The strength she was so proud of was useless in this situation. The reality drove her to the point of tears because if Asia…if Asia…
*Drip*…*Drip*…
"Please…"
.
|DxD|
.
In a sanctioned-off room in the Rating Games Building, Ajuka was searching for clues along with a few of his trusted aids. The minutes trickled by without any leads, and it was clear by now Diodora was the most likely suspect. Any attempts to track him failed and out of everyone, Ajuka was the most frustrated.
He knew of his younger brother's questionable practices, but never in his life could he imagine Diodora would actually take Asia to fulfil his depraved fantasies. Perhaps Diodora might not be the culprit, but the current evidence and his disappearance were too damning.
[Diodora. You better not do anything irreversible.]
Ajuka cursed in his mind, but his hopes were slim. At this point, even if Diodora didn't do anything, he was prepared to execute his own brother for daring to kidnap their most powerful ally's sister. Of all the stupid things Diodora could do, THIS was NOT something that could be swept under the rug!
"Ajuka. Any leads yet?"
"No."
Five magic circles hovered before Ajuka like screens. Between cursing between breaths, he was analysing every piece of sensory details transmitted to him. He was doing his best to track Diodora through every means he could think of.
"He hasn't used our family's magic, and he left behind his peerage pieces. No surveillance systems have found him and there's no report or blimp of him at the borders."
"..."
Sirzechs didn't probe any further and walked away. With how well hidden Diodora was, the chances of him having received help are very high. There was absolutely no chance a single High-Class Devil could escape the pursuit of the entire Underworld and the Maou.
The only ones he could think of who would help Diodora at the moment were the Old Satan Faction or Zekram Bael's Great King Faction. They're the only ones who stand to gain the most from Asia's disappearance.
[I've ensured knowledge of this event won't leak for now, but we still need a lead.]
The five minutes Aurelia gave them were almost up and Sirzechs had done his best to make preparations. If his friend couldn't find Asia, then Igor really was the next best choice. He just hoped the blonde wouldn't lose his mind.
"What a mess we're in."
.
|DxD|
.
Diodora Astaroth, younger brother of Ajuka Beelzebub and the current heir of the Astaroth Clan. He was the epitome of nobility—always calm, spoke only when needed, and always held a kind smile, at least that was how he appeared to the public.
If one were to dig deeper into him, they would soon find evidence of his depraved fetishes and desires, especially for virgin nuns of the church. His desire to corrupt something holy could not be explained where it came from, but his methods were far less than righteous.
A few years ago, all of Diodora's peerage members were freed by Aurelia, but those girls still harboured a strong desire for their master, an unnatural one. What was initially believed to be Stockholm Syndrome was soon revealed to be something far, far worse.
Months of therapy for all of Diodora's former peerage members revealed he didn't just enjoy adding nuns to his peerage like most thought. He enjoyed breaking them. Investigations revealed secret rooms filled with equipment specifically designed for torture.
Stockpiles of phoenix tears were found along with several notebooks recording each girl's behavior over time. Traces of hypnosis magic were found along with live recordings of Diodora personally torturing the girls to the point of loving him.
For the younger brother of a satan to engage in such disgraceful things was no doubt shameful. When Ajuka found out, he was ready to sentence his brother to death by the worst torture available. Diodora's shameful actions were something only the devils of old committed. It was only through the pleadings of their parents did he place his brother under indefinite house arrest.
Such matters were not made public. They couldn't be made public. The consequences were unpredictable and so the whole thing was covered up. The nuns were compensated greatly and after a secret agreement with the church, they were allowed to return as nuns and preach the word of god in remote parts of the world where their devil heritage would not be discovered. It was also a way of preventing them from seeking vengeance.
After such a scandal, Aurelia had vague suspicions Diodora would not change his ways. It seems she was right.
[The tracking magic I placed on him was erased as well.]
She was in a private study analysing all the information they had on Diodora. His assets, frequented locations, confidants—anything she could gain to figure out who he might've met and where he could've gone.
In addition to the tracking magic placed on Diodora by Ajuka, she'd secretly placed one on him too, yet both disappeared at the end of the Rating Game.
"His last reported location was here and following his disappearance, no one noticed anything. There were no spatial fluctuations or remnant magical energy."
No presence of traces made it nigh impossible to track him. Now, Aurelia would never consider herself to know everything, but she knew enough to know that using teleportation magic without leaving traces required extremely high skills.
Only those with extreme proficiency in space could pull such a thing off. The first person who came to mind was Igor. Any traces of his teleportation would vanish swiftly as space repaired itself. But obviously, he wouldn't teleport Diodora away.
Gods came to mind, but the ones she knew of wouldn't have a vested interested in the Underworld. Furthermore, a god's movement was always easy to track and so far, none of her clones found anything from any pantheon.
[Ophis?]
It was her third guess. A being like the Ouroboros Dragon could easily teleport someone without leaving a trace. It wasn't an unfounded thought. There's been rumours and traces of Ophis on Earth, but that was all it were—rumours.
Besides, what would a Great Dragon God be doing kidnapping children? Aurelia briefly once more considered some gods could be involved, perhaps some that moved covertly, but the list of suspects was too long and with no reasonable motive, she couldn't move any further.
"Enough. If we want any hope of finding Asia, Igor needs to be involved."
The five minutes she'd given to Sirzechs and Ajuka were up. Giving them more time didn't cross her mind for she'd done great disservice to Igor by not informing him immediately.
On one hand, he deserved to know yet on the other, she truly didn't want to disrupt his training and involve him in this. It's just…the enemy's capabilities went far beyond their reach and she wasn't confident Asia would be found without his help.
Nandi was very clear three years ago that Igor was in a crucial period of his life. He didn't say much, but apparently Igor was undergoing some sort of extremely rare evolutionary process, but she couldn't see any other alternative. If they wanted to find Asia quickly, Igor was the only option they had.
Diodora was the likely culprit, so as long as anything containing his energy signature was given to Igor, he could find him. That, she was confident of.
.
|DxD|
.
Mount Kailasa, Gangdise Mountain Range, Tibet Region
.
The month of April was Summer for most Asian countries. The sweltering heat was not comfortable to regions situated closer to the equator, but it was far better than the blistering cold.
Aurelia teleported to the Gangdise Mountain Range where the true Mount Kailasa lay. Followers of Shiva would come here if they wished to seek the blessings of the God of Destruction. Compared to the rosy weather on the mountain near India's border, the weather here was anything but hospitable.
Temperatures hovered around the single digits in degrees Celsius. It was Summer yet in midday, it would barely go beyond 12 degrees Celsius. It was the less-travelled part and the one she was told to come to if there was ever any trouble.
The mountain often referred to as the Little Kailasa was where followers of Parvati convened to receive the blessings of the Mother Goddess. It saw rather occasional visitors due to its developed routes and accommodating weather, a stark contrast to the true Mount Kailasa.
Anyone wishing to receive the blessings of the God of Destruction had to endure a perilous journey fraught with freezing temperatures and steep inclines often slippery from the snow. The number of lives claimed by the mountain discouraged many visitors, making it the agreed-upon meeting point set by Nandi.
Aurelia was supposed to come here seven years from now. She had no clue at what stage of his training Igor would be and if he was in the condition to move. She held fear the news would affect his emotional state so much it would impact his training.
Divulging news of Asia's kidnapping needed to be done carefully. Words had to be calculated and she needed to keep him as calm as possible.
That was the thought process Aurelia had when she left the Underworld. Before making her presence known, she planned to compose her thoughts and plan out her words. What she never expected…
Vwong!
…was to see Igor standing right there.
"?!"
*Badump*
Her eyes widened all while her heart lodged itself in her throat. A feeling of weightlessness compounded in her stomach.
He was looking at her. It wasn't a glance nor was it casual. It wasn't the look that came from seeing an old friend. His gaze was deeper. Those blue eyes she often dreamt of seeing peeled her apart layer by layer.
She could feel his desire for her, how deep he missed and wished to hold her. The soul never lies. Right in that moment, she was his whole world…and it pained her.
How? Just how does she tell him that Asia was taken? How does she break it to him? She knew Igor's love for his precious little sister. Asia was his very first soul-link. She feared how he'd react if he…if he—
"Aurelia?"
"…"
She wished…she wished he wasn't here right now. She…she was not prepared for this. She couldn't do it. Would he be disappointed? Would he be angry at her? She entrusted her to take care of his little sisters and she failed.
*Drip…* *Drip…*
She didn't know when it started, but she was pulled from her thoughts by the feeling of her chest becoming damp. Tears trickled down her cheeks like droplets of rain. He never asked much from her. The only time he sincerely requested something from her…
'With me gone, people are bound to notice. People of all races will want a piece of me, you know? Hehe~. I guess those are the 'perks' of being strong. I wouldn't worry myself, but I do worry about my little sisters.'
…the only time he showed just how torn apart he was from having to leave his family behind…
'Aurelia. You can do whatever you want in my name. I trust you with that. But please…'
…the only time she ever heard him beg.
'Protect my sisters, Lia. They're not strong enough, not for those monsters out there.'
*Drip* *Drip*
I'm sorry. I…I failed you…]
The tears poured down her cheeks. She couldn't meet his gaze. She couldn't accept his worry. She didn't deserve his concern.
"Who."
"…"
Once more, she was forced to disappoint him by not replying. His question was commanding, but she didn't have the willpower to respond. It was her fault. Asia's disappearance? It was her fault entirely. She should've known someone would take this chance to target them. Instead of taking all necessary precautions, she chose to remain in Kuoh like the overconfident idiot she was.
Three years of peace made her arrogant, and this was the price she—no, Asia had to pay because she underestimated their enemies.
"I'm sorry, Igor. Asia…Asia's been kidnapped."
"..."
Igor's eyes turned hollow. It was as if the world suddenly ceased to exist. Aurelia could only helplessly watch his energy seemingly flowed normally as he processed the information…before it rapidly started to fluctuate.
"What?"
His question was quiet. It was his probe, his one last final chance at giving her a chance to tell him everything was a joke. Aurelia stared deep into those red eyes. The demonic undertone in his voice was clear—he was very close to losing his sanity.
"I-I'm…I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."
She couldn't look at him. The guilt overwhelmed her and to her eternal regret, she couldn't withstand his harsh gaze. Those eyes that lost their light to a crimson darkness terrified her. That ocean of serenity turned into lava of rage…and it was all her fault.
"I'm really sorry, Igor."
Vwong!
She retreated—no, she ran away. She ran away with tears in her eyes. It was cowardly. It was shameful. Her actions were worthy of being spat upon, but when she looked into those eyes, those crimson orbs shaking in budding rage, she found herself unable to stand in his presence.
A failure like her…she wasn't worthy of his forgiveness.
.
|DxD|
.
Anger—that was all that clouded Igor's mind. Pure and unadulterated anger festered through him like water through a sponge. Dark tainted nature energy mixed with vile crimson aura radiating deep killing intent. Aurelia's words, her shocking revelation—all of it concocted into a manifestation of insanity that assaulted his mind like a tsunami.
It was fortunate she was not there to see such a sight. Coherent thoughts did not exist in his mind. Asia was his reverse scale and the singular moment he neglected checking the Underworld, she was taken.
Whoever was responsible, he would kill, kill, KILL!!! ALL OF THEM WOULD DI—
"Ssshhhh…"
There was no transition or sign of movement. One moment, Igor was seething in a fiery pillar of anger. His fists were clenched so tight his knuckles had turned white. The ground had cracked like glass and the region was drenched in the aura of death.
Yet in an instant, a golden radiance shattered the oppressive aura and amalgamation of hatred enveloping the mountain. Parvati pulled Igor into a hug and calmed him with her gentle aura.
"Listen to my voice, Igor. Mindless rage will not help you find your sister, alright? I want you to come back to me."
If Igor went to the Underworld in his state, there was no need to guess. His arrival would be marked with blood. Just his killing intent alone would make anyone below Ultimate Class commit suicide.
"Remember what I taught you, Igor."
Her voice held a more commanding tone. She slowly channeled her calming energy into his body. Combined with her words, she was steadily reigning him in.
"Asia…"
The dark 'strings' of tainted energy mixing with his aura slowly vanished, but the power of his demi-ki still maintained its ferocious intensity.
"Asia!!!"
*Flicker* *Flicker*
Igor tried using his Instant Transmission, but his form could barely flicker away before Parvati's divinity bound him here.
"Let me go!"
A vicious, almost demonic snarl escaped his throat. The whites of his eyes turned dark black for a moment before they reverted back to normal.
"I SAID LET ME GO!!!!!"
"Not until you calm down."
*Glare!*
"..."
Igor's sharp hateful gaze caused a twinge of sadness to bloom in her heart. He was doing all he could to muster his energy, but she kept it suppressed with her divinity. It hurt that she had to resort to such methods, but she reminded herself she was doing this for his own good.
"Please listen to me, Igor."
She moved her hands from his back and attempted to cup his face. She was grateful he didn't resist.
"Your goal is to find your little sister."
"I'll kill them."
He spoke through gritted teeth. Parvati's divinity worked to remove most of the vitriol within him, but no amount of divinity would ever diminish his desire to erase everyone responsible.
"As you should, Igor. But remember. Such matters are secondary."
Parvati spoke in a commanding tone of voice. It was a complete contrast to her usual kind and soft personality—as if the God of Destruction would take a weakling as his wife.
"Your first priority regardless of circumstance is to secure the scene and track down your sister. Am I understood, Igor?"
"..."
Igor said nothing nor did he nod, but the weakening of his resistance indicated he understood. His flailing hair slowly lowered alongside his steadily diminishing aura, but it never truly settled. Parvati figured this was the best she could do and if she delayed him any longer, he might truly snap with no reprieval.
"Remember. Protect Akeno and find Asia. Everything else is secondary."
She gave him her advice and let him go. Her face remained stern yet confident. She always worried about him, but now was the time to give him guidance before he committed a grave mistake.
"Igor?"
No response. She had completely let him go and it was a good sign his aura didn't explode nor did he leave for the Underworld immediately. It showed he atleast listened to her words.
"Find Asia. That is your only goal."
"...understood."
The anger, the shock, the pain—it was all still there, but Parvati was right. Losing himself in a swirl of emotions would only delay in finding Asia.
"I will find Asia. Everything else is secondary."
Tswii!
.
AN
.
Shit has hit the fan, or it would've if it weren't for Parvati. That swift de-escalation likely prevented unnecessary bloodshed. The Satans screwed up…somehow since we aren't really clear how Asia managed to be kidnapped. Swiping someone mid-teleportation isn't something that can be done by just anyone.
This chapter was completed yesterday, but it was close to 22:00 by the time I was done and I try to avoid making edits or chapter improvements when sleep becomes the foremost thought in my mind. It's a lack of time managements on my part.
I've scoured for as many typos and corrected a few like 'telported', but I may have missed some. If you do find any, let me know in the comments (Review section for Fanfiction.net).
Thanks for reading and until tomorrow.