[Impressive. Combining the tainted nature energy with his ki to create something like this? Truly, creativity is inspired by emotion. Unfortunately…]


    Shiva extended a finger forward.


    [...I cannot allow this to continue.]


    He touched the sphere with a finger and in an instant, it was destroyed.


    Fuuuuu


    .


    |DxD|


    .


    “...”


    Confusion and rage clouded Igor’s mind. He did not expect that the attack he put so much effort and energy into would suddenly disappear without a trace. His face contorted into a vicious snarl, his senses violently spreading out in search of whoever did this. He knew someone was responsible…and they revealed themselves.


    Igor remained floating in the air, his angered gaze focused on the person who decimated his sphere. He recognised it was Shiva and he knew that the god was powerful, much more powerful than him. He never saw the man’s power, but his instincts never lied to him. He was aware that even with his current strength, he would pose no challenge to Shiva whatsoever.


    Yet he was so clouded by anger and hatred that he couldn’t help but bellow out.


    “Why?! Why did you do that?!”


    It had taken him a lot of effort to create an attack like that. It contained all of his hatred and determination to wipe out the Himejima. Just like how the sphere was dark, so was his heart. All the killing intent he harboured was used in nurturing the instrument that would ensure that the Himejima clan would be erased from existence. For it to be suddenly erased like that truly made him angry.


    Usually, Shiva would never tolerate disrespect. The God of Destruction had lived far, far too long to be addressed so casually by someone as young as Igor. And today was no exception.


    Appearing in front of the redhead, he glared at him right in the eye.


    “Your desire for vengeance is understandable. But it will not come at the cost of the planet itself. Do you understand me?”


    There was silence for a brief moment as Igor’s face contorted into one of confusion.


    “...”


    He was lost. His anger was temporarily suppressed by the Shiva’s words. He absolutely had no clue what the planet had to do with everything.


    “Pla…net?”


    Shiva was stern.


    “Yes. Had I not interfered, this entire planet would’ve been brought to ruin by your actions.”


    Silence…


    It was as if the anger in his heart was ripped out of him. Igor never considered that his attack could potentially destroy Earth. Hearing this from Shiva of all people truly shocked him to the core. It was not that he cared about the planet, but the people that lived on it.


    His mind couldn’t help but think of Asia, Vasco, Sun Wukong, and Akeno. All of them lived on this planet and the last thing he wanted to do was inadvertently kill them. The thought itself alone was like a basin of cold water that significantly dampened his killing intent.


    His hands began trembling as his mind gradually reached its breaking point. The events of today had taken a great toll on him. From narrowly failing to save Akeno’s life, to actually failing to save Shuri’s life, these events had taken a great toll on his mind. Losing Shuri had already brought him towards the edge of insanity.


    But the fact that his actions brought about by rage could’ve killed everyone he cared about threatened to topple him over the edge.


    “No. No no no no no. I…I didn’t mean to- IT WASN’T MY INTENTION!”


    He appeared to be talking to himself more than trying to justify himself to Shiva. All the emotions he felt in such a short timeframe were wreaking havoc on his mentality. The fact that he was so close to killing the very few people he cared for traumatised him to the core.


    It slowly occurred to him that he was so blinded by anger and hatred that his seemingly justifiable action of vengeance would’ve ended in his heart being completely crushed. He would never be able to live with himself if he found out that his actions had caused everyone he knew and cared about to die.


    His mind gradually began descending into a downward spiral of possible outcomes that could’ve happened, the cataclysmic events that could’ve resulted had Shiva not been there. The faces of Vasco, Sun Wukong, Akeno, and Asia played through his mind.


    “Haaa…Haaa…Haaa…Haaa…”


    His breaths started getting heavy as he descended into a panic attack. He didn’t know how to process all of this. His mind was working far too fast for him to bring himself under control. His aura was fluctuating with his breaths, his mind gradually descending into-


    SLAP!


    Shiva gave the blonde a good one before speaking.


    “The fact that you realise the potential consequences of your actions make me believe there is still some hope for you. So, let me offer you some advice.”


    He then grabbed Igor by the shoulder.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    “Vengeance is not wrong. However, do not let it cloud your mind. The act of revenge is not for the hot-blooded, but for the cold-hearted.”


    Shiva looked down at the Himejima clan. He could see the panic down there as various members of the clan ran in many directions. He discreetly set up a barrier that would prevent them from leaving for no other reason than he felt like it.


    He then looked up again, his hand still on Igor’s shoulder.


    “Do not pursue vengeance for satisfaction, but for equality. You may not have experienced this, but revenge rarely brings satisfaction. At times, it may bring closure. But often times, it leaves you empty. They…”


    He pointed down to the clan with one hand.


    “...have taken from you what is important. Therefore you must do the same. But do not do it in the pursuit of satisfaction, but of resolving the status quo.”


    He let go of Igor’s shoulder and gave him some space.


    “However…”


    He smiled lightly.


    “...it is up to you to decide how many lives will be worth the one you lost. It is said that the value of a life is within the eye of the beholder.”


    “...”


    Igor looked down as well and his heart gradually began to surge with calm, cold anger. Shiva’s words had the effect of calming him down and letting him see the bigger picture. This time, he didn’t let himself go crazy after sensing their energy signatures. Instead, his gaze turned cold yet his mind stayed focused like all the times it did during his time on the battlefield. His heart retained the desire for vengeance yet was no longer clouded nor dominated by it.


    He kept his gaze on the clan, his power gradually surging.


    “Thank you, Lord Shiva.”


    Igor had a newfound respect for the god that came from deep within his heart.


    “Shuri Himejima was a person I considered dear to me. Their lives aren’t even worth a single finger on her hand. But…”


    Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su Su


    “... I will still exterminate them all.”


    Su!


    Like lightning, he descended down upon the Himejima clan and his landing…was not light.


    BOOOM


    A massive plume of dust and rubble rose up following his landing. Yet while the dust cloud hid his figure, it did very little to hide the immense pressure and killing intent he was releasing.


    FUUUSHH


    There was absolute silence. The Himejima members who were running around like headless chickens stood still in that very moment. It was so quiet that their collective heartbeats were loud enough to be heard. There were thousands of men in the massive compound, yet all of them had lost their will to fight.


    Soon, the dust cloud gradually cleared to reveal the fiery figure of Igor with his blazing aura. With a head full of red and tanned skin, no one would be wrong to call him a deliquent. It was especially the case with his unbuttoned navy coat exposing his chest and his casual way of dressing with long pants and sandals.


    But they couldn’t ignore the dried blood on his body. They couldn’t ignore the enlarged muscles on his body. The bulging veins all over his body were coursing with anger-fueled power that just a moment ago, created a large enough attack to end the entire bloodline on the spot. Yet looking into those pupil-less eyes oozing with cold killing intent, the very few that were able to think couldn’t help but wish the former had happened. Anything…absolutely anything was better than looking at those eyes.


    Igor looked at each member of the Himejima clan with a seemingly uninterested gaze. But that was because he was screening them for the leader. He did not want to kill all of them…yet. His pride demanded that he do more than just kill them. It demanded that he crush their hearts and bring them to despair, just like how his heart was crushed and his mind brought into despair. And the best way to do that was to find the leader.


    Leaders were the light of followers and the same is true for the opposite. He wanted to find the leader, to find the patriarch, and then make them watch as he slaughters his followers in front of him. Not only would the subdued leader bring the followers into despair, the leader would also be brought closer to the realm of insanity.


    At this point in time, he was able to pick out who was the leader from experience. After three years of fighting, he could tell that a leader necessarily isn’t the strongest person. It’s the one who everyone unconsciously flickers their eyes to. It’s the one who naturally bears the resemblance of a leader, the one with the straightest back.


    The one, with the deepest gaze.


    “Found you.”


    Shiiing…*puchi!*


    In an instant, Igor released a long aura blade from his finger and pierced the elderly man he instantly identified as the patriarch. The elderly male had tried to be somewhat discreet, but he couldn’t hide from the redhead.


    Igor calmly gazed into the man’s eyes and asked one simple question.


    “You are…Suou Himejima?”


    Suou Himejima, an elderly man who had witnessed two major world wars defiantly gazed at Igor, even with his stomach pierced.


    “Yes. I am the Patriarch of the Himejima Clan, Himejima Suou-”


    GRUUUU!


    As calm as Igor tried to be, he couldn’t stop his power from fluctuating in anger. His face morphed into a barely-restrained snarl that threatened to release the beast within. Suou’s arrogant introduction roused Igor’s rampant desire to raise his hand by a few centimetres and bisect the man in half. But he didn’t want to, not yet. Killing Suou this quickly wouldn’t do.


    He calmed his heart and his aura followed suit.


    “I see.”


    Even if all of Igor’s vitals were visible, none of the Himejima dared to take the chance. They didn’t even dare utter a peep, such was the sheer difference in power. As loyal as they were to Suou, they all had witnessed the power Igor possessed. They had evacuated the women and children into underground bunkers in order to fight. Yet their will vanished the moment that giant sphere came crashing down on them. Any illusions of resistance had disappeared the moment that soul-crushing pressure descended upon their clan. Ideals and loyalty would never trump instinct and right now, their instincts were telling them to not even move despite their leader suffering fatal damage in front of them.


    So Igor was unhindered even as he walked forward towards Suou.


    *Clack* *Clack* *Clack* *Clack* *Clack*


    He casually walked on the cobblestone while the rest of the men backed even further away, not daring to make eye contact. Like a school of fish parting before a shark, Igor walked unimpeded towards his target.


    The length of the aura blade shrunk with the closing of the distance between the two of them, yet Suou could not move because the blade had severed his spine. Whether it was intentional or not, Igor had lengthened the blade just long enough that it would pierce through his spine, yet not even damage the back of his skin.


    It was a miracle how the Suou could keep his composure despite being crippled on the spot by such a casual action. But he had to. Suou knew he was the pillar that could not break. He could not afford to lose composure in front of the members of his clan. And so he didn’t avert his eyes from Igor.


    Igor walked forward uncaringly and eventually, stood right in front of Suou. His gaze was dark, his pupil-less eyes appearing like a white abyss into nothingness. Even without pupils, his killing intent could not be hidden. The only difference now from before was it was cold…extremely cold.


    Suou would shiver if he could. A trace of sweat appeared on his face, his will crumbling in front of the coldness he felt. The longer he stared, the more his resolve weakened. The instinct to panic was gradually becoming harder and harder to suppress. The only reason he wasn’t flinging fireballs out of desperation was because Igor’s ki had spread throughout his body and paralysed his ability to draw upon the power of fire. Suou was angry about this and he wished to burn Igor right down to cinders.


    But the next lines Igor delivered would make him regret his every action.


    “Suou Himejima. Since you took Aunty Shuri from me, I will take everyone from you. And you will watch.”


    .


    AN


    .


    If you’re interested in reading ahead, here’s the link:  <u>patreon.com/HolyGambler</u></a>


    Today is Friday and I’ll come back with a chapter on Sunday. Thank you for reading my work and I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for the encouraging comments, though the ones from the previous chapter scared me a bit.