He squeezed out a curse and rushed up the steps. He burst through the door and rushed towards his room with frantic steps. He took off his pants and began rummaging for a pair of clean clothes. There was no time for a bath. He just hoped Shuri wouldn't notice he smelled a bit.
.
..
…
|DxD|- Chapter 31- A Warm Home
…
..
.
May 1, 1992, Kuoh Town, Japan
.
Today was Friday in the town of Kuoh. It was late at night and many families were at rest. Streetlights drew lively-coloured carpets along the empty streets.
Far in the outskirts of town, the forest was dark and cold. Travelling along the gravel roads, the towering trees felt treacherously ominous. Deep in this nest of unease, a single household was lit with beautiful bright lights.
Inside this modest family home, Shuri was wide awake. In the kitchen, the table was stacked with bowls and plates of different food. It was freshly cooked, diluting the kitchen with a salivating smell.
Shuri sat on one of the chairs in silence. She was waiting, for today was the day. The clock read just beyond nine. Igor would be returning, and she wasn't sure how to feel.
In her hand was a small hourglass. The top half was left with a few grains of sand. Only a few minutes remained. There was a feeling of exhilaration spreading through her, but it was also accompanied by a lingering trace of anxiousness.
How did he fare in the chamber? How did he take his clan's history? She sincerely hoped a heavy burden wasn't placed on him. He was already in pieces and barely recovered. She didn't wish to see him shattered and hopeless again.
The minutes stretched in idle silence. The grains of sand trickled one by one into the bottom. She already had a plan in mind for his return. The moment he returned, she'd smother him with all the love he needed. For every grain of darkness, she'd override it with countless rays of light.
It was in the midst of her thoughts that it happened. The hourglass vanished from her hand. It happened so quickly she almost doubted her senses. But what she did feel was that familiar bloom of energy coming from behind her. She knew immediately who it was.
"Igor!"
There was no hesitation. She got off the chair with so much force it skidded and fell on the floor. She bounded for the newest member of their family and wrapped him in the tightest hug. In this moment of silence, no words were shared.
The huge lump in her chest finally vanished. He was here and he was well.
"You're back."
She whispered the words. She could finally rest easy in relief. Her hand brushed his flowing hair.
"You're finally back."
"I am..."
Igor deepened the hug. He missed Shuri and didn't realise just how much until she held him. He was nervous at first, not sure how to act once he stepped through that door. But he was over-thinking it. He was still a part of the family.
"Looks like you're finally back. And you've gotten a lot stronger too, boy."
Baraquiel leaned against the door frame with an approving glance.
"Good to see you didn't waste away."
"Husband…"
Shuri shot him a displeased look.
"He just got back. Let him breathe a bit."
Her face switched cards when she looked at Igor. Her palms laid over his cheeks. She squeezed them, pleased to see there was still some chubbiness in them.
"Aunty…"
Igor felt a bit helpless and embarrassed, but Shuri was unrelenting.
"Can't aunty pinch your cheeks a bit, hm?"
Igor was caught in a tough spot. Shuri's gaze was very intense. But, pinch his cheeks? He was a grown man, you know?
"You…can…"
He reluctantly squeezed out those tiny words. If she wasn't pinching him, his mouth would've curled into a pout.
"Aunty is very happy, Igor. And look at you. You've grown a lot. Did you eat like I told you to? Show me your stomach. If I can see more than two pairs of ribs, I'm going to force-feed you until—"
"Are you nurturing a boy or a pig, Shuri?"
Baraquiel walked over with a tone of amusement. He placed his hand on Igor's head and ruffled it.
"Don't worry too much about your aunt's words. She was the most worried about you. But seeing as you're fine, that's enough. We can talk about other things once you get some rest."
"No."
Shuri immediately refused. She took Igor's hand and led him to the table.
"I knew you would come back thin so I made all this food for you. I want you to finish all of it to make up for all the times you skipped breakfast."
"..."
Shuri's sternness had Igor unsure what to do. She sat next to him, completely willing to spoon-feed him every single dish.
Instead of feeling apprehension, Igor felt a lot of warmth. He couldn't stop another smile from blooming on his face.
"Thank you, aunty. I'll eat all of it."
.
..
…
|DxD|
…
..
.
"Come, Igor. Eat a bit more. If you're not full, don't be afraid to say so."
Baraquiel quietly watched his wife dote over Igor like a mother hen. Every time the blonde's plate would empty, his wife would take the initiative to dish up some more for him. If he tried to swipe even a fingerful of salad from one of the bowls, he was sure Shuri would peck him to death.
Igor ate like a vacuum. His poor cheeks had ballooned to the size of apples. Shuri wiped the grease from his chin as he tore his way through chicken. His teeth crushed their way into the marrow, leaving only crushed bone as scrap. At this rate, there'd be no meat for the animals to scrape off.
Baraquiel was quite impressed with Igor's growth. He could contend against most Low-Class beings with his current level of strength. He was even curious to see how Igor would fare in combat. He'd test that tomorrow.
Regardless, seeing him today gave him a rough timeline. With Igor's potential, he could get him to Mid-Class in under five years, maybe even three. The boy would be strong enough by then to hunt other existences and use their lifeforce to power the time chamber.
Baraquiel didn't think big. If Igor can do five years of training in one, then High-Class would be in reach.
[Let's see. Three years from now will be 1995. From there onwards, accounting for the months he will need to rest, I should be able to get him to High-Class by the next century. The next decade after can be spent getting him to Ultimate-Class.]
By then, his daughter would be nineteen and getting ready for her tertiary education. With Igor as her protector, she could even go to Italy to pursue her education right under the noses of the Church. Kyoto as well was not out of bounds.
Ultimate Class was far from the ceiling of power, but it was high enough to warrant extreme caution. An Ultimate Class in a fit of rage had the capital to topple entire mountains and cities.
[I have to make sure he has no deep ties to Grigori and his heritage remains hidden for as long as possible.]
A faction-less Igor would be very difficult to retaliate against. As long as Baraquiel was careful to keep himself hidden, Igor would only be seen as a child his wife raised. At the very worst, Igor could be viewed as a contractor of Grigori if Akeno's heritage was discovered. If all of that can be maintained, then Igor will remain as an unbound threat with very simple loyalties—a bomb that will not be detonated as long as the "hybrid scum" remained alive.
[Igor's lifeforce will only become an issue once he lives beyond the age of sixty. Until then, I can forge an identity for him as a possible hero's descendant.]
Humans who lived for over two centuries in history were not too rare, but they would draw eyes. He had to keep count of Igor's age and find a way to obscure him from the prying of gods.
[So much to do. Fortunately, I still have time and leeway.]
Tomorrow, he would have a clearer situation on what he'd be working with. Discretion and caution would be needed in these upcoming years.
.
..
…
|DxD|
…
..
.
Igor's happiness was short-lived. The food was great, awesome even. He ate, ate, and ate. But now, the food threatened to spill over the wrong end if he so much as moved fast.
Wood thudded beneath his sandals. The walk upstairs was slow. His stomach bulged outwards, tenting his vest. Igor felt like he weighed over a ton.
"Come on, Igor. Just a bit longer."
The culprit was steadily helping him ascend the stairs. Each step he took jiggled his stomach like a balloon full of water. Maybe Baraquiel was right. Shuri definitely was treating him like a pig.
"Ohhh…"
Igor groaned in fatigue. He was so full he wanted to sleep right there on the spot. Bubbles were popping in his stomach like tiny explosions.
"Fufufu~. A little more, Igor."
Shuri playfully paraded him along. With this much food, she was sure he would sleep like a log once he hit the bed.
"Five more steps, Igor. Come on~."
"Aunty…"
Igor was full of grievances. He was so tired he wanted to cry. His voice was choked with pleading. He'd been pleading since earlier to stop since he was full, but Shuri was determined to fill him up until he couldn't even suck in his stomach.
He plopped down on his knees. Screw those last steps. He was sleeping here and nothing could change that.
"Ah? You can't walk anymore? Then let me help you."
Shuri took a step down and leaned over. Igor wasn't having it. He definitely wasn't taking another step even if it meant death. He just came back and Shuri bullied him too much. As a proud son of his father, he would plant down his foot and resist until his final breat—
"Up you go~."
"..."
Igor did not know how it happened. He was grabbed beneath his arms and suddenly…he was picked up?!
A steady arm beneath his butt held him high. Shuri's breath tickled his exposed belly-button. Somehow, his arms acted without his consent and held onto her shoulders.
He was shell-shocked into silence. It wasn't an illusion. Shuri was holding him, a grown man, a warrior of Dimori, the son of Valour, a descendant of the great Ariya of Kur—
"This should be better now, right? You're so cute with your big belly. I could just kiss your cute little belly button. Fufufufu~."
"..."
Igor's cheeks flushed with shame and embarrassment. How low he'd fallen. He could clear hundreds of metres in seconds and jump high enough to accompany birds. He was a machine honed for combat. How could the dignified him be carried like a child?
"I…I can walk."
He wished to bury himself. What would his ancestors say seeing their descendant like this? But he had no choice. Shuri's arms were like prison bars—he could barely wiggle.
"Oh my? I thought you were too tired, Igor. But don't worry. We've made it."
Igor was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of the door opening. He hadn't realised they'd already walked this far. Shuri entered the room and Igor momentarily forgot to ask to be put down.
Akeno's room was…pink. There was a lot of pink and posters of different TV characters. However, what enraptured him was Akeno herself.
She had grown in the past year. Her hair had grown longer just like her mother's. Even asleep, her chubby cheeks were tinted with a healthy pink hue. Her tiny mouth was open, her small breaths filling the silence.
Shuri held Igor in her arms and walked towards the bed. She peeled open the blankets with a wave of her hand. Carefully, she set him down. It seems seeing Akeno tamed him somewhat.
"She missed you…you know?"
Shuri whispered with a smile.
"She missed her big brother Iga~."
"..."
Igor had lost count how long he'd been stunned into silence. It was unbecoming of him who wished to be as strong as Goku. In this moment, Shuri leaned over him. Her flowery scent tamed his rebellious thoughts. Her palm was on his forehead, her thumb gently rubbing around his hairline.
"Every little moment, she'd shout for her Iga. She only calmed down a few weeks after you left. Imagine how excited she'll be when she wakes up tomorrow~."
Igor found himself emulating Shuri's smile. She painted a very beautiful picture.
"Both of you are very precious to me and I hope you'll both grow well. I may not be your mother, but I will take care of you as if you were my very own child."
Shuri leaned closer…
Chuu~
…and kissed him on the forehead.
"Sleep well, little Igor~."
.
AN: I feel a bit warm here. Shuri better watch her steps though. These kinds of things can't be forced.
Chapter 31
END