{Enough, Nandi! End this fight now!}
Parvati stood up, fully ready to rush forward if Nandi didn't listen. Could he not sense Igor's state? He needed urgent care.
{Yes, yes. Understood, Lady Parvati.}
.
|DxD|
.
Shiva and Parvati's home was beautiful and simplistic, a complete contrast to Indra's luxurious palace. This simple two-storey home was modest and surrounded by recently tilled plant beds filled with all kinds of exotic flowers and shrubbery.
A table was set up on the front porch along with a small plastic bucket filled with biscuits and a large jug of juice. Aside from an absent Shiva, everyone else was present and enjoying the quick snacks.
Atid smartly chose to sit far away from an irate Parvati. He took his serving and sat on one of the lawn chairs. He didn't know why but the Mother Goddess bore some minor killing intent towards him the moment he returned with Nandi, though he was quick to find out why that was the case.
Now, Atid would genuinely consider himself as someone calm and cool-headed. He could face any and all situations analytically and find the most optimal path to navigate through it. The only exception was Igor. Something about his punchable face made it difficult for him to remain composed. But over the years, he'd learned to endure.
Still, the world was wide and something would eventually leave him with his mouth open. He just never expected today would be that day nor would Igor actually be the reason.
Right on the porch, Parvati cradled Igor's head while he slept on her lap. There was nothing inherently wrong with it. It's just…it's not really the first thing someone expects to see after teleportation.
When he returned with Nandi, the most shocking sight he saw was Igor on Parvati's lap. That alone challenged everything he believed in. Atid knew his rival. He'd conversed and fought with the blonde idiot for years now. One consistent thing about his brother was he was prideful to a fault. This was the same idiot that tried to finger his father's rear back in '96. It was too much of a contrast to see the same person willingly accept a lap pillow.
Still, he wasn't worried about him. As much as Igor looked like a patient with severe Alzheimer's, Atid found himself more drawn by how peaceful the idiot looked on Parvati's lap.
[Ddraig. What am I seeing?]
Perhaps his partner who'd been alive for thousands of years could dissect this sight for him. If he was in the same position, gods know if her thighs were as creamy and luscious as those breasts, he wouldn't be able to sit still, never mind sleep.
[I believe it is called, "healing", partner. If you were to actually pay attention, you would notice his vitality was steadily recovering. And please try limiting the amount of stray thoughts you have. Gods can read surface thoughts.]
Ddraig remarked with a resigned sigh. His host was the best wielder he had since forever. He had no wish to see his life end due to an errant thought.
[?]
Atid raised an eyebrow in curiosity, obviously ignoring his partner's last warning. He couldn't sense much from Igor before because of that annoying nature energy hiding his signature. But now that it was gone…my, oh my.
Atid had found it odd that even though the battle had ended, Igor released his transformation but still maintained the circulation of nature energy in his body. The young god initially thought it was just like his Kaioken training. How wrong he was.
But things were made clear when for the first time, Atid actually sensed how much of an absolute wreck Igor was. Without nature energy masking his presence, Atid got first insight on the extent of damage his rival suffered.
[That's his brain?]
[Yes, partner. By all rights, a brain losing that much mass would mean instant death for many. It truly puts into perspective how amazing his recovery capability truly is.]
[No surprise there.]
He didn't know how many pills he'd need to pop if he bled out over forty grams of his brain, and that's considering he could still tell his way up from down.
[In actuality, he'd lost close to sixty grams, partner. Part of it included his brain stem which you overlooked.]
"..."
Atid wisely thought not to think about the specifics. He took a bite of his biscuit and washed it down with some juice.
[I always said he was a monster.]
It wasn't like his friend was a Phenex or something. Humans could barely survive if they lost five grams of brain mass. Supernatural humans could perhaps double that limit, but never to insane levels like Igor.
[I bet it's just another day for him.]
*Crunch!*
Atid bit his biscuit with more force than he intended. He was jealous of Igor's healing capabilities. Just imagining the amount of money he could save on pills and buy DVDs instead—
[We agreed you would no longer engage in such, partner.]
[But come on, Ddraig. Just imagine all those beauties, you know? Boing boing?]
[Partner…]
[...fine.]
Ddraig's steely voice cut off his lovely introspection of Asian beauties in leggings with long delicious cleavag—
*GLARE!*
"?!?!?!"
For a split moment, Atid felt a killing intent so deep he dropped his plate and manifested a shield. The glass in his hand was crushed by the formation of his Boosted Gear gauntlet.
"[BOOST! BOOST! BOOST!]"
Eyes scanned for the source with trepidation. He first saw Nandi chuckling lightly until he finally saw Parvati. The woman's sharp gaze caused little Atid to grow inward. She did not hide the murderous expression on her face nor did she intend to.
"The next time you dare hold such thoughts in my presence, I shall feed you your own genitals, Dragon Emperor."
"..."
*Gulp!*
.
|DxD|
.
A minute or so had passed since Parvati found herself hearing Atid's thoughts. It was never her intent to listen, but just like how anyone would pay attention to loud conversations, the boy's thoughts were too strong for her to ignore. She'd certainly make sure his mother was aware of her son's infatuation with Eastern women.
She didn't pay heed to him much longer, not when she had her own 'son' to attend to…her troublesome son. She wondered how Ganesha and Kartikeya would think if they saw Igor. Surely news of his residence here would've reached them wherever they were.
[I'm sure they'd be so happy to see you, Igor.]
She continued to hold onto him and gently ran her fingers through his scalp. Holding this 'death-seeking' son of hers in all but blood was one of the reasons why she reluctantly let him pursue dangerous training methods like Soul-Tearing.
Parvati had the capability to drastically hasten his recovery, especially the spiritual aspect of his being. Healing any bodily injuries could be done easily, but without her, he'd need days to recover from soul injuries even with his enhanced recovery capabilities.
Regardless, she wouldn't deny she took a selfish enjoyment from this. The smile on her face was genuine. He was nuzzled in her lap, completely asleep like the child he was.
[It's a shame he still doesn't want to be breastfed, even though the healing would be faster.]
The memory of his adamant refusal brought a small chuckle to her.
[Oh Igor…]
Her hand gently went over his cheeks and traced his forehead.
[Even if you turned five hundred, you'll always be little to me.]
.
|DxD|
.
One hour later…
.
The region where the once great Lake of Mount Kailasa stood was now a massive crater stretching kilometres into the distance. Just the diameter alone was wider than several malls placed together. It would've been longer if Nandi's barrier didn't limit it.
The depth stretched hundreds of metres deep. A smaller crater existed in the bottom where Igor had been slammed by Atid. Trickles of his blood still lingered where he coughed, though the vitality within it had long since faded.
The majority of the crater was scorched like one massive campsite. There were visible traces of glass from the super-heated sand along with mineral-rich ash. The air was hot with unbearable levels of humidity and toxic gases still glazed the area.
This once-proud region covered in warm sandy shores and sparkling clean water had turned into darkness incarnated. The sun seemed to abhor casting its rays here. Clouds formed from the impact and heat of the fight kept the area dark.
It would rain soon, but even if a flood were to fill this monumental crater with water, no life would exist at least for the next days.
This was Parvati's prognosis after she came to see the level of destruction with her own eyes. The area was filled with the power of Igor's remnant energy. The scale of his attacks all but saturated the very air with his presence.
It truly put into perspective how monstrous these two boys were. Warriors millenniums older than them would find it hard to leave such a devastating sight.
"I take it you've seen all you wished to see, Lady Parvati?"
Nandi came from behind and stood next to her. His gaze remained neutral as he looked around. No animal on this mountain would return here unless things were fixed.
"Yes. You can begin, Nandi."
"Alrighty then."
Nandi sported a light smile filled with restrained, but clear exuberance. This depressing sight was a travesty to the nature he so adoringly loved. Fortunately it'd exist for no longer.
*Dong* *Dong*
Gentle bell-like chimes sounded when he tapped his staff on the ground twice.
.
.
.
Silence…
At first, nothing happened. An uncomfortable silence floated by before finally, life began playing before them like it was on fast-forward. The crater decreased in size like a ball being inflated with air.
Stone quickly reformed until eventually, sand started appearing. The depth and width decreased until the shores had reformed and the lake was back to its original size.
The mass of clouds that had been hovering above descended like someone dragged them down with a rope. The fluffy mass of grey was cut into chunks that were stuffed into the now-smaller canyon and in a blink, they lost their vapour form and turned into clear blue water. The visibility was so clean one could vaguely see the bottom of the lake.
Suddenly, various fish and other wildlife began populating the lake. They appeared within a blink and no accompanying theatrics or effects. Sea plants swiftly peppered the lake bed and fish the size of a fat woman's thigh quickly became a commonality.
Crocodiles piled the surface like dead logs along and far on the other banks, a group of hippos appeared like they were always there.
Blink after blink, water buffalo, gazelle, and other herbivorous creatures arrived, each bigger with unnatural strength from the presence of nature energy. No animal acted out of place, like they were always there.
"Wonderful~. This is how it should be."
During the reformation, Nandi and Parvati had flown to the skies. They had a birds-eye view of everything and no matter how many times she sees it, Parvati could never truly get over the beauty of Nandi's technique.
"Perfect as always, Nandi."
"Please, Lady Parvati. You flatter me."
"Praises should be given where due. Without you, I fear what our home would become."
"Hohoho~. Indeed, what would it become?"
A hell zone tainted with the aura of destruction. Shiva was not one known for control during his younger days. A single bout of anger would see a planet destroyed. In a way, Igor has a lot of her husband's traits, though far more controlled.
Still, it worried her how he was pushing himself so much. There was no need for him to train so hard when he could no longer improve. It was just like a caterpillar in its pupae stage. Feeding it would be of no use and could even be detrimental.
[Sigh. Why can't he just be obedient and wait for the next seven years to pass?]
Parvati couldn't help but think absentmindedly. Her concerns blinded her to the further magic Nandi performed. He was turning this region not into just a lake, but a freshwater paradise teeming with life. Unfortunately, it was a biodiversity marvel she did not pay attention to with Igor at the forefront of her thoughts.
She knew very well if he could, the blonde would have already passed the required ten years in the time chamber, but it was ultimately a place that didn't follow the normal laws of time. Aging was required to evolve into godhood and that unfortunately could not be cheated.
"Nandi."
Parvati looked down below with a slight frown. This massive lake once bore a gargantuan crater that would make this region uninhabitable. She was proud of Igor's capabilities, but also worried of how much he continuously pushed himself over the edge.
"Are you sure there's still a need for him to train? Surely if you and my husband speak you could convince him to rest."
"Well…"
Nandi rubbed his nonexistent beard in thought.
"The situation is rather odd, Lady Parvati. To be frank, I believe you heavily underestimate Young Dimori's desire for power. It's not a question of stopping him, but a question of guiding him. Lord Shiva and I could in theory convince him to stop, but such a deterrent effect likely won't last three years, and that is a conservative estimate. If something were to happen to his family, I dare say even if we restrain him, he'll forcefully find ways to improve…"
For a moment, Nandi looked meaningfully at Parvati.
"...even at the cost of his own health."
"..."
Paranoia exists. It's existed in Igor for years. Visible progress has dulled it significantly, but a few months of rest would see it rise at a concerning incline.
"But to push himself this much…is there really nothing you can do to alleviate his concerns, Nandi? I don't want to see him hurt himself like this."
"Lady Parvati. He desires power…and Lord Shiva and I will do our utmost best to ensure he earns that power. His pursuit will hurt, but I shall ensure no irreversible damage will occur."
.
|DxD|
.
Wairoa, New Zealand
.
The small town of Wairoa situated along the coast was an area known for its timber exports, fertile agricultural regions, and lush, diverse flora, making it a very popular destination for tourists. The local delicacies, especially their seafood was something to salivate for. Their unique Maori-style preparation brought out tastes never seen before.
Wairoa was fairly developed for a small, rural town. Essential infrastructure such as schools, courts, and police stations existed. The only thing that crippled this town…was its high crime rate.
*Crunch*…*Crunch*…*Crunch*…*Crunch*…
Igor and Atid were walking on a dirt path leading into the town. The blonde, at the behest of Parvati, was given a new red noble robe boldly inscribed with ' पुत्र' on the back which was Sanskrit for 'Son'. As the heir of Shiva, she made it a priority for Igor to reflect that role.
Atid had swapped out his torn battle armour for a more semi-formal attire. The top button of his shirt was unbuttoned, slightly exposing the beginnings of a chiselled chest. His cuffs were rolled to his elbows and a pair of sunglasses adorned his face…just like his father.
When the duo steadily approached the town's entrance, one was clearly excited. Atid had long since wanted to bring his rival here. It was no big city, but the smaller population meant everyone was kind to one another.
When they finally walked outside the forest, a large town was before them. A well-maintained road was off into the distance along with a large 'Welcome' sign planted on a pole.
Atid took a deep breath of fresh air and spread his arms.
"Welcome to New Zealand, Igor. The culinary delights here are to die for, especially the fish. You'll love their fish."
"..."
What type of fish was a question left unspoken. In that forest, Igor had seen far more women in loose robes than expected. Their compromising positions as they picked fruit or bent over to chop wood made it all the easier to figure why his rival insisted they walk through the woods.
"Is this what puberty does to young boys?"
Igor's quiet mutters were quickly picked up by the smiling warrior.
"Puberty? What are you harping on about, brother?"
"..."
Igor remained silent in thought. Atid had grown more muscular over the years. His rolled-up cuffs exposed strong arms lined with veins. An expensive watch was clearly on display. He was neatly combed and those dress shoes were elegant too.
As realization dawned on Igor, his expression faded to one of complete neutrality. His idiot wasn't just here to ogle women. No. He'd graduated from that.
"You're here to pick up girls, aren't you."
It was a statement. Atid was a pervert through and through. Now he had upgraded to player status.
"I knew you'd never change."
"Hold on, brother! Don't make baseless assumptions like…that…"
Perhaps it was divine intervention, but a well-figured lass just so happened to walk passed the two teens with a basket atop her head. She smiled kindly at them before walking onwards. She was pretty. Igor could admit that much, yet it seemed Atid was a bit too attracted.
He didn't need to follow his gaze to know what he was looking at. Those hips did have a hypnotic sway to them. Why was it that darker skinned women had bigger hips in general?
"It'll be a miracle if you find a wife at this point. I doubt you'd stay with a single woman long enough."
"H-hey! I will find a wife!"
"Drawing lipstick on your hand doesn't make it your wife, idiot."
"That's not it."
"Two-dimensional women do not fit the requirements as well, brother."
"Damnit, Igor! You're just as annoying as ever. Tch!"
"Hehe…"
Igor quietly chuckled. It's been three years, but it was nice to know he could still get a rise out of his friend. It was payback for interrupting his meditation.
"But I am curious, brother. Do you have someone yet? I remember you liked Yasaka? Or did Serafall catch your fancy again?"
Atid's steps slowed.
"Um…well…"
A faint blush painted his cheeks as he tried to regain composure. Igor couldn't understand how his friend could casually dye the battlefield in blood, but turns to a bumbling idiot when it comes to women.
But he'd admit he certainly was interested in knowing who else could make Atid stutter.
[I didn't sense the presence of anyone signifi—]
"Well…I like Yasaka a bit more. She just has that thing…you know? Aurelia's an older woman so you should know what I mean."
"..."
No. He didn't know what he meant. Yasaka and Aurelia were polar opposites.
"If we include the time chamber, I'm older than Aurelia by three decades. So your argument is invalid."
"YOUR point is invalid. We don't count years in that time chamber of yours. According to intel, you're only sixteen while I'm seventeen."
Igor stopped walking. His brows were furrowed in thought. He'd only told very few people about his chronological age.
"How did people come to that conclusion?"
"You don't know? Your little wife has been hard at work since you disappeared. There's a lot of info about you out there, though from our fight, I can tell it's outdated."
"..."
Igor remained silent. The light of the sun illuminated the worry in his eyes. His worry stemmed not from people knowing his capabilities, but…
"How are they, Atid? My family…"
Today was the first day he'd ever stepped out of Mount Kailasa. Even if he visited them, it was normal they wouldn't tell him certain things to prevent him from worrying.
"Well, there isn't much info about them floating around. Kuoh has turned into a fortress and it's hard for anyone to infiltrate it. Kuoh is probably the first town where Devils, Yokai, Exorcists, and Fallen Angels coexist peacefully. Cleria Belial is still the Overseer, though there's word the younger siblings of Sirzechs and Serafall will replace her. Speaking of Rias, though…
A sudden expression of seriousness formed on Atid's face.
"She's supposed to be marrying the third son of the Phenex. If I'm right, it's happening today. Your family was invited as honoured guests."
"So that's why they're in the Underworld."
Sensing through dimensions wasn't as easy, but he could feel the vague presence of Shuri, Asia, and Akeno in the Underworld. Aurelia was still in Kuoh, but she wouldn't be able to sense him unless he wanted to. He still wanted to surprise her before today's end.
"You didn't let me finish, brother. Rias doesn't like the Phenex boy. In Devil Culture, one way for her to cancel the marriage is through a Rating Game."
"..."
Igor's brow creased. Rias's marriage was something he didn't particularly care for.
"Get to the point."
"Brother. If you don't know, you've become more infamous over time. Many people want you just as many want you dead. They know they can't control you and for the past three years, they couldn't get your sisters. This Rating Game represents their chance to get them. Shuri is there, so security shouldn't be an issue, but you never know."
Atid placed his hand on Igor's shoulder.
"I'm not saying something will happen, but if you don't feel like being present, you should at least periodically check the condition of your family, especially your sisters."
It was an honest truth. Igor was a very powerful person, a walking armageddon. The first person who can control him can influence the entire supernatural world. The enormous benefits outweighed the risks.
"Now come on, there's someone I want you to meet. He cooks the best fish in town."
"..."
Igor remained quiet at Atid's words. One last sweep at the Underworld with his senses verified Asia was still safe.
[It better remain that way.]
.
AN
.
It really better remain that way. Something seriously better not happen to Asia. I want to see how the reunion with Aurelia goes…and Shuri too.
On the other hand, if you find any grammar errors, inconsistencies, etc, please state it in the comments. I had to correct "lap pillow" from "lip pillow" after I was sure this chapter was ready for upload. It's possible I may have missed some things. Once again, my brain has adapted to autocorrect on sight because of machine translated novels.