Numerous eyes were on the blonde, the very person responsible for all of this. Renata was transfixed at what was clearly a momentous occasion, but she had no clue of anything.
[W-What…what just happened?]
"Hey, Rena. My brother just asked a question. Where are the headquarters of these guys? And where's Edward? I thought he'd be here."
"..."
.
|DxD|
.
A large glamorous mansion existed outside the city of Wairoa. To be accurate, it was more of a fortress than anything else. Armed men patrolled the walls and cameras lined the edges. It was situated twenty kilometres away from town, yet the bustling presence of life made it seem like a small village.
There were empty trucks leaving the premises through a guarded gate along with a few private cars. It was nearing late afternoon so a steady stream of people working in the mansion were leaving on buses or personal transport.
On a hill overlooking the mansion were Atid and Igor. For the past half-hour, the blonde had been hovering cross-legged above the ground while his rival monitored the traffic going in and out of the mansion.
Thirty minutes before and thirty minutes later, Igor still bore some element of impatience. His eyes remained closed, but the slight furrow of his brow betrayed his displeasure.
"Are you sure I can't just destroy this place? It'll save us some time."
"For the last time, Igor. The answer is no. I don't want us to kill innocents. Besides, we promised Renata we'd rescue her brother."
*Glance*
Igor opened both eyes.
"We?"
"..."
Atid did not respond. He knew how apathetic Igor was and didn't expect him to understand. Unlike him, Igor rarely spent time with humans and so never truly cared for their well-being.
"There's no need for innocents to die if we can prevent it, Igor. These people have lives and aspirations too."
He watched as the ordinary workers boarded the bus. Maids and gardeners made up the majority. They would take their day's pay and board the bus departing for town. From what he knew, this would be the last one for today.
"I couldn't care less about the people, Atid. But that Renata woman—she's trouble."
A confused frown formed on Atid's face. He turned back to face Igor like he was an idiot.
"Trouble how? She's a human."
"And that's the thing. She's a human."
Igor slowly relaxed his legs and stood up.
"Atid. This girl will be lucky if she even sees the end of this century. If the supernatural world learns of your connection to her, she'll be lucky to see the first decade of the century. Are you sure you want to invest your feelings in a normal human? There's countless strong asura and deva who would willingly be your wife or even one of your wives."
"..."
Atid could feel his eyes drilling through his skull. He could practically feel Igor's disapproval regarding his thoughts on Renata.
Sigh…
"It's not like that, Igor."
"But it will be. I can tell—"
"So what if I end up liking her, huh?"
Atid didn't want to snap like he did. But it was too late. His frustration from Igor's silent judgement and prejudice on normal humans could not be held in any longer.
"You think I'm like Baraquiel? You think I'll fail my family? I like this woman, Igor! I like Renata and it'll be Armageddon before anyone can think of laying a hand on her!"
"..."
Igor said nothing but slowly levitated. The bus was leaving so there was no need to wait any longer. But before leaving, he offered one last piece of advice.
"Remember, brother. This is the real world."
Su!
.
|DxD|
.
Igor left Atid behind to wallow in his thoughts. That Renata girl had nothing special about her. No sacred gear, no powerful bloodline, no artefact, nothing…absolutely nothing. She was completely ordinary in every possible metric.
She had a nice figure, but so did thousands of other girls significantly more powerful than her. What Atid was thinking taking such a risk, he wouldn't understand.
The weaklings of this world wouldn't care for his brother's love story. All they'd see is an opportunity to control the son of Indra.
[And he called me the idiot.]
Su!
Igor closed the distance between himself and the fortified mansion in less than a blink. He was more than a blur. He was completely invisible. Beneath this mansion's glamorous appearance was the stench of blood. The souls of the tortured lingered around their killers, cursing the ones who took their lives to a cold grave.
A smooth aura blade formed in his hand, ready to deliver on those obsessions. Unlike Atid, he wasn't sentimental about taking lives. Actor, bystander—he'd kill them all.
Su!
.
|DxD|
.
Black Power Mansion
.
Neatly maintained plants, immaculately cleaned hallways, and pristine architecture could be used to describe the luxurious mansion. The owner of this large estate clearly paid attention to detail and made sure their wealth would be displayed for all to see.
But now, all it took were moments for this golden paradise to turn into a sea of blood. Not a single scream occurred. No camera saw the culprit…not even a blur. Guards would be trading jokes, gardeners would be discussing their trade, and maids would be sharing the latest gossip. The very next moment, a thin line of blood would appear on their necks before their heads would separate from their necks.
The very guards designated to watch the cameras had their vision suddenly darken without explanation. Blood would spurt from their necks in a flood of red and damage the equipment.
There was no name and no sound—not even a whisper. For someone wearing bright red, Igor was efficient in his culling. There was no need for dramatics or speeches of justice. Perhaps it was arrogance, but he'd trained far too much to discuss morality with ordinary people.
When Igor landed on the balcony of the main building, a whole mob of corpses lined the courtyards and hallways around him. A crimson aura blade shimmered like flowing glass in his hand, the very tool that ended the lives of dozens in an instant.
Man or woman, Igor didn't distinguish. From the guards patrolling the walls to the maids cleaning inside—everyone on the north, south, west, and eastern sides had perished by his hand. At least Atid confirmed everyone remaining was a willing accomplice, not that it made a difference. No one must ever be left alive to seek vengeance.
The only thing stopping him from sweeping the hidden dungeons was a man—no…a monster that made even him feel some element of rage. All this time, he'd maintained his calm as he delivered swift deaths under the egging of numerous resentful souls. Their attempts at influencing him were paltry in front of the strength of his soul.
But what he saw…what he sensed beyond this very curtain was something that had him almost seething with rage.
"Scum."
He was hidden behind the curtains. Only the sun provided a shadowy outline of his figure. The elderly man inside was completely caught off guard by the sudden presence of another person.
"WHAT?!"
Documents and pens cluttered to the floor when he stood up in panic. His chair creaked against the floor when he tried to hastily pull up his pants and fasten his belt. A muffled cry came beneath his desk and that seemed to pull him out of his panic…mostly.
"W-WHO'S THERE!?!?"
The pot-bellied elder couldn't decide between reaching for his telephone or reaching for his gun, so he tried to do both, but it was all in vain.
*Puchi!*
A long aura blade suddenly tore through the curtains and buried itself deep into the abdomen of the elderly man. The force instantly pushed him against the wall, knocking over his chair in the process.
*BANG!*
"AAAAAAAAAAH!"
The puncture wound was cauterized immediately, preventing him from bleeding out, but it felt like burning acid spreading through his stomach. There was the sizzling sound of flesh being cooked and it was agony. Nerves kept firing, telling his brain of the intruding object and on sheer instinct, he grabbed it with his hands, only to lose three fingers in the process.
"AAARGH!!!!!!!"
His screams were loud. Two fingers and a thumb landed on the wooden floor with a thud. An artery on his right hand was cut and splotches of blood poured in concerning quantities onto the floor.
Igor intentionally avoided vital organs for this kind of scum…should die very, very slowly.
A small ki blast seared itself into his arm, burning the wound shut and stopping the bleeding. Smoke wafted from the cooked flesh, yet the man had no ability to scream. The stimulation had knocked him out. His head hung limply while the ki blade piercing his stomach kept his body pressed against the wall.
*Klak*…*Klak*…*Klak*…*Klak*…
Igor stepped through the curtains into the office. His eyes were already crimson from the budding rage within them. Cutting off his head paled in comparison to what he deserved.
"Girl. Get up."
He looked at the table as if he could see through it. There was a small figure kneeling underneath. He could sense no fear nor agitation. Just…nothing.
"Girl."
There was a palpable silence. The only existing sound was the soft hum of Igor's aura blade. The most critical organs were avoided for he wanted this dreg of society to live for as long as possible while he tortured him for his disgusting crime.
Just the thought made Igor's frown deepen.
"Girl. You are no longer under harm. I give you my word that I will protect you. Now get up."
He spoke calmly and clearly. His heritage made it so regardless of what he said, the girl would understand it in her language.
gu…gu gu…gu
The desk thumped audibly as the person underneath clumsily tried to get up. It took a while before a small figure revealed itself. It was a girl, very young girl garbed in rags, barely taller than the desk. She looked to be nine at most in age, yet her eyes completely lacked the life a youthful soul like hers should have.
Her knees were covered in bruises from kneeling on the floor. Her legs wobbled every once in a while from the lack of blood circulation. Her mouth was plastered in pink lipstick and her neck covered with marks from strangulation.
Yet despite all of this, she calmly stood and faced Igor without an ounce of fear. He didn't need to see behind the rags to know her body was scarred and malnourished. And…the lipstick…
"..."
For decades, Igor taught himself to ignore the plight of the ordinary. Involving himself with the misfortunes of the mundane would be callous for someone of his calibre. Protecting the weak wasn't a responsibility he wished to undertake nor entertain. Just because he was strong did not mean he was required to protect those less fortunate. The weak suffered and he did not wish to involve himself.
But, it was one thing to ignore the newspapers. It was one thing to ignore the radio and television. It was another thing entirely to ignore the plight of someone right in front of him.
"Filthy scum!"
The nature energy coursing through his body could do nothing to dampen the rage building within him. To dare do such a disgusting thing to a child…such a vile person must be executed in the cruelest of ways.
"Brother!"
Two Atids appeared in the room in a flash. A life-like clone was carrying the bloodied figure of a muscular man over his shoulder. The deep killing intent Igor emitted, even if it was for the briefest of moments, was more than enough to prompt his swift arrival.
"Why are you…"
Atid's look of surprise slowly changed to one of pure and absolute shock. He froze in place and didn't react even as his sunglasses slipped towards the end of his nose. All thoughts about bragging to Igor about his clone disappeared.
He saw the elderly man impaled in midair. His pants were hanging around his ankles. A steady surge of demi-ki and nature energy kept him in a state between consciousness and unconsciousness.
Below him stood a girl, one clearly broken from her empty blue gaze. Atid was no stranger to empty eyes, but he'd never seen a pair that had absolutely no life in them…like an object. She had no reaction to the supernatural phenomena around her.
"W-what…what?"
His lips quivered in horrified realization as he gazed at the man's half-naked body. Just like Igor, Atid quickly pieced together what happened. He could understand, but he couldn't comprehend. He could never guess someone could be so depraved as to…as to…
*Fists Clench!*
The shock in his eyes was quickly replaced by fierce action. He'd met humanity's scum. Thieves, murderers—he'd seen them all, but he never imagined there could exist someone so…so vile.
"Igor. This kind of man…this kind of disgusting existence must be exterminated!"
His eyes glowed green at his declaration. He no longer desired to surprise Renata with her brother's rescue. Now…now he wanted to torture this man until his very soul gave out.
Su!
He rushed to grab the elderly male by the neck and instantly banged his head against the wall.
*BAM!*
There was no hiding it. Atid was completely consumed by wrath and disgust. This type of trash was no different from the devils of old.
"I will make sure the last hours of your life are filled with so much pain you'll become an evil spirit!"
"..."
Igor silently withdrew his ki-blade. The absence of energy quickly made the man come back to a conscious state. Overwhelming the pain of the gaping hole in his abdomen was fear for he'd heard everything.
Adrenaline surged through his body and overrode the pain. His instinct to live surged and he frantically flailed his arms and kicked wildly.
"W-WAIT! I'LL PAY YOU WHATEV—"
Su!
Atid wordlessly vanished with the man and his clone. Igor sensed him appear on the rooftops while his clone headed back for town, but he had more pressing matters to address.
"..."
For a moment, Igor was rendered mute. Bloodlust still existed within him, a strong desire to mutilate that depraved human. Only a beast without morals could engage in something as sinister as this.
This girl, unkempt blonde hair and darkened blue eyes—a clear foreigner in this land, one that was possibly trafficked. As far as he could sense, she was an ordinary human. For such a cursed race, being born without a sacred gear or sufficient heritage was relegating them to the life of a blade of grass.
It would be so easy to leave her here. No matter how much pity he felt for her, she was still a human. Asia and Akeno worried him enough despite their elevated strength.
Sigh…
But it seemed even after a century of drawing breath, he was still sentimental. This little girl looked at him not with fear or hope, but complete emptiness. She reminded him of Asia and he couldn't help but draw parallels—what if Asia was taken? What if she was made to do something like this? What if…what if she was almost made to suck her slaver's pe—
[NO!]
Igor cut off the thought before it could fully manifest. This girl was NOT Asia and he would make sure such a thing would NEVER dare happen to his little sister, even if it meant destroying entire nations to deter anyone who'd dare harbour the thought.
"Girl. What is your name."
"..."
No reply. She looked at him quietly. An eerie calm surrounded her, too abnormal for what she had witnessed earlier. In front of someone who possessed the power to take their life, people would never truly remain calm. Instinct would never allow them to.
[Let me see her memories.]
Igor stepped forward and placed his hand on her head. Once more, she showed no ounce of resistance. She let him place his hand on her head and the lack of fear made Igor want to know the cause. He combed through her memories trying to find her name, but he soon had to stop.
[Tch! Filthy trash of a human!]
The calmed ocean of rage instantly soared like a turbulent wave. The memories he saw were too horrifying. Darkness, torture, indoctrination, screams—it was too much for him to take. It wasn't just this girl. He saw many others like her. The scenes were so terrifying that he couldn't dive deeper, not without destroying everything in pure anger.
"DAMNIT!"
Igor closed his eyes and fought to remain calm. He knew without a doubt they were red with pure anger. He tried to restrain himself, but he was a moment too late.
*CRACK!*
The floor beneath him cracked from the sheer pressure of his aura. The little girl fell on her rear, and that alone was the catalyst to calming him down. Igor swallowed his anger and swiftly reigned in his aura.
He crouched down and held the girl by the shoulder. He looked deep into her eyes and tried to convey his thoughts.
"Your name isn't 'Slut'. You have a name and it's Jeanne. Remember it."
He tried his best to give her a closed-eye smile, but he knew he was failing. His mind was set on torturing a certain bastard to death. He knew he was getting too invested, that he was contradicting his words and beliefs, but honestly, it was too late.
.
|DxD|
.
The rooftop of this luscious estate was large and fitted with ventilators like a corporate building. At the centre was a very large dome similar to that of a mosque. It was painted gold in colour and glimmered brightly in the afternoon sun.
The lightning rod that would normally be placed at the top was tossed to the side and replaced by a wooden pole…and fastened to it was the elderly man. His fancy grey suit was stained with blood. A sharp hook had pierced him from the back and tore through his stomach, hooking him in place.
His breaths were labored and the scent of piss and excrement littered the air. The gag covering his mouth was already dyed red with blood. His hands were above his head and a large iron rod was pierced through his forearms, nailing him to the pole. Ropes bound his legs to the pole. Already, his toes had their nails ripped off, exposing a bloody sight.
Atid was calmly fastening the knot at the bottom, fully intent to let this man die a slow and painful death. His face was like stone and not a single drop of blood dirtied him—as if he'd let the blood of a pest splatter on him.
"You are fully fed and hydrated. I've stopped your blood loss and avoided the most crucial parts of your anatomy."
He spoke like he was reading from a book. The rope was wrapped tightly around the man all the way from mid-thigh to his ankles, binding him tightly to the pole.
"My skillset can allow me to extend your life for thirteen hours. If I'm feeling more generous, I can stretch it to a ninety-two. For people like you, villains who abuse and use children for sexual pleasure…"
Atid fastened the knot and stood up, his tall figure allowing him to stand level behind the elderly male. He was like a ghost beside his ear, whispering horrifying words that would haunt him for the remainder of his days.
"...I'm willing to use my lifeforce to extend your life for a week."
"..."
Terror—that was what the man felt. He wept but could no longer speak. His tongue had been ripped out when Atid grew tired of his pleas for mercy. Everything happened like a blur, yet the pain was still clear in his memory.
Su!
"?!"
His body was weakened. He was tired to the point of wishing to die, but he would never forget the appearance of the very person who caused this.
A singular eye widened in aura. Adrenaline coursed through his old veins while his eye grew bloodshot. There was no anger…only fear.
"MMMMMM! MMM! MMMMM!!!! MMMM!!!!!"
The elderly man cried fresh tears when he saw Igor. Those eyes of crimson like a demon frightened him to his very core. The killing intent behind that cold gaze terrified his very being.
This boy…this demon stretched out his hand like the grim reaper—his hand was aiming…it was aiming for his eye!
"MMMGH! MM! MM!"
.
AN
.
I…I didn't think we'd meet dear Jeanne this way. It's odd though since she should have a sacred gear, so it's odd how Igor can't feel one in her.
On another hand, I checked for grammar errors as best as I could. If there are any remaining, please hit me in the comments. My life is busy so I might be late to respond, but I do read them before every chapter upload.
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed and until the next chapter.