"I cannot take you as my woman. It isn't because of Aurelia nor is it because I still see you as your past self. It's because I do not want to be responsible for breaking a family. Akeno has her father. I do not wish to replace him. I respect the old man. I do not want to humiliate him nor bring shame upon his name."
Igor was solemn, but he wouldn't stop.
"I do not expect you to get back together with the old man, but please do not expect me to give you what you wish for. I can't do it."
.
|DxD|
.
A mess---everything was a mess, and it just had to happen right before he left for his training. It was a massive blunder he had no clue how to solve. He was used to killing things, not…talking about feelings all day like a goddamn sissy.
Igor had just dropped Shuri home via Instant Transmission. There was no need to stay with her nor did he want to for he needed to sort out his thoughts.
The fact that Shuri actually loved him was…it was incomprehensible. He could be given a hundred years and the thought would never cross his mind.
He didn't consider himself the modern ideal husband he sees on television these days. He wasn't one for dates, couldn't be bothered with poetry, and sure as hell didn't know nor wish to learn how to sing.
For years, he thought Shuri preferred those types of men. But in hindsight, Baraquiel was not like those sissies either.
Sigh…
His mind was a mess and he needed some time to untangle it. It was a lovely afternoon and hordes of students left school for the day. Igor was on his way to the park and couldn't be bothered with the people looking at him oddly.
His robe and absence of undershirt made him look like a wandering samurai without a sword. His visible abdomen drew many gazes, some admiring, some amazed, and some hostile from the students, and the latter dared not act on their feelings.
Maybe it was because of his towering physique or intimidating gaze, but he was given a wide berth wherever he walked on the sidewalk.
'Woah! Who's that guy?'
'I don't know. I haven't seen him in school.'
'He's cute though. You think I have a chance at getting his number?'
'But what school is he from?'
'He's probably some rich heir. He doesn't need school.'
'Aren't all the rich kids in Kuoh Academy?'
'Beats me. But I did hear from my mom he beat a kid once in the park.'
'Really?'
Igor heard their hushed voices and didn't care for them. He was fairly well-known in Kuoh, especially for his eye-catching blonde hair and unique dressing style.
[I'll have to leave for Kyoto by next week Wednesday so on Thursday I can leave for Mount Kailasa.]
He could put Shuri's matter aside for now. What he needed to do was calm a potentially angry goddess or die trying. There's no doubt Amaterasu would take what he did as provocation. At the very least, he needed to direct her ire towards him solely.
[Maybe it's best if I leave tomorrow. That way, I won't…hehehehe…]
He chuckled to himself in disbelief and amusement.
"I, the last scion of Dimori am thinking of avoiding my problems. Hehehehe. What a disgrace."
On weekends, everyone would be home. No work, no training, no nothing. For him to actually consider using the weekend to avoid Shuri…it was nothing short of pathetic.
"I'm a man. I shouldn't be afraid of a skirt like a pansy."
"Well said, Igor-kun~."
"..."
Just because he was talking to himself didn't mean he was unaware of his surroundings. His quiet murmurs wouldn't be audible to any of the students walking around him and he'd definitely know if someone had their sights on him…except gods.
"Amaterasu."
He turned to face the pretty teenager in school uniform standing behind him. Her black hair trailed down her shoulders all the way to her chest where her bountiful assets stretched her white shirt.
A coy smile was on her face, far from the anger and rage he expected.
"Oh? No '-sama'?"
"..."
Truthfully, Igor respected Amaterasu and owed her for resurrecting Shuri. But…what was her fragment doing in Shuri's soul?
"Get to the point, Sun Goddess."
Irregardless, he wasn't afraid of her. If push comes to shove, he'd use all his energy to send her to the Dimensional Gap. Perhaps Ophis and Great Red would team up with him to kill her.
"Fufufu~. Don't get angry, Igor-kun. I can feel your killing intent from here. If you want, I can tell you how to kill me~. But…"
She stepped closer and placed her hands on his shoulders.
"...only if you show me what was so good about you that Shuri-chan could be so obsessed with you."
"..."
Her intentions were clear. She was seducing him.
Fuuuush!
At this very moment, Igor cared not for the dozens of students on this street. He cared not for the parents, children, or anything. He only cared…that this woman was threatening his pride.
"No."
A dark killing intent spread from Igor. Everyone on the street suddenly grasped their necks and fell to the ground collapsing. Most had already passed out cold and would die in less than a minute from lack of oxygen. The pressure he released was so heavy no one could breathe, nevermind scream for help.
His eyes were blood red, his crimson gaze piercing the smiling figure before him.
"Oh my~."
Amaterasu reeled her hands back when the black mist emanating from him actually corroded her skin. It was only a graze but…she was injured by a mortal.
"You're very interesting, Igor-kun. I can see why Shiva-tan made you his heir instead of his other sons."
"..."
Igor was in no mood to reply. He was truly considering going full power and fighting this woman to the death. He was confident he could atleast take her arm and use it as his tombstone.
"Relax, Igor-kun. I'm not here to fight you, especially not in a populated area like this. Some of my worshippers are here, you know?"
"..."
She still had that smile of hers, but he'd admit fighting here would not benefit either of them.
"Fine."
Shuuuu!
He retracted his killing intent and activated his Origin State. At any given moment, he was ready to burn his lifespan and go Kaioken x100. This wasn't Parvati who would only knock him out. Amaterasu was a genuine threat.
"So cautious, aren't you~. Would you believe me if I said I only want to talk?"
"..."
He was inclined to believe her. He could feel time has stopped, or atleast flowed so slowly anyone below Supreme Class wouldn't be able to sense it. He guessed Aurelia would be able to react to this change, though her strength would make it impossible for her to move.
"Shuri's soul. Your fragment was in there."
His simple sentence hid a question.
"You want to know why I put it there? Well…"
She curiously placed her finger on him once more, only for that same black aura to suddenly flash and corrode her skin once.
[Very, very interesting.]
She couldn't exactly sense what was causing it, but she felt another existence merged alongside Igor's soul.
"Fufufu~."
A golden glow covered her finger before it healed like nothing ever happened.
"Well, how do I put it? It was a one-time insurance policy for Shuri-chan, a counter-measure should anyone wish to harm her. You see, she's very important to me."
"How so?"
"In getting you, Igor-kun."
She pushed her finger against his chest, and that same black aura erupted on the spot and tried to corrode her whole hand. Neither reacted to the sight of corroding flesh. Both locked eyes with each other, one with subtle amusement, and the other in budding rage.
"Before you get angry…"
She removed her hand once more, but didn't heal it. Instead, her jovial expression slowly became stern and serious.
"...you should know your worth, Igor-kun. You're what is known as…a pivot point. The Christians, Hindu, and the Shinto are linked to you in one way or another. In the future, should you live long enough to see it, I suspect there'll come a point where there could be peace between all pantheons like the times of old. You, Igor-kun, are that pivotal point, the very key needed for those coming times."
The serious expression on her face faded for a more casual one.
"Be it the Christians or the Hindu, you have a very strong link with them. It's unfair how we Shinto don't. So what better way than for you to have a child with Shinto origin? I could even bless them, fufufu~."
"..."
.
AN
.
I don't know how to process Igor's behavior with Amaterasu. He's roughly acting the same way he did with Indra four years ago when they first met. I get he has pride, but he has to simmer down a bit, you know?
It's actually a bit unfair to Amaterasu since she revived Shuri, only for him to regard her with hostility and wariness. I can't know whether she had more ulterior motives, but my main point is, Igor should calm down a bit. That's still a Supreme Goddess.