Ikuse honestly couldn't believe his ears or eyes just then. Even just feeling that reassuring hand on his shoulder wasn't enough for him to actually wrap his head around this rather odd situation. He was here fighting for his life, ready to use his own vital energy as kindling to slay this monster before him. He'd already accepted the years lost and had an excuse for the ready when his loved ones asked him about it….But here things were, spiraling out of control.
"Azazel?"
Could this really be just one final illusion or trick? But if this was real, then why hadn't his mentor deigned to aid when he was getting his ass kicked from here to the North Pole. But just as that question slipped the more muddled parts of his mind, the answer came readily enough. Azazel was a curios sort, a scientist through and through. And there had been plenty of times in the past where that curiosity had caused their faction some trouble. Especially with his obsession with his father's creations, The Sacred Gears.
And it seemed, that not even his mentee was exempted from that same callous disregard that had ruined a mighty few number of alliances. Shattering plenty of relationships and earned him the ire of a vast number of people.
Whether the leader of the Grigori wanted to study the limits of Canis Lykaon or maybe even see an Ancient Senjutsu Practitioner in action.
"Hey Tobio, how are you doing?" The fallen angel smiled warmly, cheekily in some ways. Those violet eyes raking over the multitude of rapidly closing wounds and torn clothing with a knowing look. "Pretty awful if I were guess?"
"…"
"Eh-em!" Azazel quickly turned back around to face the Heavenly Demon, ignoring the glare his mentee was throwing into the back of his head. "As I was saying, thank you for holding back so much. He might've been a junior but he did attack you with the intent to kill and no one would've blinked at an eye if you had decided to just end his life here."
"I once had a 'master' like you." Despite the small smile on the Yamato Iori's face, that azure gaze remained as bland and unflappable like that of a marble statue.
"Oh then you understand my methods!" The fallen angle nodded excitedly, pride oozing off him nearly visible waves. His chin in one hand as he did so. "I must admit, knowing that I'm on track to create someone like you is a great boon!"
"He was a quack." At that deadpanned response, the smile on the fallen angel's face grew incredibly brittle. "An alchemist at heart, that oh so loved experimenting on his disciples. No matter how new they were to the sect. But alas, he too had an entire mountain filled with mutated and crushed bodies of all his past disciples. And they had the nerve to call him Righteous. Last I heard, one of his surviving disciples killed him in his sleep and ran off after burning his research to the ground."
While the tight smile on Azazel's face didn't falter, the way his back straightened a hair after that little story made it clear that it had affected him. And even now, he couldn't help but send furtive glances back at the results of his little 'tests'.
Ikuse only snorted at the look, dusting himself off as he stood. Sure, the Grigori leader was annoying as hell at time. Often coming in uninvited and demanding his full attention, or just getting in the way of his daily everyday life. Or preforming tests on his body and spirit, an inspection so invasive that even Jin often complained and fought them all the way. Sure, there were times he wanted to give the man a good punch to make him realize that he too was an actual person as well. But outright killing him? After he took him in and trained him up while protecting him from the ire of other factions? No, that would've been the height of ingratitude.
"I'll keep that in mind."
"You do that."
"Well, if that's all," Azazel began to back away subtly under the monster's gaze, holding his hand out as he did so. "I think it's best if I take him back get give him time to recover, as you said yourself, Young Tobio here is a very talented member that my faction has put a lot of time, effort and resources in order from him to reach this impressive head start. Thank you again for not turning him into mince meat, we shall not keep you any longer, Oh honored one."
"If you know our ways enough to use proper titles and diction, then you must also know that I simply can't allow you two to leave."
And just like that, the skulking Grigori leader froze mid-step. Eyes growing comically large as he whirled back on his heel to the face the deathly serious monster. Even Ikuse gazed over at him, if he truly wished to flee from this encounter there wasn't a lot...well anyone could do to stop him. Plus add a literal twelve-winged Fallen Angel into the mix, this man should just be glad that they're actually deciding to retreat.
"Ah! Yes!" The Fallen Angel nodded fervently, rummage around excessively in his right pocket. Hand reaching deep but his hand kept going, deeper into the pocket until he was nearly up to his elbow. "A price, right? A tribute you could say is required? Let's see what I have here that might interest you…How about a new sword? Some grimoires? Arcane artifacts? I think I have a few potions in here….how about this?"
He pulled out a small golden cone like dagger from his pocket, brandishing it out in a single grip with a triumphant and proud grin stretched across his face.
"…"
"I see you're speechless!" Azazel crowed, waving the short dagger excitedly through the air. It's pure gem catching some light, making it appear to be glowing under it's own power. "This here is a prototype of something I've been working on for awhile now! It's a-"
"Dragons don't interest me." Yamato Iori shot down the speech before it even had a chance to snowball out of control. Waving his hand dismissively, he almost looked more like a gangster shaking them down than this almighty monster. "I'm no Child of Destiny...and neither are you."
"Ah. Well…" With the wind taken out of his sail, the Fallen Angel sullenly forced the dagger back into his endless pocket. A familiar look that made Ikuse stare at him dumbly. Did...did he honestly want to use this man as an experiment? He couldn't help but shudder at the idea of this...monster suddenly being imbued with the power of a Dragon King. That...that would be a disaster waiting to happen. Quickly, as if he knew exactly where to look, he pulled out an old but well preserved book with yellowed pages and bound together in fine thread. "Well, as long as you don't tell anyone, while they were off wiping Ancient Senjutsu from history, I got my hands on a few manuals. Particularly from the hidden dwelling of the Righteous Alliance Head, The Lord of the First Peak. Wait! Don't kill me yet! It's not his development techniques, it's just his famed Sacred Domain technique!"
"That is an adequate price...for one of you."
"Damn, you're being awfully greedy…" Azazel grumbled, pulling out yet another book to join the first. This one notably thicker and a lot more worn. Like it had been read through multiple times. "This here is a personal collection of Ki based enchantments I've been able to get my hands on over the last two centuries. It's mostly just theory but there's some applicable stuff in here!"
Instead of replying with words, twin strands of verdant green lashed out slowly. Lazily in face, weaving through the air before plucking the two outstretched books out of his hands before zipping back to the Yamato Iori. Who after scanning through the pages, only nodded.
"Thank you! Oh merciful Maker of Monarchs! C'mon Tobio, let's not take up anymore of his time!"
And just as suddenly, a hand gripped Ikuse's shoulder before the world blurred around him. Twelve inky black wings pumping furiously to zip out of sight, but even in that blurry world, the image of the Heavenly Demon languidly reading through the first book instilled a sense of foreboding deep within his bones. Whatever this Sacred Domain technique was, there was no way it wasn't going to bite them in the ass later on down the line.