh…
Igor looked up at the skies hidden behind the leaves. His gaze turned slightly melancholic in thought.
"If one day, something happens to me, I want them to be able to carry on. I don't want them to be pawns or slaves. I don't want them to be prize targets for peerages or victory trophies sold at auctions. I want them to become strong people who can hold themselves with their backs straight."
Life could never be guaranteed. For all the strength he had, he could die tomorrow or in a few years. He didn't fear death, but feared the consequences from his death.
"..."
Silently, Shuri closed the distance between them and took his hand.
"You won't die…"
"Oh?"
A slightly amused smile formed on Igor's face. Her seriousness confused, yet intrigued him.
"What makes you so sure I won't just di--"
"You won't!"
When Shuri raised her head with a fierce shout, her eyes were prickled with a trace of tears. Her grip on his hand was strong and she absolutely hated how casually he treated this matter.
"You won't die. You can't!"
"..."
Once more, Igor smiled. This time however, it was gentle. He could feel her concern through her tightened grip. Her sincerity was enough to move his heart.
"Thank you, Shuri. I'll do my best…for all of us."
.
AN
.
That was the perfect moment to kiss. Just saying. If the situation was willing, this would've been the perfect moment.