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!
.
|DxD|
.
Rating Games Administrative Building, Underworld
.
A massive luxurious building formed the core of the Rating Games Arena. It was multi-level mega-structure modernized with the Underworld's latest technology and defensive measures. It resembled a large school campus with multiple different departments and floors solely dedicated to delivering the best experience and ensuring the safety of heirs and spectators alike.
Large banquet halls were filled with tables of food and socialising devils of various nobility and repute. But what was expected to be a chorus of laughter and conversation had turned into hushed whispers. Rumours had begun circulating around. Asia Argento, the little sister of Igor von Dimori, had been kidnapped. The amount of gossip from this little tidbit of information was more than enough to arouse everyone's curiosity.
Some devils believed the news to be fake. Who'd dare kidnap their ally's sibling? But the sighting of elite operatives rounding up all suspicious parties for investigations steadily proved the rumours to be true.
The minutes passed by with palpable unease. No matter how many years passed, no one had any illusions of Igor's strength. His power alone could be felt through dimensions, something no Maou has ever been recorded of doing. A majority of the Underworld focused more on political repercussions, but a few took to going online and posting what they thought to be reality.
Igor von Dimori was very strong. He was the disciple of Lord Shiva, meaning he had the Hindu Pantheon behind him. His strength alone was already ridiculous, meaning his teacher's strength must be higher than initially estimated. Some believed Shiva was on par with the two great dragons.
So the point stands—Igor was stronger than their satans. If Asia Argento was found dead, could they withstand his wrath? Could they withstand with the Hindu's wrath? It truly put into perspective what it meant to walk with a tiger. The devils had gained immense benefits from working with Igor and Aurelia, yet all of that could be rendered null if they didn't find Asia in time.
.
|DxD|
.
Rating Games Building
.
The administrative department was in pandemonium. Stacks of documents and digital log sheets were scoured through in haste. Superiors barked orders at their subordinates to find every single clue related to Diodora's location.
The frantic typing of keyboards and the spawning of magic circles were commonplace. Logs from cameras, barriers, and eyewitness accounts were all processed with astonishing efficiency. They couldn't afford to be complacent. A dignitary was kidnapped under their care and it was of utmost importance she was found.
Time dragged on and there was still no sign of Diodora. Any locations he might've frequented had long since been raided clean. His diary and any personal belongings were sent to the intelligence department for tracking and analysis.
The swiftness of the Devils' response to Asia's kidnapping was worthy of admiration. The city and the Underworld at large were in a state of lockdown. Searches were conducted throughout multiple territories and divination magic was utilised to its greatest extent.
In less than five minutes, the manhunt for Diodora Astaroth had reached unprecedented levels. Billboards, announcements, and wanted posters across all media platforms spanned the Underworld. The younger brother of Ajuka Beelzebub had kidnapped the younger sister of Dimori. But what was more shocking was the bounty on Diodora's head, specifically the requirements. Dead or alive—those were the conditions.
Maou Beelzebub declared his own sibling a terrorist beyond mercy. Such an action went completely against logic. In normal cases, family would protect each other, but who could imagine Ajuka's disgust towards Diodora?
In a cleared-out private lounging area away from the hustle and bustle, the green-haired satan was frustrated beyond reason. A large magic circle on the floor briefly glowed green before it dimmed in failure. Divination magic was an obscure magic branch for one reason—only gods had the capability to use it to its fullest potential.
For a mortal without divine energy to use such a branch, precious resources would be needed if they wished to reach a god's capability. It was fortunate the Underworld's diversity allowed the cultivation of such resources.
[What am I doing wrong?]
Unfortunately, there was never a guarantee it would work. Ajuka had consumed what would amount to ten sets of Evil Pieces just fueling this circle alone. From the moment he began until now, he could not find his brother, at least not completely.
[The path heads West before something forcefully stops it.]
Operatives have long since been sent to the coordinates where the spell ends, but there was no trace of anything. No separate dimension, no dwelling—just nothing. No amount of scanning revealed anything abnormal.
[Another attempt will be useless if this current state of affairs continues.]
Ajuka stood up straight and stared at the circle in thought. In the darkened room, the circle steadily glowed and dimmed like a slow heartbeat. The blue colour would illuminate his face every few seconds, each time showing various stages of his pondering.
The divination circle was on standby mode, but that wouldn't be the case for long. That went doubly so for the amount of time Aurelia had given him. How nice it would be if he didn't share blood with his brother.
[Think, Ajuka. I've executed the proper steps required with the necessary precision. What factor could be causing the spell to fail?]
It's been over half-a-century since he last used this circle, but his memory wasn't so bad that he'd forget the procedure.
[I've sanitized the room to prevent interference. The resources have been ensured to be of the highest order. My reserves of energy are more than adequate. So if it isn't an internal factor, could it be an external one?]
After attempting the spell three times in a row, each attempt with increasingly stringent checks, the possibility of an external factor became more and more convincing.
Ajuka paced on the tiled floor in thought. Ways of interfering with divine magic existed, but they all essentially bordered down to two methods—possession of conceptual power or strength higher than the caster.
Diodora was no god nor was he powerful. Ajuka firmly knew that much. His…'brother', was no powerhouse in hiding.
[The inclusion of other forces in this kidnapping is now a firm possibility.]
He hoped a wayward god was part of this kidnapping. If someone stronger than him or Sirzechs assisted in this kidnapping, then it was a foregone conclusion Igor would need to be involved.
[Perhaps we could negotiate with Indra's son—no.]
Ajuka halted that thought before it could fester. It made him look bad enough when he asked for some time. Implying he wanted to bypass Igor and speak to his friend would make him seem more incompetent and afraid.
Sigh…
Ajuka cancelled the spell and walked towards the door. Time was already up and he'd done all he could. Taking responsibility and informing Igor was the next line on the list of accountability measures. He just hoped the blonde wouldn't erupt in rage and kill the innocent as a consequence.
[I should travel with Aurelia. Breaking the news to him requires the utmost care. I dare not imagine how volatile he will be.]
He unhooked his coat off the rack and stepped through the door. There was a chance Igor would try taking out his anger on him, but he was sure he could use his Kankara Formula to dissolve most of the damage Igor could inflict on him. He hadn't quite tested it on demi-ki since Igor was currently the only known user, but he'd studied enough of it.
[Now then, let's get this out of…?!]
Ajuka suddenly looked up in shock. He sensed Aurelia teleporting through the barrier BACK to the Underworld. He wasn't aware of her departure since he isolated himself. So did that…did it mean she already…
"Damnit."
Vwong!
.
|DxD|
.
A few moments earlier…
.
Aurelia's departure from the Underworld was not a secret to Falbium or Sirzechs. When in lockdown, any cross-dimensional teleportation will be sensed by the Maou attuned to the barrier. The fact that Aurelia departed without informing anyone could be guessed as her attempt to bring Igor.
A swift response was needed if that was truly the case. Spatial barriers were primed and ready for the moment Igor arrived. That way if he destroyed the city, it would be a fake one and no lives would be lost.
Everyone in the building was evacuated via an emergency mass-teleportation spell. The spectators, administrators, personnel, and all nobles were sent away to a specially chosen location where Grayfia and other members of Sirzechs's peerage would handle them.
Even a single life lost would completely destroy any possibility of reconciliation. And as much as Sirzechs appreciated the alliance, he would not want to establish one again if innocent civilians were killed.
"Will we need Serafall for this?"
Sirzechs spoke with a slightly helpless smile. In the room, only him, Falbium, Shuri, and Akeno remained. His younger sister and her peerage were all teleported away.
"It's too soon to say. However if the worst does come to be, it would help if a Satan were to remain to take the reins."
Falbium spoke with a grave seriousness in his tone. The bald satan known for his laziness knew how volatile Igor could be from a few case reports. Baraquiel was one such example.
"Don't be so pessimistic Falbi. I'm sure the situation isn't that dire."
Sirzechs maintained a smile, yet one could feel his energy primed and ready for anything.
"Sirzechs-san. Falbium-san. While Asia's disappearance has us all in varying moods, please trust in Dimori-kun's self-control."
Shuri quietly spoke from her position. She held Akeno at her side and gently stroked her cheeks.
"If you are not responsible, he will not turn his blade against you."
"Indeed. Hopefully that will be the case."
Vwong!
"Ah. Aurelia-san is back."
Sirzechs felt the woman appear in her office, yet she made no moves to come to them. He was unsure why she didn't convene with them, but before he could go and check, another teleportation circle formed.
Vwong!
"Oh? You came quite quickly, Ajuka. From your reaction, I surmise your…?"
The frown on his friend's face was more than telling of his failure. He wanted to know how from Aurelia how her talk with Igor went, but that could wait for a while. Though, considering he hadn't felt any large fluctuations of power on Earth meant to an extent, Igor kept his wits.
"What happened, Ajuka? This seems to be more than just a simple failure."
Falbium also focused his gaze on Ajuka. Everyone was watching him. Shuri and especially Akeno seemed to be worried in particular. Ajuka's grave expression wasn't the most comforting in such trying times—
Dakaang~
The door opened to reveal…Aurelia? The shining beauty of the Underworld looked positively grief-stricken. Her eyes were red from crying and her energy was barely stable. She looked like a shadow of her former self, prompting the room into an uncomfortable silence.
"Nee-chan!"
Akeno scrambled from her mother's grasp and grabbed Aurelia's hand. The little lass looked at her older sister with a pleading look, barely allowing her to step past the door frame.
"Please! Please tell me what nii-chan said! Please tell me he said he'd find Asia!"
"..."
Aurelia could barely meet such a sorrowed look. Her eyes trailed past Akeno's and focused on Ajuka. There was a table with kettle and tea in the middle of the room, yet it did not look as inviting as it did prior.
"Ajuka. You have news?"
"..."
Akeno's grip on Aurelia's hand slackened. Her refusal to answer made her feel as if she was all alone. Was she the only one who wanted to find Asia? Why wasn't anyone giving her answers?!
"Ssshh."
Shuri placed a comforting hand on her back and rubbed it gently. Asia's disappearance hurt them all, but it hurt her daughter more.
"We will find Asia, Akeno. Now let's listen to what Ajuka-san has to say."
Shuri levelled a look at the man. She hoped the news he had wasn't too terrible. As long as their little blonde still drew breath, everything else could be solved.
"Listen, everyone. This concerns Asia."
Ajuka looked at everyone from his central position. All eyes were on him including Aurelia. Her tear-stricken eyes were looking…pleading with him to not deliver even worse news. He would fail her silent request.
"Whoever aided Diodora in taking Asia is possibly a powerful enemy or some other higher existence. Considering our inability to locate a single devil, that possibility is all the more likely. In short, Diodora may just be a pawn in this whole plan."
Ajuka dropped a bombshell in front of the parties present. Given the circumstances, it made sense. There was no chance a single noble child could kidnap a dignitary without external assistance. Sirzechs had entertained the thought of the Old Satan Faction being Diodora's aids, but Ajuka's revelation unleashed new food for thought.
He gripped the table, causing the wood to crack as his expression turned dark.
"We need Serafall here now. The seriousness of this issue requires the presence of all four Satans."
"I'll do it."
Aurelia stepped forward to volunteer, but Ajuka raised his hand and stopped her.
"No. You need to remain here in case Igor arrives. You three are the only ones who can placate him in the worst case scenario. Besides you, only I can safely awaken Serafall from her capsule—"
Perhaps it was divine intervention. Perhaps they wasted too much time talking, but the very familiar high-pitched sound of space being torn made itself known.
Tswii!
.
|DxD|
.
Power could influence the world. When power moves, reactions will occur in response to that power. A wave and a tsunami could invoke completely different reactions. One is treated casually whilst the other can prompt a city-wide evacuation.
Power—just by existing, could force others to adopt precautionary measures as a response. Precautionary measures for a mouse and an elephant would never be the same in both scale and depth.
Igor was such an entity. Just by existing, precautions had to exist in response to a change in his emotions or allegiances. An uncontrolled emotional upheaval from him had far more consequences than a normal teenager's. One would flip over a table. The other would flip over continental landmasses.
When Igor arrived, Ajuka, Sirzechs, and Falbium swiftly reacted and observed him with grim expressions.
Red aura surrounded him like the embers of a flame. His fists were clenched tightly, yet no outward pressure swept everything into oblivion. Eyes like burning coal regarded the three in front of him with an eery calmness, like staring into the muzzle of a gun.
Igor's arrival ushered the room into a tense silence. His back was to the trio of women behind him. Shuri held Akeno with a strong grip preventing her little girl from rushing forward. The Vermillion Bird inside her was screeching at her to be cautious.
Aurelia on the other hand looked on with regret and self-loathing. It was the first time she'd seen Igor so angry. He didn't show it on his face. He looked positively calm, but she could feel it in his aura, in their shared soul link.
He kept calm and she was thankful he wasn't on the precipice of absolute rage. Indeed, Igor kept 'calm' like Parvati told him. Nature energy aided him in suppressing the worst of his emotional desire to lash out and destroy everything. What he needed the most was a cool head.
The walls were lined with magical inscriptions that glowed on stand-by. He eyed them warily, swiftly reading the little runic writings that described the purpose of these inscriptions.
It didn't take him long to understand their function and while it might sound fun to test his Instant Transmission against this spatial barrier, there were far more pressing matters to attend to. Barely a second had passed since his arrival, nor would he allow it to pass in silence.
"Start talking."
No greetings. No pleasantries. He didn't look at Akeno, Shuri, or Aurelia. His eyes were solely on the satans in front him. He kept his calm like Parvati asked, as much as he could anyway. It was impossible for him to remain detached when his precious little sister was taken from him.
"We suspect a rogue organization has kidnapped Asia by using my younger brother as a proxy. Attempts at divination magic using my brother's belongings fail."
Ajuka was the one who spoke when it seemed Sirzechs was still under mild shock. It was understandable. Igor was not known for his ability to stay calm when anything remotely included his family.
"However, I've discovered enough to know he's west of here."
Ajuka took a step forward and handed Igor Diodora's Evil Pieces which were in a box along with his noble coat.
"You have higher perceptive capabilities so I hope these items belonging to my brother can help you."
When Igor reached out to grab them, Ajuka didn't let go. He instead looked the man in the eye. He did not flinch from those cold eyes nor did he yield when Igor's impatience started to show. The blonde did not want to waste another moment here, but Ajuka would not let him go until he got these words out.
"Diodora Astaroth is a criminal of the Underworld. Whilst he is indeed my brother, I will not begrudge you should you kill him. That…vermin, has stained both my name and my family's name beyond pardon."
The killing intent in Ajuka's eyes was palpable. This wasn't him placating Igor. This wasn't him sacrificing Diodora. This was him abolishing all ties towards a self-absorbed scum of a sibling who should've been killed the moment he was found to be kidnapping and raping virgin nuns of the church.
"..."
'Remember. Your goal is to find Asia.'
Igor took a breath and closed his eyes momentarily before opening them. He looked at the items Ajuka had given him. Already he was committing the scent and energy signature to memory. Whether Diodora was in the Underworld or not, he would find him.
"Fine."
Ajuka's proactiveness seemed to calm Igor down by a few margins. The seriousness of the situation didn't de-escalate, but the chances of violence from him did lower significantly.
"I'll find this Diodora and my sister. In the meantime, take care of my family. Can I trust you with that?"
This time, he didn't just look at Ajuka. He looked at Sirzechs and Falbium too. Aurelia and Shuri could take care of themselves. He could tell that much from their aura, but he didn't want to risk it.
"We shall do so, Dimori-san. We also do apologize for our oversight and will be sure to deliver any penance—"
"Now is not the time for politics, Lucifer!"
Igor outright glared at the man with eyes filled with venom. His outburst caused the cups to crash against the wall. Yet just as quickly, he calmed down. Triny's aid in channeling large amounts of nature energy in his body kept him from pinning the man against the wall.
It was infuriating, but he needed someone to protect his people while he was gone. As much as he'd hate to admit it, Sirzechs and Ajuka were the strongest after him.
"Can you protect my family—yes or no?"
A simple question. He needed assurance and Sirzechs was more than willing to provide it.
"Yes. I promise this in my name as a Maou."
"..."
He spared a glance at Aurelia. She avoided his gaze. The same happened with Shuri. Asia was kidnapped right under their noses so they were feeling guilty. Akeno…she looked at him with a gaze full of hope. Her silent plea told him all he needed to hear.
"I'll find Akeno."
Tswii!
.
AN
.
I found some typos in this chapter after I decided on doing one final check. This makes me paranoid since I believe there might be typos in previous chapters. If you did spot any, be they in previous chapters or this one, please comment with a brief extract of the exact sentence and I'll handle it before the next upload.
Thanks for reading and until the next chapter.