Chapter 166

"You're no longer alone."

"..."

His words took a while to process in her head. And when they did, she truly couldn't stop the deluge of tears from spilling out of her eyes.

"Hik…hik…"

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she held him very tightly as she repeatedly muttered.

"Thank you. Thank you…"

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|DxD|

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Aurelia was in awe at the phenomenon happening right before her eyes. The malevolent energy that had melded together with Igor's aura was being withdrawn into his body. If she couldn't feel his flow of ki was still calm, she would've assumed he had lost control over his body.

As nature energy continued to gather around him, it did not mix with his aura, but instead formed a thin film around his body. Upon closer inspection, she could feel the malevolent energy continue to enter his body.

[Did he succeed?]

It was a far-cry from his berserk-like state in the Underworld. With how peacefully his energy was radiating, the only damage that existed was leaf litter being slightly blown away. She didn't know how he succeeded, but she was almost certain that he did not kill that girl.

But it still amazed her that despite commanding such power, his control over it was impeccable, even in his unconscious state. It just went to show how much he trained to control it. With how sage-like he appeared, no one would believe that he contained power much more than the world's stockpile of nuclear weapons.

"Amazing. It's still growing…"

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|DxD|

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Igor was faced with a dilemma. After he had accepted Triny, the little girl had held him and sobbed on his shoulder until she ran out of tears. He had no problem with that. The girl was happy and he was content because of that.

The problem started when after what seemed like an hour, she still hadn't let go. Her grip was like a vice and with how tightly she had wrapped even her legs around his ribs, there was no getting her off…safely.

Even worse, he could feel that she had used her energy to "glue" herself to him. It would be apt to say that the position they were in was very…compromising.

[I feel like a paedophile...]

But more than that uncomfortable feeling, he was at a loss on what to do. Lately, he felt he was getting lost more and more often. But what could he do? These matters were related to 'emotions' and 'feelings'.

He was not experienced in that sort of mushy stuff.

"Triny?"

"Mm?"

"Let me go."

"No!"

Somehow, her hold got even tighter. The little blonde tightly wrapped her arms around his neck without the slightest inclination of loosening her hold.

"I'm not letting you go!"

"..."

It was only because she was a child with unique circumstances that he still had the patience to reason with her.

"Listen. I'm not exactly supposed to be here long. It leaves my body vulnerable in the real world. Besides, who said I wouldn't come back?"

"..."

Very slightly, she loosened her hold on him. But she still didn't let go. Raising her head to look at him, she tentatively asked.

"T-Then…can you stay in this form?"

"?"

Getting an eyebrow raise from the redhead, her head lowered in nervousness.

"It's…it's…it's the only way I can talk to you."

"..."

Igor found it cute how she was playing with her fingers as she waited for his answer. He was tempted to remove his arms from her back and let her fall, though he pushed aside those thoughts for a moment.

As much as he would be willing to oblige to her request, maintaining his Demigod State for prolonged periods of time wasn't exactly an option. The costs of doing so would far outweighed the benefits.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Triny. Especially not when I'm with my family."

The little lass raised her head up in mild shock as she asked with a teary gaze.

"W-Why? Is it because I'm a mon-ouch!"

He flicked her forehead.

"It has nothing to do with you at all, Triny. The problem is with me. I can't maintain this form for long without facing problems."

Her eyes instantly lit up at his words.

"If it's energy, then I can help you with that! I can help you recover energy faster!"

And indeed, she had the ability to do. He wasn't controlling his body, but he could feel the changes to it. Just by her being present, he could his ki-regeneration speed was already higher than normal.

But, this wasn't the problem.

"Nope. This is not an energy drain problem. I've already mastered this form to the point that I can hold it forever if I wanted to. No, girly. The problem is that in this state, I become very irritable. The longer I hold this form without doing anything, the more I'm prone to acting on instinct and smashing things apart or killing someone."

"..."

Her eyes slowly dimmed at his words.

"Oh. I see…"

Her hold on him tightened again as she proceeded to hug him with all her might. With her chin over his shoulder, she asked him with barely restrained tears.

"Then…please stay with me for a bit longer before you leave. J-Just a few more minutes."

"..."

His eyes softened at her plea.

"...alright."

Holding her once again, he was aware that those few minutes she asked for certainly won't going to be enough. And even worse, the crippling loneliness she would feel after he was gone would hurt more than what she had experienced in the past years.

Again, he couldn't exactly maintain his current form either. He did not want a scene where he snapped at Akeno and Asia because of his irritability. Depending on how long he held it, he could become downright murderous according to Aurelia.

"Triny. There must be a better way than this."

There had to be. He no longer felt like leaving her alone.

"It-it's okay. I'll be fine. Just…please come back every once in a while. Even once a month-no. Even once a year is fine."

"..."

If he was a woman, Igor was sure he would've cried right then and there. She wanted his company, yet she was trying to be considerate.

"I could come every day, you know?"

"?!"

Her eyes practically glowed when he announced that. Those amber eyes of hers quite literally became the same colour as her hair, her excitement very much tangible from how much her body was vibrating.

But before she could speak, he placed his finger on her lips.

"Don't get excited. There might be times when I might miss a day or two. There might even be times where I completely disappear for a month. In short, I won't always be available."

Her mood dimmed noticeably, but he pushed on.

"So with all those problems, do you know of another way that would allow us to talk anytime without me having to transform? Any method is fine."

"...I know it, but…"

She looked away, her eyes filled with doubt and apprehension.

"...you won't like it."

"..."

Using his hand to turn her face towards him, he steeled his gaze.

"Tell me. I'll decide if I don't like it or not."

Her eyes wavered as she gazed into his. Given his last reaction, she was afraid of what he would think. But, she pushed on.

"I…I have to become a part of you."

She closed her eyes as she waited for his direct refusal. Given how forceful she was last time, she was ready for him to lash out and refuse.

But it never came.

"I guessed it would be like that. So, what are you waiting for?"

"?!"

Opening her eyes, she couldn't help but question him.

"Y-You…you trust me?"

Igor mulled about her question briefly before replying.

"I wouldn't put it like that. Maybe I'm just being impulsive. Who knows. You just do what you have to do."

"..."

He had given her permission. This was a golden chance. But…she wouldn't take it. Removing herself from him, she hovered midair.

With an unwavering voice, she spoke.

"I won't do it. I'll wait until you trust me."

Now it was Igor's turn to be dumbfounded.

"What…? What do you mean you won't do it? Because of trust?"

Clenching her fists, Triny nodded.

"Yes. I won't do it until you trust me."

He could admit. He was surprised by her unwavering stance. He assumed she would jump at the opportunity to not only rid herself of eternal solitude, but also experience the world through his body.

Then, he thought about her words.

"Is trust really 'a' requirement, or 'your' requirement?"

"Mine. I don't want to become a part of you if you don't trust me. I'm…I'm willing to wait until you trust me, however long it takes."

She was nervous about this. And a large part of herself was inwardly seething at how she just missed the biggest opportunity ever to get out of this never-ending state of ethereal reality(ghost-form).

"M-Merging isn't something that can be reversed. Once I am in you, I become a part of you. If you live, I live. If you die, I die. Wherever you go, I will be there, both in life and death."

She quietly ground her teeth as she mentally smacked herself for revealing just what "merging" would truly entail.

"That is why I will only do it when you trust me. I would rather wait again than have you…h-hate me after."

"..."

This time, Igor didn't act brashly. He thought very carefully about her words and the conseque-

"I trust you."

"..."

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Silence…

"...heh?"

She was rightfully confused. In fact, her brain short-circuited. Here she was, explaining that even if he killed himself, she would reincarnate right along with him like a second personality. Yet not only did he not freak out, he downright agreed then and there.

It was why she found herself asking again with shaky lips.

"You…trust me?"

"Yes. I trust you. Now get on with the merging process so I can leave here. Only God knows how tired I am."

As if on cue, his mouth opened widely as he yawned for a good six seconds. Upon opening his eyes to find Triny still floating there, he questioned.

"Well, what are you waiting for? I don't have all day, you know?"

"Merging isn't that simple. It's for eternity!"

"No problem."

"You can never get rid of me!"

"I don't mind your presence."

"You don't know me!"

"That you're a beast? Who isn't? To humans, I'd be a beast too. I liked the horns though. We're definitely working on that form once we merge."

"..."

Triny couldn't believe her ears. To a certain extent, she was naive and inexperienced. But over the years, she had gathered knowledge. It was this knowledge that told her that…

"No sane person would accept this…"

"Too bad. I was never sane from the start. Now seriously. I want to get this over with so that I can go and sleep. Constantly emitting ki like this is making me drowsy."

It was such an abrupt change of mood. One minute he was deadset on killing her. The next, he was telling her to merge with him, an action that would last until the end of times. Such a rapid shift in personality made her unable to understand him.

"...just like that?"

"Just like that."

"..."

Her mind went into overdrive as she tried to comprehend how he so easily gave his trust.

"B-But...but…but…"

"..."

Igor was slightly miffed at how she constantly was hesitating.

[Women…]

Marching forward, he grabbed her hand and placed it on his chest.

"Just merge with me, alright? I trust you. You're a good lass and I know you won't betray me. Don't ask me how I know. I don't know either. Now stop questioning yourself and just do it."

"..."

Hesitantly, Triny nodded and began channeling her energy into him. Just like earlier in the day, black tendrils started spreading from his chest all the way across his body.

[Not these tentacles again…]

He found them uncomfortable, but he didn't resist. It felt weird having them spread all over his body, but he guessed that's what happens when you arbitrarily agree to a lifetime contract with an automatic renewal.

Watching how Triny had closed her eyes in focus, he couldn't help but question himself.

[Is it too late to pull out?]

The tentacles were just that uncomfortable and he didn't want to imagine if they would creep inside certain parts of his body. He sincerely hoped they wouldn't.

He could break out of them like he did before, but he let the tendrils gradually spread all over his body. Thankfully, it seemed he wasn't about to have an unscheduled prostrate exam.

Soon, only his head remained, but he didn't feel pensive. Only weird. These black tentacle-like things covering his skin had a texture similar to mud now that he mused.

Feeling the dark film slowly creep up his chin, the redhead was already prepared when the tendrils suddenly stopped.

"?"

"A-Are you sure about this? I can stop if you want."

"..."

Maybe it was his irritation kicking in, but Igor felt like dropkicking the little girl right about now.

"I'm not a pansy, Triny. I know what I signed up for. I'm not scared. I'm not having second thoughts. Again, don't ask me how. I just know I don't need to worry about you harming me."

"..."

Despite hearing his words, she didn't continue the merge. Her hand still palmed his chest, her figure floating face-level with him. Her eyes looked into his for any sign of deceit or wavering, yet his crimson gaze did not faze in the slightest.

She looked down in thought, her arm shaking as her paranoia clawed its way through.

"Why…why do you trust me?"

"..."

Alright. Instinct wasn't going to cut it here. But Igor did not know any other way to explain it to her. 'It was just a feeling?'. As if such an excuse would work. These questions were grating on him and he had half a mind to just forcefully merge himself with her…if he knew how.

"I don't know how to tell you exactly. But it has to do with when we fought. Call it a sixth sense, but I can judge how a person is just by fighting them. Although our clash was very short, I got to learn who you were as a person. As for my little episode earlier? Well…that was me doing what my sister might've done."

Raising his hand, he gently rubbed her cheek.

"So trust me when I say this. I don't mind merging with you. And I hope you won't mind merging with me."

"..."

Drip…Drip…

Very subtly, fresh tears spilt from her eyes. However, her eyes slowly brightened up not with excitement, but with resolve.

Slowly closing the distance between them, she muttered underneath her breath.

"I shall follow you forever."

Then, very chastely, she kissed him on the lips.

Chuu~

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AN

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Well, well, well. Who's a paedophile now? Baraquiel and Sun Wukong will want their apologies very soon, especially the old monkey. He would never let Igor live this down if he found out.