Another round of silence passed between the two men. Their eyes drifted towards their families, an unspoken agreement between them. They did not know each other long, but for them who've seen beyond the veil, only a common interest allowed them to sit peacefully next to each other.
And that interest, was their loved ones.
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|DxD| Chapter 61- Imminent Departure
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26/Jan/1997- February 12, 1997, Wednesday, Kuoh Town, Japan
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Time passed, perhaps too quickly. In the blink of an eye, February had come and the harshest period of winter had faded. It was a bright afternoon unhindered by clouds, an occasion when the sun was finally warm enough to be felt. The stale winter air still lingered, still biting the nose with its frost, but none of that hampered Igor.
He stood in the middle of Shuri's lawn, both barefoot and bare-chested. White bandages wrapped tightly around his waist. His stab wound was almost healed, and vitality finally flowed through him like the waves of the ocean.
He felt nothing in the biting cold. His eyes remained closed with not a hint of struggle or wavering. His skin shimmered with wet dew that steamed off him like faint wisps of smoke. Beneath his feet, the frost that bit the toes until it felt acid hot could only yield beneath his scorching vitality.
Igor let his energy wash across every single bone, muscle, and tissue in his body for several cycles. For minutes, he stood in place until a small area around him was cleared of snow. With each cycle, the flow of vitality grew stronger and stronger until a faint golden aura whined to life like a soft whistle.
There were no obstructions in his body. The poison had been burnt away and his organs were functional. The only lingering pain came from arching his body to his left side. Beyond that, he was ready to fight if need be.
"Haaaaa…"
Igor let out a deep breath and calmed his energy flow. His shoulders relaxed as the whine faded. His eyes opened, bright blue with cold determination. By tomorrow at the latest, he'd be at a hundred percent. After that…
[I must leave.]
The chamber was beckoning to him with soothing echoes. Fifteen years promised a lot of worthwhile training. A geyser of hesitation threatened to rise, but he plugged it with merciless resolve. The sooner he left, the better it'd be for everyone.
Igor was pulled from his thoughts by boots thumping along the paved pathway. The unmissable power of Baraquiel, even suppressed, still felt like a mountain next to his little termite mound.
"Old man."
He smelled a faint trace of ozone around Baraquiel, a sign that he'd been travelling. Baraquiel was stone-faced as always. Those dark violet eyes held calculation, but Igor had learned they were ones of consideration.
"Does Shuri know you're exposed like this?"
And there it was. Even if he was healthy, Shuri was extremely adamant about him going outside exposed in the cold. His secret disregard for her rule would certainly place him in a bad position if discovered.
"I don't think she'd mind, old man."
Igor replied smoothly, a feeble hope at salvaging his blunder. If only Baraquiel had arrived just a bit later.
"..."
An awkward silence came and stayed. Baraquiel crossed his arms and waited. It was clear he didn't believe a word Igor said.
"Sigh…"
Igor caved and scratched his forehead.
"The usual bribe?"
"The usual bribe, Igor. I'll make sure not to accidentally mention your little excursure to her."
Igor expected as much.
"Got it. Black coffee like always?"
"No sugar."
Baraquiel walked up the steps to the porch. Shuri wouldn't be back with Akeno for an hour. It was just long enough for a nap.
"By the way, old man."
"Hm?"
Baraquiel glanced over his shoulder. Igor stood behind him. His eyes carried a trace of anxiousness.
"What happened in China? Is everything resolved?"
"..."
Baraquiel didn't reply immediately, but patted Igor's shoulder.
"Go and get dressed first. We'll talk in the living room."
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|DxD|
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Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, and Shintoism formed the Great Four Religions of Asia. Each pantheon was strong in their own right, remaining uncontested in their dominance for many millennia.
Taoism was the strongest religion in China, ruled by the Heavenly Court. In the modern age, long gone were sects and factions. Under a central authority, they were now divisions that all answered to the Heavenly Court and the Jade Emperor.
"For the past month, Grigori has been working alongside the Taoists to find all those who practiced ritual reincarnation. So far, we've found 257 suppliers like Liu Xin and 1009 figures who practiced this forbidden technique."
Baraquiel calmly explained. They were seated on the couches in the living room. The curtains were open, but the air inside was doused in a dark shadow. Igor gripped the fabric of his gown. His eyes were cold with a deep murderous intent.
"And the children? How many died?"
"We don't know."
Baraquiel calmly continued.
"So far, we estimate the count to be around 4000. Some of these people we captured have been alive for over four-hundred years."
In a land of over a billion people, it was far too easy for a few people to slip through the net as long as they were careful.
"The Taoists are furious about this matter and are already in talks with the other three to establish a cooperation and weed out all harvesters in Asia. The Shinto will begin a country-wide search very soon. I assume you know what this means, Igor."
"..."
Igor didn't reply immediately. He already knew he couldn't be anywhere in Asia during the search or else he risked being discovered. It was fine. He was prepared to leave regardless. But…
"What about Akeno?"
A well of worry pooled in his eyes as he looked up to Baraquiel. This continental search was a secret. If Shuri and Akeno suddenly left Japan, it would paint a target on their backs.
"I have that sorted out. In the next coming days, I'll further suppress her fallen angel side so any deep search shows her as a human. If the worst comes to be, I will take Shuri and my daughter back to Grigori. As for you, Igor, you need to be gone before any of that happens. So…"
Baraquiel's gaze deepened.
"...are you ready?"
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AN: You know, when I read this and saw how over 4000 children were dead, I was disturbingly numb. 4000 kids, annoying rugrats with high-pitched voices and innocent eyes, were killed. They probably had their heads cut off like that mayor's daughter. Seeing it that way makes me understand why the world needs cleaning, including ours.
Chapter 61
END