"...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~."
"..."
.
|DxD|
.
A few moments earlier…
.
Aurelia was in the park with Akeno and Asia. The two kids played around with Irina, Issei, and a few other random children. Her? She was content sitting on the bench and enjoying the innocence of youth.
Perhaps she was old now, atleast in human terms. She was already in her sixties this year, sixty-three to be accurate. Most human women her age would already have grandchildren or even great-grandchildren.
Yet here she was, being hit on by men forty years her junior.
"Hey, pretty lady. You must be new to this place. Whaddya say I show you around a bit, yeah?"
"..."
Aurelia looked at this arrogant youth. His thick accent and pale skin made him of European origins, perhaps further west with that dreadful punk hairstyle. He was probably some daddy's boy and a rockstar wannabe. Did he truly believe a decent woman would choose him? Perhaps whores might.
"Leave me be, young man. This one is spoken for."
"Heh~."
The boy sneered and swaggered right in front of Aurelia. His hands were in his pockets and he pulled his pants back so he could emphasize his…thing..
"Really? Are you sure you don't want some of my…superior genes, honey?"
"..."
He was…really terrible at this. Either that or woman have been throwing themselves at him his whole life. The level of ego this boy has was truly unprecedented.
"Superior genes? Tell me, young man."
She gave him a once-over with her senses. His body was riddled with drugs. There were already signs of cancer development from excessive smoking. His arms were so skinny even her small hands could wrap around them, not to mention Igor's.
"You speak of superior genes. Where might they be from? Because from my perspective, you may very well not live past thirty-six. By age twenty-nine, you will be unable to walk. And that is all assuming my husband doesn't end your existence for daring to court me."
"..."
The boy was silenced by her casual comments. This woman only looked at him once, mesmerising him with her deep blue eyes before closing them once more. Since then, not once has she looked at him, but instead predicted his death and even threatened him.
"Lady. I may call you pretty, but don't disrespect me like this. Do you know who my father is!?"
"Your father could be a god and he wouldn't dare provoke my husband for you…"
She opened her eyes.
"...not to mention me."
Aurelia subtly circulated her mana, an action that caused a steadily building pressure to build up. She wanted to scare him off because unlike Igor, she was far less prone to killing on a whim.
But, whether this boy grew up spoilt or his shrivelled kidneys finally tightened and straightened his spine, he didn't retreat in the face of instinctual danger.
"Lady! You threatened me and I'll remember your face. I'll make you pay for thi--?!"
Suddenly, he felt a firm hand grasp him on his shoulder and a gentle masculine voice penetrate his ear.
"Really now? Young calves truly know no fear."
The boy quickly turned to see a young man in his early thirties. His purple outfit was weird, reminiscent of Italian men from the Renaissance period.
"W-Who are--"
"Shush. Go to your father and tell him you provoked Lady Aurelia. He will tell you what to do then. Don't forget the name now."
"Ah…yes."
The youth dazedly replied before walking away under Shemhazai's spell. He didn't glance at Aurelia and walked as if he was under control.
"Well, that should settle it. Thank you for not killing him, Aurelia-san."
He took a seat on the bench next to Aurelia, being careful to keep a respectable distance.
"He's only a child, Shemhazai-san. Let him spend his last decade in peace."
Aurelia maintained a dignified appearance from beginning to her end. Her long white dress was without blemish or creases. Her beautiful snow-white hair was neat and naturally let down. Her hands were clasped on her lap and her eyes remained closed, rarely opening for observers to see.
"Regardless, his father is an important informant of ours in Serbia. If his son was killed, it might affect his efficiency."
'Might', he said. Such statements were not uncommon in the supernatural world. In front of long-lived races, humans with their meagre lifespans were like pets…on a good day.*
"Nonetheless, I won't waste your time, Aurelia-san. The monthly report has not been finalised, but trends suggest queries regarding Akeno and Asia will not lower anytime soon, especially for Dimori-san. Requests on his information continue to rise, especially queries of his weaknesses."
"Understood, Shemhazai-san. Please spread the word my lord has attained power equivalent to the Heavenly Dragons in their prime."
"..."
Shemhazai wondered if this was true, but he then remembered Igor's last outburst of power. Rumours suggested it was uncontrolled, but after this much time and with his time chamber, Igor must've learnt to control it.
"Very well. This will not be included in any official records and shall be left to disseminate as a rumour. Any requirements for the rumour's origin?
"I shall leave it in your capable hands, Shemhazai-san. As payment, I shall visit Grigori and offer my services to Azazel-san, discreetly of course."
Shemhazai smiled.
"Thank you, Aurelia-san. Now, in regards to…that thing?"
"Unfortunately that shall have to be postponed until my lord's return. Optimally, he should return by 2003, but the latest is 2005 should everything go well."
"I see. If I may be so bold, what is the reason for his departure?"
Aurelia opened her eyes and regarded Shemhazai with a light smile.
"My lord is Shiva-sama's heir. It is only natural he receives training from the God of Destruction, yes?"
Another bomb of information. He already knew it, but such information wasn't largely known in the supernatural world. At most, it could be regarded as a rumour. For Aurelia to say this with such confidence…
"Hmmm. Do you wish for me to add this information into our archives?"
Aurelia didn't reply, but her smile said it all. There was no point in hiding Igor's departure. By the second year, the supernatural world would know he was gone according to her estimations.
Rather than have the world thinking he died or had an accident, it was better it be known he was being tutored by Lord Shiva himself. The might of his name and the Hindu Pantheon should keep the majority of unsavoury parties in check.
"Please don't be too detailed, Shemhazai-san. Only letting it be known my lord has departed will be more than enough. This should buy us perhaps a decade of peace, more than enough time for Akeno and Asia to grow into strong young women."
"Indeed…"
They watched the kids innocently play, ignorant of the tumultuous dangers on the verge of befalling them. The innocence of youth truly was worthy of jealousy. The ability to be carefree…perhaps that's also another reason Igor hated thinking.
[I envy them--?!?!]
Aurelia felt time suddenly grind to a stop around her. To be accurate, she felt Amaterasu's divine energy force every single thing's perception, metabolism, particle movement---everything was slowed down on a sub-atomic level.
Even her body was slowed down, but Amaterasu's energy couldn't penetrate through to her soul. She was essentially frozen to her seat, fully aware of outside happenings.
Fuuush!
[Oh no…]
It was then did she finally sense it---Igor's killing intent. She tried to mobilise her energy, but it was completely out of her grasp. It was like she was a toddler trying to reach the top cupboard. Without preparation, such an action was impossible.
Shemhazai was completely frozen without any chance of resistance, along with the children too.
[What is happening? Why did Amaterasu-sama come to Kuoh?]
She was more confused than worried. She was working with no information, but she could deduce the root of all of this was most likely Shuri. Unfortunately she couldn't stretch her senses outward. Everything in her perception was like a stilled image, a paused video.
[Please, Igor. Don't do anything untoward.]
She loved the man to death but sometimes, his stubborn head made it hard to predict his reaction to any shows of power and dominance over him.
But just as quickly as the time-stop came, it vanished, along with a very familiar sound.
Tswii!
"We need to talk. Now."
.
AN
.
[1.] 'Might', he said. Such statements were not uncommon in the supernatural world. In front of long-lived races, humans with their meagre lifespans were like pets…on a good day.*
Explanation: I just want to offer my take on this. Yes, it's offensive. Yes, it's uncomfortable, but it's also a simple fact. If your lifespan is in the thousands of years, you will see humans constantly die. Humans are sentient. We can agree on that. But after some point, maybe after the first few-hundred years, you will begin to disregard human life.
So many friends have died, their sons have died, and their descendants have died. You've seen legacies formed and destroyed, observed the changing of kingdoms and dynasties, and in your long-lived life, you will inevitably regard humans as sub-species.
This is not me being racist, supremacist, or whatever '-cist'. I'm only being realistic. A nap for you is twenty years for them. If you go into a deep sleep, centuries pass. Your old friend has turned to dust and his lineage was cut off because his great-grandson decided to be gay---joking.
Nonetheless, once a couple-thousand years pass, humans really won't be any different from talking ants. Once again, I'm also human, but I'm also realistic. It is what it is. To me, Runeas Gremory, the progenitor of the Gremory Clan for example might be a normal gal, but to her, I'm some guy who'll be dead the moment she accidentally dozes off.