Her last view was of a very thick tree next to a home with high walls before a bubble popped around her. Now, she could hear the sounds of honking cars and a dog barking. Not a single strand of her hair was out of place.
"Yay~!!! Do it again! Do it again, Apu~!"
"We'll do it later, little chick. For now, let's go pick up Issei and Irina."
"Yes!"
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|DxD|- Chapter 64- Issei's Chance
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Laughter, petty arguments, and childish grievances. The scene of three children chattering with each other was a sight far more welcoming than the greatest wonders he'd seen in his travels.
Issei, Akeno, and Irina trotted before him in their little uniforms. The school was far behind them as they made their way across the lawns of residents to the park. They were carefree as they should be, and Akeno enthusiastically led the conversation.
"Big brother was super fast! We went from school and wooshed across town! The cars were like…were like…ice! No, that's not right."
Akeno energetically spun on her heels.
"Apu~! What's the word for ice?"
Igor smiled. Her question made no sense, but he knew what she meant.
"The word is 'frozen', Akeno."
"Right! The cars were frozen. Even the people!"
"Woah! Really?"
Issei had the widest eyes of them all.
"Can you show me, big bro? Please? Pleaassse?"
Igor ruffled his hair.
"Maybe next time, Issei."
"Aww…"
Issei deflated.
"You always say that, big bro."
"And I'll keep my promise, Issei. So long as you keep yours."
"Then you better not forget, big bro! You swore!"
Issei perked up after that, but Irina was now curious.
"Um, what is the promise?"
"Big bro is gonna train me to become a super strong superhero ninja!"
Issei excitedly proclaimed to the skies. His tiny fists were clenched tight, his eyes sparkling like the stars themselves. Akeno, however, sought to douse that.
"Is it ninja or superhero? Choose one, Issei."
"Nope! I'm gonna be a superhero ninja! I'm gonna be powerful, Akeno. I'll be doing Kamehamehas and Reiguns everywhere!"
Issei was swept into a dream world where he stood at the top. Cameras took his picture and a martial arts champion belt was wrapped around his waist.
"Stop playing around, Issei! We're gonna leave you behind if you do!"
Irina's shout pulled him from his dream. He just realised the group had moved on without him.
"Hey! Wait for me, guys!"
He ran after and caught up to them, after which he continued arguing his case to Akeno. Igor kept himself as a willing bystander. He intentionally did not stop Akeno from speaking because these three children were special.
Akeno was a hybrid. Irina would become an exorcist. And Issei had a second soul in him, a sign of a very strong sacred gear. Through training his spirit, Igor had developed a strong sense for abnormal energy.
[Whatever it is, as long as it helps him get strong.]
Igor continued to lead the children to the park. One day, he held a small wish that they'd all grow up together in this town.
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|DxD|
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"Come here, Issei. You girls go on."
At the park's entrance, Igor held Issei back. Far inward, he saw Miki Hyoudou quietly reading her book, not having noticed them yet.
"Huh? What's up, big bro?"
He suddenly gasped, his eyes twinkling like stars.
"Are you finally going to teach me? Are you? Are you?"
A flicker of excitement flashed on Issei's face. Igor's heavy hand on his shoulder ignited a spark of anticipation in him.
"We're going to buy ice-cream, Issei. Akeno, please tell Mrs Hyoudou that. We'll be back as soon as we can."
"Okay, Apu~. Let's go, Irina!"
Akeno happily skipped ahead. Her eyes anchored to the swing sets. They were the first kids in the park, meaning the swings were all theirs.
"Okay, Akeno. Um, please get me chocolate, big brother."
"Will do, Irina."
Igor gave one last smile and led Issei away. The boy was a bubble threatening to burst. His gloved hand was on Igor's jacket, as if afraid he'd run away at any moment.
[He winked at me. That means he's definitely going to teach me something!]
Issei looked ahead to a bright conversation, until he realised his surroundings had dropped several metres below normal. The road was down below and he was eye-level with the curved part of the streetlight. He'd never seen it so close before, and it took him time to realise it.
"Heh? Heh?? Heh??? Heeeeh???"
He frantically looked around in disbelief. He and Igor were suddenly on the roof of the nearby restaurant. Bird droppings stank the air and coated the walls that made the edge of the rooftop. There were a few ventilation shafts and AC units on the roof that hadn't been swept since forever, all caked by the dry droppings.
But beyond the crunching sand, it finally clicked in Issei's mind.
"Superpower!! Superpower!!!"
He sprinted to the wall and peered over the edge. The pavement looked so far down.
"SUPERPOWER!!!"
Issei faced Igor with the brightest smile on his face. He cheered for over a minute, running around in amazement at what he experienced.
"I knew it! I knew it, big bro!! You really did have superpowers!!!"
Issei breathed heavily from both excitement and fatigue. His chest was heaving with deep exaggerated breaths.
"Yes I do, Issei. And so do you."
"H-Huh?"
Issei almost choked on his own saliva. The twist came too suddenly. Igor patiently waited until he coughed his airways clear.
"M-me? Superpowers? I have them too?"
Issei asked with more disbelief and confusion than surprise. But there was a hope in them Igor hoped to build upon.
"Can I trust you, Issei? What I'm about to say is very serious."
Igor's question put a dampener on Issei's excitement. The seriousness made him frown in determination. His nose scrunched and he nodded repeatedly.
"You can trust me, big bro. I'll take it seriously."
"Good. I won't tell you much because you're young, but I will tell you enough that you no longer live in ignorance."
In this world of power, it was a given that Issei's sacred gear would be revealed as he grew. At least when the time came, Issei needed the power to make a choice, not have one made for him. Not like…himself.
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AN: Igor's really settling into this big brother role of his. I don't quite agree with his actions of exposing his power to a kid, I can understand the sentiment. But in my opinion, it would've been better if he waited until he came back '98.
Chapter 64
END