Those same eyes that she found cute just a few minutes prior now held a higher profound meaning. She understood what those eyes had seen and had been forced to endure.


    She couldn’t hold it anymore.


    “Dimori-kun…”


    When she thought of all the things Igor did for her, felt for her, her heart couldn’t help but melt.


    With misty eyes, she wrapped her arms around him.


    “Thank you.”


    .


    |DxD|


    .


    “Eh?”


    Igor was surprised at Shuri’s sudden show of affection for him. It was unexpected due to how just a few moments ago, they were more or less like strangers. For her to suddenly initiate such an intimate act briefly stunned him.


    But eventually, he raised his head from her chest and looked into her eyes.


    “Aunty?”


    Shuri pulled back a bit from him and placed a finger on his lips.


    “Shush. Let me hold you a bit longer.”


    She then pulled him back into her embrace like before. It was warm and for a moment, his mind felt true peace.


    [Aunty is still aunty.]


    With his head buried in her chest, the blonde also returned the hug. His growth spurt wouldn’t come in for the next few years so he was still just slightly shorter than her. But feeling her touch, his lips stretched into a joyous smile.


    So instead of remaining still, he picked Shuri up and spun around with her.


    “Ah?”


    Shuri was rightfully surprised, but her eyes then caught sight of Igor’s cheery smile. It was bright and wide like the sun itself. His smile was infectious and she gradually found herself descending into a fit of giggles.


    “Fufufufu~”


    Igor on the other hand was very happy. He did not know what Shuri saw in his memories that made her suddenly act like this and he didn’t care. Overthinking things was not his forte. All he had in his mind was to enjoy this brief moment of respite. He laughed along with her and enjoyed this sweet reunion with her. This continued for a few seconds before he slowed down.


    Gently putting Shuri down, he looked at her right in the eye, his hands on her waist.


    “I am very happy today.”


    Without his eyes wavering in the slightest, he told her how he truly felt from the bottom of his heart with a smile.


    *Badump*


    Shuri was momentarily enraptured by that pure, and innocent gaze. She could feel he was genuine and it touched her heart. All it took was her existing to make him smile like this. Her mind briefly flashed back to how much anger was in those eyes, how much power he wielded and the killing intent he released compared to now. She could still remember how menacing he was to the hunters, how merciless he was as he slaughtered them. It was wondrous how the very same boy who slaughtered men without batting an eye could release such a warm smile that made her body tingle all over, how a simple sentence made her eyes cloudy, and how those eyes as deep as the ocean could penetrate into her heart.


    Amaterasu watched with a smile at the interaction between the two of them. However, her eyes were a little weird.


    [Am I witnessing a…what is it called again? A green-]


    She was suddenly interrupted by Igor’s enthusiastic yell.


    “Alright! We gotta go to Akeno. I’m sure she’ll be very happy to see you, aunty!”


    The blonde grabbed Shuri by the waist, eliciting a yelp from the woman, before placing two fingers on his forehead.


    “Thanks Amaterasu!”


    Having locked on to Akeno’s energy signature, he was about to vanish when Amaterasu called out.


    “Wait, Dimori-kun. You can’t leave yet. There are some things you have to understand about your…beloved aunty~.”


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    She casted a teasing glance at the boy, yet she was only met with his stern visage. The moment it concerned Shuri, he delivered his outmost attention.


    He did not wish for there to be any complications with her.


    “I’m listening.”


    The sudden change in change in his attitude caught Amaterasu offguard for a moment before she recovered.


    “First of all, it is highly unlikely that Shuri-chan will ever recover her memories. I want to say impossible, but you never know in our world. Why I say this is because her soul had already been cleansed when I went to retrieve it. So it isn’t a lie to say she is an entirely different person-”


    “Lies.”


    He looked at Amaterasu without flinching in the slightest.


    “Aunty still feels the same. She still speaks the same. Her smile is still the same. Those eyes are still the same. Everything about her is the same. Her memories are gone, but who she is as a person is still there.”


    He said all those words without stutter, his sincerity as paramount as the tallest mountain. Igor said all these words because they were true. His senses were very enhanced and the moment he touched Shuri, there was no doubt in his mind that it was her. Even without her memories, her presence and how she felt were all the same.


    Amaterasu wasn’t angry that Igor cut her off. Rather, she was amused, amused that he didn’t ask her about Shuri’s memories or showed any signs of being anxious or dissatisfied. The fact that he was simply grateful for Shuri’s revival was more than enough for Amaterasu to view the blonde in a good light.


    However, she still felt it was best he understood what happened.


    “Wait for me to finish speaking first, Dimori-kun. Your words are not false when you speak of her character at heart. However, memories do affect individuals to a certain extent. To you, she may be the same. But to others, Shuri-chan may be an entirely different person from their memories of her.”


    She let those words sink in as she watched the blonde’s face intently for any change in his expression. Unfortunately, she was going to be disappointed.


    With a shoulder shrug, he replied.


    “Doesn’t matter. Aunty is still aunty.”


    “Eh? But-”


    Igor waved his hand in a ‘stop’ motion.


    “Don’t make this complicated for me, aunty. I’m stupid. Long fancy words and whatnot makes my brain hurt.”


    Amaterasu was slightly taken aback at being referred to as “aunty”, especially when her current form made the term “sister” more suitable.


    But the blonde didn’t give her enough time to complain.


    “See, I go by my gut and right now, my gut says Shuri is Shuri. This whole thing about her soul being cleansed simply tells me that she will no longer have to remember what her clan did to her. As for other things, they don’t matter. I’ll handle Akeno and explain the situation. As for ‘others’, I’ll beat them up until they accept that aunty doesn’t remember them.”


    Having stated his point, he put two fingers to his forehead again.


    “Thank you, Lady Amaterasu. If you ever need me to do anything, I will offer my help. Until then, goodbye.”


    With Shuri in his grasp, they both vanished.


    Tswii!


    “...”


    Amaterasu quietly stood on the spot with a smile on her face.


    “A favour, huh?”


    Her mind explored the numerous possibilities.


    “With the Himejima virtually gone, part of our power has vanished. He won’t accept coming under our pantheon but…”


    A coy smile suddenly spread its way on her face.


    “I wonder…”


    As a woman and a mother, Amaterasu recognised the look Shuri gave the blonde.


    “It was full of admiration, but…it can always change-ah!”


    Any further musings were cut off when a hand suddenly touched her shoulder. When she turned her head, she came face to face with a pair of glowing purple eyes. When she saw him, she suddenly felt a pressure that made her shiver. But that wasn’t all.


    When she heard his commanding voice, her knees almost buckled.


    “Amaterasu. Are we scheming again?”


    She could feel his breath on her neck which nearly caused her body to nearly convulse on the spot. But with a grace befitting that of a goddess, Amaterasu controlled herself.


    Freeing herself from his grasp, she turned around to face him with an expression of grievance.


    “Mou…Shiva-tan! Why do you always appear out of nowhere like that?”


    The purple glow in Shiva’s eyes faded to reveal their usual dull black. But unlike before when he took on the form of a middle-school boy, he appeared to be a stunning young man with an athletic figure hidden behind those grey trousers and jacket.


    Even in such a casual attire, Shiva’s authority was still there even as he delivered a casual sentence.


    “Regardless, how do you find him, Amaterasu-”


    “Ama. Call me Ama. And add ‘chan’ at the end, Shiva-tan!”


    “...”


    Shiva proceeded to look at her with a blank gaze before speaking.


    “Amaterasu-”


    “Ama-chan!”


    “Amate-”


    “Ama-chan!”


    “...”


    Amaterasu was unyielding. Unless Shiva acquiesced to her demands, she would make sure this conversation would lead nowhere. Both god and goddess looked each other in the eye. But while one pair exuded hope, the other pair grew increasingly dull. As much as Shiva was interested in hearing her opinion on the blonde, he was not that interested.


    Acquiescing to Amaterasu’s demands was just not something he would do.


    Su!


    Like the wind, the god of destruction vanished without a trace, leaving Amaterasu alone under the dark clouds of the destroyed forest. The winds blew her locks of hair as she stood in place with a blank expression. One could almost guess that Shiva’s act of disappearing on the goddess made her sad.


    But on the contrary…


    “Haaa…haaa…haaa…haaa…”


    Amaterasu collapsed to the ground with a dangerous smile on her face.


    “Haa…Shiva-tan was so mean again.”


    As the Chief Goddess of the Shinto Pantheon, Amaterasu had long since gotten used to giving orders. Even her brother Susanoo would eventually listen to her words if she was forceful enough. Men and women alike were not immune to her charms and many had fallen for her beauty. For hundreds of thousands of years, this had remained true until she met Shiva, the only god she met who never fell for her charms. A simple global diplomatic meeting following the extinction of the Aryans had changed her life forever. What started as a simple interest eventually spiralled into an obsession that lasted for decades.


    Now…


    “Haa…haa..”


    …she didn’t know when it started, but his simple presence made her knees feel weak everytime. But today was the first time he touched her directly…


    *Drip* *Drip*


    …and she couldn’t control her body’s reactions.


    .


    AN


    .


    Today is Friday so, until Sunday.


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