“Haaa…what to do…”
The time chamber itself was out of question. According to her memories, only pure-blooded Aryans are able to enter it. The only place she could realistically use was Earth. But the likelihood of being discovered was far too much for her to risk it.
Unlike other races, they didn’t have another dimension-
“That’s right! A dimension where rarely anyone enters!”
She was excited, because there was a dimension where no one would dare to enter.
“The Dimensional Gap…”
.
|DxD|
.
While Aurelia was busy uncovering their history in the library, Igor was training far inside the depths of the time chamber. With a week having passed and his body currently at its peak, the blonde decided it was time he tried to tap into that state he was in during the Himejima massacre.
The region of the time chamber he was in was particularly perilous. With the weather changing every few minutes and the gravity reaching as high as 30x, he was not particularly affected in the slightest. With his physique, he could withstand over ten-times the gravity he was in and the weather did nothing, if very little to ‘suade his focus.
With his eyes closed and his fists clenched, he focused on his ki and started channeling it to the strand of divine ki located in his core region. With the same process he had repeated for years now, he flooded the strand with his ki.
“Kaioken!”
GRUUU Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su
A magnificent red aura covered his form like a howling blaze. His aura lashed out like vicious snakes that sought to bite down anything in their range. The shroud of demi-ki flowed about violently without restraint for a while before it gradually calmed down under his control. Shooting up to fifty in one go was slightly straining, but he had become used to it over time.
Steadying his aura, he tried to focus as much as he could and replicate the same sensation he felt when he powered up.
“...”
He searched within himself for that spark that could allow him to shoot to x100 in one go.
Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su
“...come on…”
The veins on his forearm bulged due to his trying, but failing efforts. He searched deep into his body, even travelling so far as to analyse his strand of divine ki. Nothing was abnormal aside from its slight growth in thickness, which proved that the state he entered last time wasn’t impossible and that, it wasn’t simply a once-off.
[Damnit, Igor!]
But it was a failure. He could already feel that at his current rate, just stretching beyond the 60th multiplier would be impossible. His stamina was depleting and there was nothing different from when he usually entered the Kaioken.
“What am I missing…?”
Knowing that maintaining his current state would be a waste of time, he powered down.
Su Su Su Su Su Su Su su su su…su…su…*vanish*
His hair fell down like a mop and he didn’t bother tying it back into a ponytail. After stretching out his body to relax his muscles, held his chin in contemplation.
“Come on, Igor. What is it that you’re missing?”
He was tempted to go pedal to the medal and simply ascend as far as he could with the Kaioken. But after a few too many close calls over the years, he could admit he was a little…‘afraid’.
There were a few case scenarios like that little fiasco years ago when he first learned the Kaioken, the time when he tried stretching beyond times-thirty with Sun Wukong, and when he overused times-fifty for the first time in the war against Shiva. He did not need a fourth lesson. The ball-crushing pain was something he could do without.
Without knowledge of exactly what was the state he entered, he was lost for thought as it clearly wasn’t just a simple Kaioken multiplier. But knowing he was completely lost without a path forward, he realised he only had one choice left.
“Haaa…here goes.”
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Silently closing his eyes, he dug into his memories and began rewatching the very scenario that caused him to tap into this state. It was something he did not want to do because the memories hurt too much to revisit, but he had to do it.
[I’m not a pansy. Besides, aunty is alive so just treat as a…ah fuck it. Just do it!]
Letting himself delve into the memory, the scene changed into the forest of Kuoh. It was still in the early hours of morning with the moon clearly visible in the skies. It was a picturesque scene of serenity, one that was further enhanced by the gentle winds.
But, even in his memories, Igor could not forget the stench of blood and the feeling of death that permeated the air. There was blood scattered all over the leaf litter and he could feel a rather nasty patch beneath his sandals. But that wasn’t what had his focus. Right in front of him, there was Shuri and…himself.
Igor was about to walk forward when he felt himself kicking the very thing responsible for the blood beneath his feet.
“...”
Looking down, he saw the dead corpse of Masaru Himejima. Just seeing the man made him snarl subconsciously.
But he was immediately brought out of his rage when he suddenly heard his past self screaming.
“AUNTY!!!!”
“...”
He knew the truth. He knew that Shuri was still alive. He’d seen her in the flesh and even held her in his arms to prove it.
But…
“Ke…ki…”
He couldn’t help but grind his teeth in anger. His hatred for the clan was seared into his heart. He watched his past self grieve and felt the anguish he felt. He watched as his past self frantically shook Shuri’s corpse despite knowing the truth.
Unknowingly, tears flowed down his cheeks, his fists clenched in anger. He could see it, how his former self was teetering on the border of insanity. His eyes were bloodshot and despite his senses telling him Shuri was dead, his mind couldn’t believe it.
[It’s just a memory, Igor. It’s just a memory.]
Despite telling himself that, he couldn’t prevent the anger that was welling up in his heart.
[Damnit, Igor! It’s just a memory-]
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
He was cut off by the pain-filled cry of his past self. It was a cry of anguish, a cry of pain, a cry of…acceptance. It was his past self’s last cry for after that followed a deaf silence. His hands tightly clenched onto Shuri’s clothes like a sacred artifact.
The forest was quiet except for Igor who slowly walked over to his past self and Shuri’s corpse. Standing over them, he begrudgingly took in the sight of the deceased Shuri. His past self could sense that Shuri was dead, but his mind couldn’t process it. Igor himself KNEW that Shuri wasn’t dead, but it was his body, his heart that couldn’t process it.
He had to repeatedly remind himself that what he was seeing was in the past. But the bulging veins in his arms and his clenched fists proved otherwise.
[It’s just a memory.]
Her nightdress was torn apart, her form covered in blood. Her abdomen was visibly crushed with one of her ribs even threatening to pierce through her skin.
[It’s just a memory.]
Her once beautiful hair was covered in dirt and twigs, her mouth leaking blood from all the internal injuries she suffered.
[It’s just a memory.]
Her limbs were sprawled out in awkward positions from having been broken, her once healthy white skin now deathly pale.
[It’s just…it’s just a memory.]
Repeatedly, he told himself the same thing many times over. That it was all just a memory. But whether it was because he was influenced by his past self’s emotions or whether the pain was just that strong, he found himself desperately wishing to kill off the Himejima again, and again, and again.
*Tremble* *Tremble* *Tremble* *Tremble* *Tremble*
The ground began shaking violently as his past self slowly stood up. His face was absolutely dark, his power skyrocketing. The immense killing intent coming from him caused waves upon waves of pressure to descend on the vicinity.
But Igor wasn’t paying attention to his past self. He was battling to restrain his own anger that was rising up. His gaze remained trained on Shuri, his eyes oozing murderous intent. His neck muscles and forehead were bulging from the overwhelming fury he was feeling in that moment.
[It’s a memory. It’s a memory…]
He repeatedly tried to remind himself that everything was in the past, that not too long ago, he even had dinner with her. His mind knew. His soul knew. But his heart wouldn’t listen, and his body followed suit.
Slowly, his words changed from, ‘It’s just a memory’ to…
“I’ll kill them all.”
And it seemed, his past self…thought the same thing.
“HIIIMEEEJIIIMAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
“RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!”
.
|DxD|
.
“RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!”
GRUUUUUUUUU!
Back in the time chamber, Igor’s fierce yell was heard before his power started skyrocketing. The immense killing intent combined with his overwhelming aura released a heavy pressure that descended on the vicinity.
x50, x60, x70
Every second, his power climbed up further and further, red aura cascading around him like violent fiery waves.
x80, x90, x95
His skin slowly darkened from the increased bloodflow, his circulatory network being pushed closer to the surface of the skin to accommodate his ever-expanding ki veins.
x96, x97, x98
His eyes gradually lost their light, a result of his brain withdrawing precious processing power spent on vision in order to manage this sudden burst of power. His pupils faded away and left behind a hollow cast of white.
x99, x100, x101
And then finally, his hair that spiked up like jagged mountain peaks finally turned red, a result of further excess ki being let out through it.
x102…x103
And then his power finally peaked.
GRUUUUU….Su! Su! Su! Su! Su! Su! Su! Su! Su! Su! Su!
His aura violently lashed out like a barely restrained beast. Compared to when he was in Kuoh, there were no black streaks of malevolent nature energy surrounding him. It was pure red powered by pure rage.
“Himejima…”
Su! Su! Su! Su! Su! SU SU SU SU SU SU SU
“HIMEJIMAAAA!!!”
GRUUUUU!
.
AN
.
Okay…how to start. First off, this story is not abandoned. I had a really, really, REALLY busy week and I could barely update, even for my patrons. Today is Sunday so I have a free week to catch up on updates I’ve missed.
Secondly, since my patrons will be receiving two chapters daily, this will be extended to you as well. However, this will only last until I catch up with the updates I’ve missed.
I hope to continue to have your support and kindly enjoy the next six chapters.