(AN: For the sake of the majority, the name of Benemune will be changed to Penemue. Not only does the latter sound more feminine, it is also the most widely accepted name.)
He calmed himself. As much as he wanted to bash her skull in, he recognised that she was concerned for her brother’s health.
Gradually, his aura disappeared as he reigned himself in…barely.
“I harmed the old man. Not you. Secondly…”
He raised his head, his crimson gaze locking onto her.
“Don’t ever talk to me like that again.”
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|DxD|
.
There was complete silence in the room. No one said a word, their eyes focused on the spot where Igor and Aurelia had just vanished. The blonde had not deigned to stay any longer after delivering his rather threatening statement. The events of today, a day that should’ve been a happy occasion for him had instead wrought him nothing but piles upon piles of trouble.
After his departure, Penemue was still reeling from his audacious words. The purplette was rather taken aback at his rash words.
“To think that after all he’s done, he still has the nerve to-”
However, Azazel was rather quick to cut her off.
“Now is not the time.”
Penemue turned to face Azazel with evident surprise in her eyes.
“You defend him, brother? After what he’s done?”
“...”
Azazel didn’t have the heart to harshly refute his little sister. He and all of his brothers had a soft spot for her, especially given how much she also took care of them.
Regardless, this was not the time for sentimentality to take hold.
“Listen, Penemue. I am also not pleased with what happened to our brother. But as I said, right now is not the time. There is a far more important issue that has to be discussed, one that will only remain between us.”
His words made the room descend into another bout of silence. Both cadres knew that a lot would be at stake if it made their Governor speak like this.
Shemhazai stood up, his face mirroring his brother’s seriousness.
“We’re listening, brother.”
Penemue was also quiet, an indicator that she was listening.
“Good.”
Azazel snapped his fingers before a translucent barrier formed around them.
“First and foremost, I want to make something very clear. Any and all information on Igor von Dimori is to be scrapped immediately.”
To make an example, he grabbed the dossier lying on one of the tables and burnt it with his magic.
“Every single piece of information we’ve gathered on him except for the most rudimentary is to be erased with immediate effect. This includes his sister, Aurelia von Drachenburg. Any plans and forms of information gathering are to be cancelled immediately. If you are destroying information, do it personally. Do not send subordinates to destroy any archives we have.”
Shemhazai and Penemue were more than confused at his orders, but they nodded nonetheless. When Azazel was like this, they knew it was better to obey than question.
“Good. Now, I know I said this before, but absolutely none of this can leave this room. I mean it. I will inform Baraquiel myself when he awakes. However, no fifth party can know of what I am about to say, not even other cadre. You also can never converse about it amongst yourselves. Am I understood?”
Shemhazai nodded without an ounce of hesitation.
“Yes, brother.”
“Good. Penemue?”
“...”
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Penemue was a little fazed by what Azazel said.
“I’m sorry, Azazel. I would understand if we were not to tell Kokabiel. But to not tell the rest of our brothers?”
Azazel narrowed his gaze.
“Sister. You are smart. This is not the time to allow emotions to blind you. You know full well why I will not inform the other cadre.”
“...”
Penemue could only lower her head in shame…shame at how the millennia have changed everything.
[Of course I do. This is politics.]
Azazel was not happy with his sister’s reaction. That frown on her face would lead to many complications down the line if he doesn’t correct it now.
“Listen to me, Penemue. And you too, Shemhazai. I can see that you may possibly fail to understand the importance of this information. What I am about to tell you is knowledge so monumental that if it were to be leaked, we may very well see the end of all existence in less than a decade.”
“...”
Shemhazai noticeably tensed at the declaration while Penemue nearly panicked.
“Azazel. Surely you jest? Are you telling me that boy has another secret that could cause the factions to war over him?”
“I wish, sister. If it was just the time chamber, I wouldn’t propose we destroy all the information we have on him. What he has, or what I have seen, is far…far more dangerous. The reason I will tell you this, is because I will need your help ensuring that our world does not end. I need to know I can trust you with this.”
Azazel regarded his siblings with a deep look, his eyes penetrating theirs.
“Can I trust you not to tell anyone, to not speak of this elsewhere?”
Shemhazai was the first to respond.
“Just as I have always trusted you, you can trust me as well brother. Under no circumstances will I reveal what you will tell us to anyone, not even my wife. Not now. Not ever.”
Azazel was the eldest and he had followed his lead for thousands of years. The trust Shemhazai had in him was infallible.
“Thank you, brother.”
Showing a genuine smile for the faith bestowed upon him, his smile quickly disappeared as he regarded Penemue.
“Sister. You are also one of the people I trust enough to tell this information. But if you feel you cannot bear the burden of secrecy, I understand and will not blame you.”
“...”
Penemue was torn. Whether she liked it or not, knowing this truth will place a secret barrier between her and the rest of her brothers. She could guess why Azazel would not let them know, and she knew he was right.
She didn’t like the reality, but, she would face it. She would trust him.
“Alright, brother. I will not fail your trust.”
Azazel was inwardly thankful that she agreed. Penemue was going to be very instrumental in his plan to foster relations with Igor.
“Thank you, sister.”
Having the confidence of both his siblings, Azazel took a deep breath before speaking.
“There is a very high possibility that Igor von Dimori…is the host of Trihexa, the Beast of Apocalypse.”
““?!?!””
The reaction was instant. Disregarding Penemue, even the ever-calm Shemhazai was struck dumb by the revelation.
“Brother. Is this really…”
“I saw it with my own eyes, brother. Shortly after you left, he sprouted ten horns in the form of energy from his forehead.”
“...”
Shemhazai lowered his head in thought.
[This is not a trifling matter. Now I see why brother could only trust us. The rest of our siblings would not be able to keep this news to themselves.]
While Shemhazai slowly absorbed the news, Penemue could only scoff as her stress levels rose.
“As if being Aryan wasn’t enough. As if destroying the Himejima wasn’t enough. As if harming our brother wasn’t enough. Now he has to be the incarnation of the beast?!”
“...”
Azazel didn’t say much. He only stepped forward and wrapped his sister in a hug.
“Perhaps I may be wrong, sister. He did manage to regain control as you have seen.”
“But you saw the horns, right? You saw the horns! If…if he is the incarnation of that beast, then...then-”
“Sshhh.”
Pressing his crying sister against his chest, he soothed her.
“No one will die, not this time.”
“But even father couldn’t defeat it! If the beast has freed itself and lives on in that boy, then we should-”
“Penemue! Calm yourself. You know how powerful Trihexa was. We all know how powerful Trihexa was. Igor has nowhere even close to that amount of power.”
He held her by the shoulder, his eyes peering into her teary face.
“Listen to me, sister. As I said before, the possibility of him being Trihexa is small. Perhaps at most, the nature energy he absorbed caused him to morph in a way similar to Trihexa.”
“...”
Azazel could see that he was getting through to her.
“Sister. Do not let hatred cloud the reality in front of you. If Igor is potentially the host of Trihexa, then that would be a very good thing.”
“?!”
Not only Penemue, but even Shemhazai was surprised by the sudden twist. However, Azazel continued on.
“I would rather prefer that Trihexa be sealed within Igor whom I can monitor than at a hidden place I can’t find. With his ever-increasing vitality, he will never die of old age. And with his potential, he will always grow stronger and stronger. He is the perfect seal to imprison that creature in.”
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|DxD|
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Kuoh…home. At least it was before he ruined everything. As the two siblings appeared in the skies above Shuri’s house, Igor was evidently in a sour mood.
He did not know how to tell Shuri that he had come dangerously close to killing her former husband. The outcome alone made him dread how she would look at him.
“It is not your fault, my lord.”
“It is.”
“You were not in control.”
“Because I was incompetent.”
He turned to look at Aurelia straight in the eye.
“If I was conscious but influenced by anger, I could alteast tell myself I aimed my fist lower so that I could avoid puncturing his heart. But I was unconscious. I was completely unaware of my actions.”
His fists clenched at the infuriating thought.
“The only reason that the old man is alive, is all because of pure, dumb, luck. That is all it is.”
He looked away from her before his eyes fell to the house kilometres below them.
“That is…all it is. Luck.”
“...”
Knowing he was set on berating himself in his mind, Aurelia did one thing she could. Opening her arms, she wrapped him in a hug from behind, her hands snaking around his stomach.
“Then we’ll just have to make sure such a mistake never happens again.”
“Yeah…”
Feeling her warmth behind him, his shoulders got just a little bit straighter. As his senses focused on Shuri who was alone in her room, he released a sigh. He could only comfort himself that Akeno and Asia would not be there to witness what was about to happen.
“I might as well get this over with.”