He couldn’t be bothered to fault his logic. Besides, he was more interested in finally taking the kid in. Igor had so much potential that it was just begging to be trained properly.

“Alright, Nandi. Let us depart.”

“Yes, my lord.”

.

|DxD|

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Kuoh Town, Japan

.

It was already nighttime in the small town of Kuoh. The day went by fairly normally without any sudden mishaps apart from their trip to the Underworld. Just a few dozen minutes after their return, Shuri was also brought back by Shemhazai.

The man had left just as quickly as he arrived, declining Shuri’s offer for some refreshments in the process. As the one who always had to keep Azazel in check, he was always busy managing the smaller tasks his elder brother couldn’t be bothered to do.

When Shemhazai had left, Igor was able to see past Shuri’s smile. She gave both Akeno and Asia loving hugs, but she didn’t seem alright. But he wouldn’t question the issue.

It was pretty obvious why she remained behind. And from the crestfallen look hidden behind her smile, her talk with Baraquiel had not went well. He didn’t expect it to either. What Baraquiel did went past infidelity. As much as he himself was willing to put it behind him, he didn’t expect Shuri to do the same.

The hours passed since then and dinner proceeded somewhat normally. There was an underlying tension he couldn’t quite grasp, one that seemed to also affect Aurelia. Igor didn’t like being out of the loop like this, especially when it concerned the people he cared for. But he wouldn’t pry, atleast not yet.

Now, it was already nearing 10pm. A short while ago, he had left the house because he needed to clear his head. Having travelled deep into the forest, he had picked the spot where he always used to eat during his earlier years, way before he met Baraquiel.

The clearing he used to lay out his freshly bought meat now had a few trees growing, but he could still see the stars. Sitting down on the ground, he leaned against the trunk of a tree and just gazed aimlessly into the skies.

Sigh…

Igor was not blind. Though sometimes he wished he was. Things were falling to pieces and he could scarcely do anything to stop it. No. Scarcely indicated there was still a chance of stopping it. Despite his unmatched strength, this was an issue that couldn’t be solved with fists.

[Aunty and the old man won’t get back together.]

It was no longer a question. It was a statement. Shuri just wasn’t herself today. Ever since he returned from the time chamber, her energy was never truly at peace. But today, the fluctuations were more sporadic than usual. As much as he tried to ignore it, to let her deal with it alone, today at dinner made him truly worried for her.

He almost had half-a-mind to burst into her bedroom and…do what? What could he even do in the first place? This wasn’t a physical problem he could punch to oblivion. This was an emotional problem and as hazzard as he would hate to admit, Igor wasn’t the best person to consult about emotions.

[What can I do? Come on, Igor. Think.]

Unfortunately, he didn’t have experience in these sorts of matters. His mind quite literally pulled blanks on him. He had no clue on how to comfort a woman going through a divorce.

[Stupid old man. Look at what you’re making aunty go through.]

Now that he actually knew what this ‘love’ thing actually was, he could imagine the pain of betrayal Shuri was going through, and just how much pain and regret Baraquiel felt. The old man loved Shuri, but he had also disappointed her immensely.

[Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid.]

A very large part of him was tempted to just teleport to the Underworld and punch the absolute daylight out of him. But he relented. His own understanding of this emotion he ‘cringed’ at before allowed him to understand the level of hurt Shuri was going through. And he had vastly underestimated it.

Just the thought of Aurelia even holding hands with another man felt like hot coals pressed against his chest. If she somehow even…slept with another man…?

su su su Su Su Su Su-

“No.”

Quickly, he controlled his aura that threatened to spiral out of control. Unknowingly, his eyes had turned red. The amount of rage at the mere notion nearly blinded him in a haze of anger.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

So he could only imagine how worse it would be for Shuri. To find out that in your death, your husband slept with another woman…not even coming back to bury you, not even coming back to check on your child.

Sigh….

He didn’t want to think about this anymore. If he continued, he felt he might just wish to put another hole in the old man.

“Whatever happens, happens. I won’t get involved anymore.”

He was aware enough of his volatile state that he wouldn’t be suitable help for this sort of problem.

“Heh~. I guess I’m still a kid.”

And for the first time, killing wasn’t the solution. Regardless, he shouldn’t worry himself about this. Shuri was a grown woman and he was not some idiotic kid who couldn’t see past his own nose. If Shuri or Baraquiel truly did separate, he wouldn’t fault either for coming to the decision.

[I’ll just offer my support wherever I can.]

That and maybe get a few hits on Baraquiel. His actions really were stupid in of itself. And that was saying something if it came from him.

[Alright. Stop thinking about this stuff, Igor. Leave that to the adults.]

It was a sad but true conclusion he arrived at. Rather than continuously worrying about matters he could not control, it was best he focused on himself for the time being.

Now, it was time to get into the true purpose of his outing. When Igor was fighting with Triny, he was not completely unaware of his surroundings. It was why he eventually became aware of Aurelia’s presence after some time.

Naturally, his own perception also included his body. He was not unaware of the changes that occurred to his body the moment Triny assumed her partial true form as they had temporarily come to call it.

That feeling he soon identified as nature energy coursing through his body actually elevated his strength by a great margin. It wasn’t strong enough to compare to his Kaioken, but experience told him that his power multiplied by ten…without any side-effects. Or atleast, any side-effects he knew of.

He wanted to enter that state once more and if possible, combine it with his Demigod State. He didn’t know if combining nature energy with demi-ki would work, but he was certainly willing to try.

“Haaa…”

Letting out a deep breath, he slowly began hovering above the ground with his legs crossed. His mind synced with Triny, his being entering a state of calm.

[You ready?]

{Yes.}

Despite how serious she tried to sound, he could feel she was more excited than him. Looks like he wasn’t the only one interested in seeing the outcome.

[Alright.]

su su su su su Su Su Su Su

Slowly, red aura manifested around him before gently, his hair turned red as he entered his Demigod State. In a display of superb control, no sudden shockwaves were created. Not even a single shred of bark was destroyed in the process.

Keeping his eyes closed, Igor took a moment to adjust to his new state of being.

[You can start now. I’m ready.]

{Okay.}

Nothing happened at first, but that quickly changed when the air around them suddenly felt...dense. Igor could feel…something. He didn’t know how to describe it, but he could feel something that seemed to be curiously poking and prodding around him.

He vaguely compared it to when a pack of dogs started sniffing around a stranger. Was this energy evaluating him or something? Weird? But he didn’t mind it-

“Oh my. Such an intriguing turn of events, young Dimori. But I do recommend you stop before you unfortunately implode.”

“?!”

The only surprise Igor gave of being spooked was his body trembling just slightly. Otherwise, he remained calm.

Opening his eyes, he was met with the sight of Shiva and Nandi. And just like that, he felt a lot more comfortable that they were the ones who managed to sneak up on him. It was a given since they were very strong after all.

Letting himself stand on the ground again, he greeted them respectfully.

“Lord Nandi. Lord Shiva. I never thought I’d see you here. Did I miss a war or something?”

“Oh no, young Dimori. On the contrary, we have come to extend an offer to you.”

“...”

Confusion could be written in capital letters on his face. Igor did not know what would cause Shiva and Nandi to personally extend an offer to him.

“Really? Alright. Weird, but I’m listening.”

Neither of the two visitors seemed to show any displeasure at how Igor was casually speaking with them.

“Before we go any further, I want to see something.”

It was Shiva who spoke. He looked at Igor with an appraising eye, the glint in his pupils betraying his intrigue.

“Do what you were about to do prior, but without your transformation active.”

He was curious about seeing this new state the kid had without him potentially killing himself.

“Alright.”

Without delay, Igor obeyed. Ever since he last spoke with Shiva at the Himejima clan, his trust in him had grown strong.

Slowly, his hair fell as it lost its spikiness. The aura around him vanished as his eyes reverted back to normal. Under the gazes of Shiva and Nandi, he closed his eyes and focused once more.

{Alright, Triny. Let’s do this again.}

{...}

She didn’t reply, but she complied. Deep in their mindscape, Triny once more began accessing her true form while outside, nature energy began gathering around Igor. Unlike before, the energy didn’t “sniff” around him, but directly began entering his body.

He immersed himself in this warm feeling that permeated throughout his body. It felt like he was being covered with a very warm blanket. As more and more nature energy pooled into him, he felt the tattoo on the top of his forehead finally react.

As the tattoo spread, it felt a bit ticklish like sweat running along his skin. Nonetheless, the sudden gradual boost in power was palpable. But more than anything, it was the drastic enhancement to his perception that almost left him floored.

It wasn’t the sudden influx of information that almost rendered him unconscious. That wasn’t it in the slightest.

“?!”

It was the overwhelming power he felt from Shiva. He knew Shiva was powerful. He never felt it before, but his instincts told him as such. Yet, he never ever imagined Shiva was this strong. No. This was beyond strong.

Opening his eyes, they were blue as always. But instead of their constant state of joviality, they now exuded shock, awe,…

“You’re strong…”

…and excitement.

“Really strong.”

So strong that he felt very tiny. Even the presence he sensed in the Dimensional Gap felt puny to his. This level that Shiva was in…it was no longer within the realm of Supreme Class. It couldn’t possibly be defined nor contained within the scope of Supreme Class.

It was beyond.

.

AN

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Seems like this confirms Shiva is indeed a big boss with big pants. I wonder when he’s going to meet little Ophis. I look forward to the interaction between those two. Cleria would have an aneurysm if that happened, if she isn’t already replaced by then.

Today is Friday and as always, thank you for the constant support, comments, and even the reviews.